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Lando Norris kept his cool in a rain-hit, incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix Sunday to edge world champion Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut.
Formula One: Lando Norris won Australian GP ahead of Max Verstappen (Reuters)
McLaren’s Lando Norris swept to victory in a wet and wild Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off defending champion Max Verstappen in a white-knuckle finish to a Formula One season-opener littered with crashes and safety cars.
Mercedes’ George Russell was third on the slippery Albert Park circuit where only 14 of the 20 cars finished in the treacherous conditions.
Norris, the pre-season favourite for the drivers’ title, started the Formula One season as he finished the last at Abu Dhabi, with victory from pole.
His teammate Piastri started second on the grid but finished ninth, his dreams of becoming the first home driver to claim victory or a consolation podium ended with a skid into grass.
Lewis Hamilton‘s debut for Ferrari proved a damp squib with the Briton finishing 10th, two places behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit, Norris held on to clock a fifth grand prix win and second in a row after topping the podium at the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
RB rookie Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz — last year’s winner — all failed to finish the first lap on a track made treacherous by earlier torrential rain.
Norris came into the season as favourite for the 2025 drivers’ title and cemented his status as the man to beat.
“It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps — it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie,” said Norris.
“Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I’m happy.”
Verstappen, who is aiming to become only the second driver to win five straight world titles after Michael Schumacher, was in the hunt early but an uncharacteristic error on lap 18 dented his chances until another safety car put him back in the frame.
“It was a difficult race, but at the end it was fun,” said the Dutch star.
“It was pushing, fighting for the win but I’m just happy to bring it home, score good points and this is a good start for us.”
In the unpredictable conditions, with rain on-and-off, Williams’ Alex Albon was an encouraging fourth ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on his debut.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was sixth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in a Sauber.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came eighth, with Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri and Hamilton rounding out the top 10.
While torrential rain eased for the main event, the tricky conditions were rammed home when Hadjar skidded and hit the wall on the formation lap and was out before the race even started.
The Frenchman, on his debut, left the track clearly distraught.
The start was aborted and when the green lights finally came on, Norris, on intermediate tyres, made a clean jump and kept his position at the first corner.
Max Pressure
Verstappen also had a flying start and passed Piastri to go second while Leclerc moved up two places to fifth.
But the race was interrupted minutes later when Doohan ploughed into the wall, then the experienced Sainz did the same on his Williams debut.
They restarted after a safety car with Norris holding his spot ahead of Verstappen and with Piastri they began pulling clear of fourth-placed Russell.
With the track drying, the gap to Russell was eight seconds by lap 13.
But with his tyres starting to wear, Verstappen brushed the gravel on lap 18 and Piastri flashed past back into second.
Norris and Piastri powered 18 seconds ahead of the Dutchman before Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin into the wall on lap 34 and the safety car came out again.
All teams used the opportunity to make their pit stops with Norris and Piastri emerging on hards and Verstappen on mediums.
After the safety car peeled off, Norris flew into a two-second lead before Piastri, pushing hard, skidded onto the grass to drop down the field as Verstappen powered past.
But again a safety car was required when Red Bull’s Liam Lawson spun, with Norris, Verstappen and Russell the top three at the restart with seven laps left.
Verstappen pressed Norris hard for the win when they got going again, but the Briton was able to hold on.
(With inputs from Agencies)
