F1 Australian GP: Norris holds off Verstappen for victory in chaotic wet-dry race

Lando Norris survived rain showers, security vehicles and a late journey throughout the grass to say victory on the season-opening System 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Beginning within the moist and with changeable circumstances all through the afternoon, Norris took the chequered flag as McLaren confirmed its benefit over the remainder of the sector.

Max Verstappen completed second, pushing Norris to the very finish of the 57 laps as final season’s high two had been the choose of the sector.

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 monitor on lap 44.

It was an excellent day for Mercedes, with George Russell largely conserving himself out of the entire hassle 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 high-quality efficiency for Williams.

Ferrari had underperformed in qualifying and endured a tricky race, Charles Leclerc ending eighth and Lewis Hamilton tenth after of venture with the climate didn’t repay.

There have been robust performances for Lance Stroll, who was sixth for Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg a spot additional again for Sauber.

The demanding circumstances caught out 4 of the 2025 rookies, with Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson all crashing out.

Inclement climate all through the day meant a choice over whether or not to start out the brand new season behind the security automobile was not 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 at flip two, damaging his rear wing in opposition to the barrier, resulting in an aborted begin and leaving the Racing Bulls driver visibly upset.

As soon as the delayed race was below method, Alpine’s Doohan misplaced it into the wall as his hopes of performing nicely in his residence race had been ended, bringing out the security automobile in consequence.

It was not solely the newcomers who had been struggling, nevertheless, as Carlos Sainz, final yr’s winner at Albert Park, crashed out on the ultimate nook behind the security automobile, resulting in a untimely finish to his Williams debut.

By that time, Verstappen had already handed Piastri within the opening corners to separate the McLarens, with Norris having bought away with incident to guide the pack as the 2 accidents had been cleared away.

Jack Doohan, Alpine crash

Picture by: James Sutton / Motorsport Pictures

Racing resumed on the finish of lap seven with the monitor persevering with to dry out and really rapidly the drivers had 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 along with his tyres and dropped off the again of the McLaren duo, whereas Piastri started to make inroads into Norris’ lead up entrance.

The elimination of Papaya Guidelines had urged Norris and Piastri could be free to race each other however because the latter closed in he was advised over group radio to keep up place as each drivers labored via the primary clutch of backmarkers.

“Time to go racing,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown advised Sky Sports activities F1 after the Haas pair had been lapped, though Piastri ran vast to provide Norris some respiratory area because the monitor entered the window for slick tyres to be thought-about.

The stops had been triggered as Fernando Alonso grew to become the subsequent driver to search out himself within the wall because the Aston Martin spun at Flip 6 with Antonelli closing in, bringing out the security automobile once more.

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.

Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures

Because the Alonso wreckage was slowly cleared away, all eyes on the pitwall turned skywards as rain clouds moved over Albert Park, though the 16 remaining runners had been all on slicks by the point the security automobile peeled off.

Remarkably, these collective selections had been virtually undermined 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 bast team-mate Leclerc, the Williams of Albon and Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls.

With the rain falling ever tougher, Ferrari took the gamble to remain out with each Bortoleto and Lawson spinning and bringing out a 3rd security automobile – ruining the probabilities of Hamilton or Leclerc springing a shock as they had been each pressured to pit for intermediates.

As soon as once more, Norris was main a security automobile restart with simply 5 laps remaining and he was capable of preserve forward of the pack, whereas Leclerc edged previous Hamilton because the Ferrari’s fought over the minor factors.

Verstappen set about Norris within the closing levels however was unable to discover a well past, whereas Piastri recovered to ninth by passing Hamilton on the ultimate lap.

F1 Australian GP outcomes