Ferrari Revel in Putting Red Bull under Pressure

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 24, 2024 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. celebrates with his team after winning the Australian Grand Prix along with second placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 24, 2024 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. celebrates with his team after winning the Australian Grand Prix along with second placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. (Reuters)
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Ferrari Revel in Putting Red Bull under Pressure

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 24, 2024 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. celebrates with his team after winning the Australian Grand Prix along with second placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 24, 2024 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. celebrates with his team after winning the Australian Grand Prix along with second placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. (Reuters)

Thousands of red-clad Ferrari fans descended on Lygon St in Melbourne to party in the Italian restaurant strip until the wee hours of Monday after Carlos Sainz's unlikely win in the Australian Grand Prix.

The Italian Formula One team will hope the celebrations continue at Suzuka in two weeks after Albert Park breathed new life into the championship.

Sainz and team mate Charles Leclerc's 1-2 in Australia trimmed Red Bull's lead to four points in both the drivers' and constructors' title races, a major momentum shift following Max Verstappen's Middle East dominance.

Ferrari had the fortune of Verstappen flaming out with a brake problem at Albert Park which ended Red Bull's two-year run of avoiding DNFs (non-finishes) on race-day.

Ferrari nonetheless leave Melbourne delighted by the pace of their SF-24 car after being trounced by Red Bull in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

"This weekend is good evidence that when we are putting everything together, and I'm not sure that we'll be able to do it every single weekend, we can put (Red Bull) a little bit under pressure," said team boss Frederic Vasseur.

"It's when they are under pressure that they will also have more mistakes. We have to continue in this direction."

With triple world champion Verstappen topping the podium ahead of team mate Sergio Perez in the season's first two races, Red Bull were blindsided by setup struggles from the get-go in Melbourne.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said Red Bull had not got to grips with conditions while Ferrari, clearly, had.

"I think the nature of the surface (was a factor), as well. I think that the tire graining here in particular was something that Ferrari looked in control of," he said.

"Certainly from Friday their long runs looked good."

Perez, who finished fifth after the floor of his car suffered damage, said Ferrari "absolutely" had the pace to beat Verstappen had the Dutchman gone the distance.

However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was unconvinced.

"I spoke to Max and he said that, despite the problems, he kept up with Sainz's pace relatively easily," Marko told Sky Sport.

"With Max in the race, it would have turned out completely differently."

Ferrari may not know where they sit until their next proper duel against Verstappen, who won 19 out of 22 races last season and will be eager to hit back at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Mercedes, by contrast, can have little doubt of their place in the pecking order, with Melbourne confirming their also-ran status.

With no championship points at Albert Park and their first double DNF since 2018, the Silver Arrows have slumped to fourth in the championship, 71 points behind leading Red Bull.

The free-fall may continue as the Brackley-based team battle to understand the fluky performance of their overhauled W15 car.

"We haven't swallowed a dumb pill since 2021. It's just we don't understand some of the behaviors of the car," said team boss Toto Wolff.



Imane Khelif, Kaylia Nemour Return from Olympics to Warm Welcome in Algeria

Gold medalist in the the women's 66 kg boxing Algeria's Imane Khelif, left, French-Algerian gymnast gold medalist in the uneven bars Kaylia Nemour show their medals after the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, at Algiers airport, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)
Gold medalist in the the women's 66 kg boxing Algeria's Imane Khelif, left, French-Algerian gymnast gold medalist in the uneven bars Kaylia Nemour show their medals after the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, at Algiers airport, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)
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Imane Khelif, Kaylia Nemour Return from Olympics to Warm Welcome in Algeria

Gold medalist in the the women's 66 kg boxing Algeria's Imane Khelif, left, French-Algerian gymnast gold medalist in the uneven bars Kaylia Nemour show their medals after the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, at Algiers airport, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)
Gold medalist in the the women's 66 kg boxing Algeria's Imane Khelif, left, French-Algerian gymnast gold medalist in the uneven bars Kaylia Nemour show their medals after the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, at Algiers airport, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif returned home to a warm welcome Monday as Algerians rallied around her in the face of international scrutiny and misconceptions about her sex.

The Algerian gold medalist in women's welterweight boxing flew back to the gas-rich North African nation's capital Monday afternoon along with other Olympic medalists, including gymnast Kaylia Nemour and runner Djamel Sedjati, The AP reported.

They were greeted in Algiers by Minister of Youth and Sports Abderrahmane Hammad and were scheduled to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune later this week, according to APS, the nation's public press service.

“It's a dream I had for eight years,” Khelif said of her gold medal performance. “We did our best to represent Algeria.”

Khelif became a top storyline of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew 46 seconds into their matchup, wept and refused to shake Khelif's hand, saying she had never been hit so hard by a punch. Afterward, scrutiny toward Khelif exploded as people — including world leaders and celebrities — questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man.

Algerians vigorously defended Khelif amid uninformed speculation about her sex, which they interpreted as a byproduct of racism. They loudly made their presence known both in Paris and Algeria, where the gold medal fight was broadcast in public squares throughout the country.

Sedjati, the bronze medalist in the men's 800 meters, said Nemour and Khelif's success would “give a boost to women's sports in our country.”