MELBOURNE, Australia — In an exhilarating and rain-drenched Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed his first victory in the region, narrowly outperforming Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after a chaotic race concluded with a third safety car in the closing moments of the Formula 1 season opener.
Lewis Hamilton did not have the debut he hoped for with Ferrari, finishing in a disappointing 10th place and expressing frustration over constant radio communications from his team.
Starting from pole in Melbourne’s first wet race since 2010, Norris came under increasing pressure from teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri, setting a series of fastest laps, was instructed to maintain position. However, as the rain intensified, Piastri spun on the penultimate corner of lap 44, dropping down the ranks.
Piastri made a late charge to recover to ninth place, overtaking Hamilton on the final lap, thereby securing two championship points.
Verstappen, who started in third position, finished just 0.895 seconds behind Norris, capitalizing on Piastri’s setback and the tactical opportunities presented by the final safety car and tire changes. Mercedes’ George Russell completed the podium.
“I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six, and he (Verstappen) got me in the DRS (Drag Reduction System), which here is worth about a second,” Norris said as he celebrated delivering McLaren’s 12th win in Australia, surpassing Ferrari’s record. “It’s just the first round, so we need to keep the momentum going next weekend and beyond. It’s a long season, so we must stay focused and keep pushing forward,” he added.
Meanwhile, Williams experienced a mixed day with Alex Albon finishing fifth, marking his best result since Abu Dhabi in 2020. Their new recruit, Carlos Sainz, who claimed victory here last year with Ferrari, crashed out at the first turn on the opening lap.
Mercedes celebrated having both cars in the top four, with Russell on the podium for the first time since his Las Vegas win last year. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed with a remarkable recovery drive, jumping from 16th on the grid to finish fourth after successfully appealing a 5-second penalty for an unsafe pit release.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll made the most of the tumultuous conditions, rising from 13th to sixth place, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, who earned eight points despite the team’s challenges with their car’s dry condition performance.
Though Ferrari holds a successful history at the Australian Grand Prix, boasting 11 wins since 1987, the team leaves Melbourne with only five points. Charles Leclerc finished in eighth place, and Hamilton in 10th, falling short of expectations as potential championship contenders this season and indicating there’s much work to be done ahead of the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix.
The race’s thrilling start saw Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar exiting on the formation lap, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan crashing out with Sainz in the opening lap chaos. Only 14 cars finished the race after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso hit the barriers at turn eight on lap 34, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto also crashed out with just 10 laps to go in the treacherous wet conditions.
