Lando Norris survived rain showers, security automobiles and a late journey throughout the grass to assert victory on the season-opening Method 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Beginning within the moist and with changeable situations all through the afternoon, Norris took the chequered flag as McLaren – when ready – confirmed its benefit over the remainder of the sphere.
Max Verstappen completed second, pushing Norris to the very finish of the 57 laps as final season’s high two have been the choose of the sphere.
The curse of the house drivers hit Oscar Piastri, who completed a lowly ninth after bogging down within the grass, having adopted Norris off the observe on lap 44.
It was an excellent day for Mercedes, with George Russell largely holding himself out of all the bother to take the ultimate step of the rostrum.
Russell’s new team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli crossed the road fourth however was hit with a five-second penalty for an unsafe launch and dropped under Alex Albon, who put in a wonderful efficiency for Williams.
Isack Hadjar, RB F1 Workforce crash
Photograph by: Kym Illman – Getty Pictures
Inclement climate all through the day meant no choice over whether or not to begin the brand new season behind the protection automotive was taken till the final second, with a standard begin in place because the rain held off and all 20 drivers opted for the intermediate rubber.
Hadjar was out earlier than the race even started as he spun his Racing Bulls at flip two, damaging his rear wing towards the barrier, resulting in an aborted begin and leaving the Frenchman visibly upset.
As soon as the delayed race was beneath approach, Alpine’s Doohan misplaced it into the wall as his hopes of performing nicely in his house race have been ended, bringing out the protection automotive in consequence.
It was not solely the newcomers who have been struggling, nonetheless, as Carlos Sainz, final 12 months’s winner at Albert Park, crashed out on the ultimate nook behind the protection automotive, prematurely ending his Williams debut.
By that time, Verstappen had already handed Piastri within the opening corners to separate the McLarens, with Norris having received away with incident to guide the pack as the 2 accidents have been cleared away.
Racing resumed on the finish of lap seven with the observe persevering with to dry out and really shortly the drivers have been having to go off-line to hunt moist patches and preserve the intermediate tyres working.
Piastri battled again as much as second as he closed in on Verstappen earlier than the reigning world champion made a uncommon mistake within the moist, going straight on at flip 11 and simply avoiding the gravel.
Verstappen was sad together with his tyres and dropped off the again of the McLaren duo, whereas Piastri started to make inroads into Norris’ lead up entrance.
The removing of Papaya Guidelines had advised Norris and Piastri can be free to race each other, however because the latter closed in he was instructed over workforce radio to take care of place as each drivers labored via the primary clutch of backmarkers.
“Time to go racing,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown instructed Sky Sports activities F1 after the Haas pair had been lapped, though Piastri ran large to offer Norris some respiration area because the observe entered the window for slick tyres to be thought of.
The stops have been triggered as Fernando Alonso grew to become the following driver to seek out himself within the wall; the Aston Martin spun at flip 6 with Antonelli closing in, bringing out the protection automotive once more.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Pictures
Norris and Piastri each switched to the exhausting compound whereas Verstappen, who had been nowhere close to the highest two earlier than the Alonso crash, bolted on a set of mediums forward of the restart.
Because the Alonso wreckage was slowly cleared away, all eyes on the pitwall turned skywards with rain clouds shifting over Albert Park, though the 16 remaining runners have been all on slicks by the point the protection automotive peeled off.
Remarkably, these collective choices have been undermined nearly instantly as heavy rain began to fall, with each McLarens working off, Norris holding on to pit however Piastri working onto the grass.
With Norris pitting, Verstappen inherited the lead for the primary time within the race and Hamilton shifting as much as second having battled previous team-mate Leclerc, the Williams of Albon and Yuki Tsuonda’s Racing Bulls.
With the rain falling ever more durable, Ferrari took the gamble to remain out as each Bortoleto and Lawson spun and introduced out a 3rd security automotive – ruining the possibilities of Hamilton or Leclerc springing a shock as they have been each pressured to pit for intermediates.
As soon as once more, Norris was main a security automotive restart with simply 5 laps remaining and he was capable of preserve forward of the pack, whereas Leclerc edged previous Hamilton because the Ferraris fought over the minor factors.
Verstappen set about Norris within the closing phases however was unable to discover a well beyond, whereas Piastri recovered to ninth by passing Hamilton on the ultimate lap.
2025 Australian GP outcomes
Pictures from Australian GP – Race
On this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Method 1
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