Australian Grand Prix: Has the Charles Leclerc era begun? Ferrari fans think so

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc clinched his second win of the Formula One 2022 season with a pole-to-flag win at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, as defending world champion and Red Bull racer Max Verstappen suffered 'Deja Vu with another retirement.

On the upgraded Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, Leclerc's car showcased an astounding pace and performance to seal his fourth career win ahead of Red Bull's runner-up Sergio Perez, while third-placed George Russell grabbed his second podium and first for Mercedes in an encouraging day for the struggling constructors' champions.

"What a race and what pace. The car was incredible today, well-done guys," said an excited Leclerc on the team radio, having finished more than 20 seconds ahead of Perez in the 58-lap race.

Leclerc has now built a 34-point lead over Russell in the F1 championship. Following this emphatic win, Ferrari fans took to Twitter to express their joy, with some proclaiming that the Leclerc era in the sport had begun. Here's a look at some of the reactions:

Meanwhile, Verstappen was second behind the Monagesque leader when his RB18 car suffered a reliability problem and rolled to a halt during his 39th lap with smoke billowing. "I smell some weird fluid," said Verstappen before coming to a stop at turn two.

It was a similar outcome to the season-opener in Bahrain, where Verstappen retired three laps from the end while on course for a second-place finish.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Mercedes after starting fifth on the grid, having been passed by Russell due to a safety car deployment.

Organisers said an estimated 420,000 people flocked to Albert Park over the race week, making it the biggest attendance for a weekend sporting event in Australia.