MELBOURNE – In a dramatic Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris, the preseason favorite, emerged victorious after a race filled with changing weather conditions, an off-track excursion, and multiple safety car periods. He successfully defended his lead against Max Verstappen on Sunday.
Norris, driving for McLaren, skillfully kept Verstappen`s Red Bull behind him, finishing just 0.8 seconds ahead of the reigning world champion.
The race, which marked the start of the season, was anything but predictable. Intermittent rain and numerous crashes kept the competition in constant flux.
“It was incredible,” Norris commented. “A really tough race, especially with Max [Verstappen] close behind. The last couple of laps were intense, but it’s an amazing way to kick off the year.”
He added, “Conditions were very challenging, and we made some errors. But these are the races that are fun and unpredictable. This time, we made the right calls, and I`m extremely happy.”
Norris started from pole position and, during calmer moments of the race, he and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri distanced themselves from the rest of the field. However, both drivers went off track on Lap 44 as the rain intensified, ruining McLaren`s chances for a 1-2 finish. Piastri`s incident at the final corner caused him to drop down the rankings.
Norris managed to avoid a similar fate, securing his fifth career win and taking an early lead in the championship standings.
Despite the chaotic nature of the race, McLaren demonstrated strong pace. Ultimately, Norris narrowly beat Verstappen, with Mercedes driver George Russell completing the podium in third place.
Amidst the excitement, McLaren`s race highlighted a potential challenge for the season: managing two highly competitive drivers if they maintain a dominant car.
At one point, as Piastri closed in on Norris, he received team orders not to race his teammate, a directive that was later rescinded three laps later.
Both Norris and Piastri had previously stated they would be allowed to race each other freely.
Williams driver Alex Albon finished fifth, while Mercedes` rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, replacing Lewis Hamilton, initially finished fourth. Antonelli received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release, which was later overturned after a Mercedes appeal.
Lewis Hamilton`s move to Ferrari had been a major talking point leading up to the season. However, the seven-time world champion finished in 10th place, overtaken by Piastri for ninth.
Hamilton`s teammate Charles Leclerc finished eighth, regretting a spin that cost him a potential podium finish after Ferrari took a gamble on strategy in the rapidly changing conditions.
The unpredictable Melbourne weather set the stage for the race. Heavy rain beforehand created dramatic conditions, and the chaos began even before the official start. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar crashed during the formation lap.
A visibly upset Hadjar was comforted by Anthony Hamilton, Lewis`s father and Hadjar`s childhood idol. Hadjar`s incident marked the beginning of a difficult day for the 2025 rookie class.
At the race start, Alpine`s Jack Doohan spun into a wall at Turn 6, causing the first safety car.
Shortly after, Williams` Carlos Sainz crashed while behind the safety car. Later, Fernando Alonso`s crash on Lap 34 brought out another safety car, further bunching up the field.
However, it was the third and final safety car that led to a thrilling conclusion. The delays pushed the race closer to an incoming rain shower. When the rain started, drivers were on dry tires, leading to risky conditions. Ultimately, two more rookies crashed out.
Formula 2 champion Gabriele Bortoleto crashed on the final corner, and Red Bull`s Liam Lawson spun into a wall in the final sector. Both retired, leaving 14 cars in the race.
The final restart promised a showdown between Norris and Verstappen, and despite a late error from Norris that allowed Verstappen to close the gap, Norris managed to hold on for the win.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood