Mattia Binotto’s revenge: his Sauber beats Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari in F1 Australian GP. The F1 Australian GP rewards Mattia Binotto’s Sauber.

In Australia, it’s Mattia Binotto’s revenge: circumstances favor Nico Hulkenberg, who places Sauber ahead of Ferrari in the F1 Constructors’ Standings. Maranello’s disastrous afternoon benefits unexpected rivals. Alexander Albon (5th), Lance Stroll (6th), and Hulkenberg push the Prancing Horse down to seventh place in the team championship.

In chaotic Melbourne, the race’s final moments reshuffle the grid. After the switch to slick tires under the Safety Car, a new heavy downpour forces teams into a dilemma: pit again for intermediates or gamble by staying out. A crucial choice that determined the winners and losers at Albert Park.

In the end, the teams that quickly opted for wet tires were rewarded. Ferrari’s gamble—staying out on hard tires while leading, only to drop to the back—cost Maranello an eighth and tenth-place finish. A disaster within a disaster on a catastrophic Sunday for Frédéric Vasseur’s team.

Circumstances Favor Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg Scores Points in Australia
Until that point, the race seemed set for a predictable finish. A McLaren one-two, Max Verstappen chasing, Charles Leclerc in fifth behind George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, possibly overtaking Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon in the final laps. For Sauber, the only consolation was avoiding the very back of the grid, helped by a struggling Haas.

Then the rain changed everything. Despite the crash of Gabriel Bortoleto—one of many rookies who ended up in the wall—Nico Hulkenberg capitalized on the situation, nailed the strategy, and finished seventh.

“It’s obviously nice to score points, especially when you don’t expect it,” said the German, as reported by Motorsport-Magazin.com. “It was a special race with special circumstances. Things didn’t look good in the first half, but then the conditions helped us. We chose a good pit stop strategy to switch to slicks, and in the end, that made everything possible.”

Mattia Binotto’s Revenge: Sauber Ahead of Ferrari in the Standings
For Maranello, it’s time for reflection. One certainty is that nothing is decided after the first of 24 races. The 2024 championship proves that a comeback over time—even after months of dominance by a single team—is entirely possible. If the title wasn’t truly won during the celebrations in Milan, it’s certainly not lost today.

Standing still is not an option. From setup issues to communication problems—the understanding between Adami and Hamilton is still a work in progress—there’s a lot to fix before China, where Formula 1 races in just one week. Ferrari knows it must “unlock the potential” of the SF-25.

While the Constructors’ Standings paint a grim picture (Ferrari trails not only the Sauber of former team boss Mattia Binotto, now COO and CTO of Hinwil, but also Williams and Aston Martin), the damage is far from irreversible. A poor performance in the season opener cannot undo all the confidence built over the winter. Everything else is just bar talk.