MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — McLaren’s Lando Norris emerged victorious at the rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, marking his first triumph at Albert Park, with the British driver narrowly maintaining his lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a pivotal third safety car late in the season-opening Formula 1 race.
Lewis Hamilton's debut with Ferrari was less triumphant, as the seven-time champion finished 10th and expressed frustration over persistent radio messages from his pit crew. Norris took the lead of the race after starting from pole position, fending off early threats from his teammate Oscar Piastri, who initially displayed commendable speed by clocking the fastest laps but was later instructed by his team to hold his position.
Unfortunately for Piastri, he spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 as the rain intensified, dropping him down the order. Nonetheless, he mounted a late-race recovery to finish ninth, skillfully passing Hamilton on the final lap and securing two championship points.
Max Verstappen followed closely, finishing just 0.895 seconds behind Norris after starting third on the grid. He capitalized on Piastri’s misfortune and took advantage of the final safety car and tire changes to move up the ranks. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ George Russell secured third place, closing out the top three competitors.
Norris commented on his impressive win, saying, “I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six and he (Verstappen) got me in the DRS, and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something, so it allowed him to stay within one second.” He added, “I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do, but obviously it’s just round one, so we need to go and do it again next weekend and then continue from there. A long season ahead, we’ve just got to keep our head down and keep pushing.”
This victory marked McLaren’s 12th win at the Australian Grand Prix, overtaking Ferrari to claim the outright record. Williams had mixed results, with Alex Albon finishing fifth—his best finish since the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—while new entrant Carlos Sainz, who won last year’s race with Ferrari, unfortunately ended his race at the final turn on the opening lap.
Mercedes celebrated having two cars finish within the top four, with Russell earning his first podium since his victory last year in Las Vegas. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, stepping up for Hamilton, dazzled with his drive, finishing fourth after starting from position 16 due to qualifying struggles, following his successful appeal against a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit stop release.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll capitalized on the chaotic race conditions to climb from 13th to sixth place, and Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg added eight points for his team.
Ferrari, historically one of the most successful teams at the Australian Grand Prix with 11 wins since their debut victory there in 1987, was left disappointed again this year, only managing five points—Charles Leclerc finished eighth, joining Hamilton outside the points.
The race saw numerous incidents, beginning thrillingly with Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar crashing out during the formation lap and Alpine’s Jack Doohan also crashing on the opening lap. Only 14 cars completed the race, as Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin impacted the barriers at turn eight on lap 34, and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson along with Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashed out with just ten laps remaining.
With the next race scheduled for the Chinese Grand Prix, teams, and drivers alike have much to prepare for. This season promises to be exciting, with new challenges arising as evidenced by the thrilling events of the Australian GP.