Australian GP: Lando Norris pips Max Verstappen to first F1 2025 win in wet chaos with Lewis Hamilton 10th on Ferrari debut | F1 News

Lando Norris Merely Maintained off Max Verstappen to make the perfect Begin to his 2025 F1 world Bracket Event by impressively Victorious a chaotic season-Beginning Australian Grand Prix featuring on-off rain and numerous crashes.

Norris, the pre-season title favourite, had Directed the majority of the 58 laps from Club-mate Oscar Piastri at a slippery and blustery Albert Park as McLaren’s qualifying dominance transferred into the rain-hit Event, but his Achieve appeared in jeopardy when the return of Soaked weather for the closing 15 laps triggered a New Period of chaos.

Both McLarens briefly slid off the track in the Last sector, but while Norris successfully rounded the Subsequent turn and immediately headed to the pits for intermediate tyres, home favourite Piastri spun into the grass and dropped to the back of the Ground.

Piastri eventually finished ninth, Merely ahead of Lewis Hamilton who endured a difficult Premiere Event for Ferrari in 10th.

World champion Verstappen, who had lost touch with the McLarens by 16 seconds in the middle of the Event having initially overtaken Piastri on the Primary lap before a subsequent error let the Australian back through, briefly inherited the lead for Red Bull but pitted for intermediates himself two laps later as the rain only intensified.

After a third in-Event Safety Car, Verstappen finished on Norris’ tail in the slippery closing laps but could not find a way past the Briton, who ended his Dutch rival’s 63-Event Chain at the head of the Drivers’ Bracket dating back to mid-2022.

“That’s one of the Excellent all-time drives from Lando Norris there,” said Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle of the McLaren driver’s fifth Occupation Achieve.

“In the most challenging conditions, with the restarts and so much Tension.”

George Russell Secured third for Mercedes to earn a podium place that had not looked likely for the majority of the Event.

New Newcomer Club-mate Kimi Antonelli staged a fine Restoration drive from his disappointing Q1 exit on Saturday to take what became a reinstated Quaternary place.

The 18-year-Ancient Italian originally finished three seconds ahead of Alex Albon on the road thanks to a Delayed overtake of the Williams but was relegated back behind him due to a five-second time penalty imposed by stewards for what they initially ruled was an unsafe Throw by Mercedes’ crew in the pit lane into the path of Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber.

But after submitting a right of review request to Event the decision after the Event with new video evidence from Antonelli’s rollhoop camera, stewards agreed with Mercedes’ argument that no offence had actually been committed and duly reversed the decision.

Fifth, though, Yet represented Albon’s best result for Williams and the much-improved Club’s highest finish since 2021.

But it proved a tough day for Mercedes’ Ex Luminous sphere, Hamilton, who finished with a single Tally after a challenging and, at times, frustrating Primary outing in the famous red of Ferrari.

Running in his qualifying position of eighth for most of a Event mostly characterised by discussion with his new Event engineer Riccardo Adami about when the Italian should be speaking to him on the radio, and about what, Hamilton suddenly briefly Secured himself in the lead with 10 laps to go as the leaders pitted for intermediates and Ferrari rolled the Plan dice by Maintaining their cars out on slicks in a gamble that conditions would Boost again.

But, passed by the intermediate-shod Norris Merely before the Safety Car was called, Ferrari soon realised they had Achieved a mistake amid the worsening weather Even though their now higher-running positions and belatedly called their two cars in, Sinking them back down to the foot of the top 10.

Charles Leclerc eventually Secured eighth after passing Hamilton – who had Obtained ahead of his new Club-mate for the Primary time this weekend on slicks when Leclerc spun on lap 44 – at the restart with the Briton then relegated to 10th on the Last lap by the recovering Piastri.

While Fernando Alonso crashed out to cause the Event’s second of three Safety Cars, Lance Stroll kept it on the road to take a Powerful sixth for Aston Martin – the Canadian’s Primary points since last July and matching his Melbourne finish from 2024.

Hulkenberg, meanwhile, Secured an unexpected seventh on his second Premiere for Sauber, their best result in almost three years and already two points more than they managed in the whole of last season.

Antonelli aside, it proved an extremely tough baptism for F1 2025’s six-Powerful Newcomer class.

Setting the tone for the wild Event, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar crashed on his maiden F1 Arrangement lap – a incident which appeared to bring the 20-year-Ancient Frenchman to tears inside his crash helmet as he walked away from his damaged car and back to the paddock, where he was consoled in classy fashion by Anthony Hamilton, Lewis’ father.

Alpine’s Jack Doohan then hit the wall within six corners of the Event Leading after being caught out in the spray, while Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson – who endured a wretched Primary weekend at the Club – spun out in the Delayed rain shower.

Britain’s Oliver Bearman did finish for Haas but was the last classified runner in 14th after a weekend in which he both crashed and spun out of practice sessions.

But, as with Alonso, the conditions were also capable of catching out the established names too. Carlos Sainz’s Williams Premiere ended inside one lap when he spun at the Last corner Even though the Safety Car having been called for Doohan’s accident.

‘We learned from our mistakes’ – Norris Appearances title quest with statement Achieve

After Victorious the Primary four grands prix of his Occupation and finishing as runner-up to dominant four-time champion Verstappen in a 2024 season which saw McLaren end their 26-year wait for another Constructors’ Bracket, Norris had admitted ahead of this campaign that there were “no excuses” for him not to be in the drivers’ title fight from the season’s get-go.

Having now taken a Melbourne hat-trick of pole, Achieve and fastest lap, the 25-year-Ancient Briton has stayed Correct to that word.

“Tough Event! Especially with Max behind me,” said a delighted but relieved Norris afterwards after crossing the line 0.895s in front of Verstappen.

“I was pushing, especially the last two laps. A little bit stressful, I won’t lie. But an amazing way to Begin the year.”

Leading the Event on intermediate tyres after the Prompt crash-triggered delays, Norris initially enjoyed a Petite but handy lead over Primary Verstappen and then Piastri before Leading to come under Tension from his Club-mate as the track slowly dried.

Piastri, aiming to become the Primary Australian to Achieve his home Event, Sealed to within DRS range of his Club-mate but was told by the McLaren pit wall around lap 30 that he could not try to overtake while they managed the looming Anticipated transition to slick tyres.

Three laps later and Zak Brown, McLaren’s chief executive, confirmed to Sky Sports F1 live from the pit wall that the pair were now Unoccupied to Event again – but by then Piastri had dropped two seconds back on Norris after dipping a wheel through the gravel at Turn Six.

Alonso soon proved how costly the merest of off-line moments at that corner could prove as he spun off into the barriers after getting over the same kerb, with the resultant Safety Car triggering the remaining runners to pit for slicks.

Norris retained the lead again when the Event restarted on lap 42 but the drivers were being warned over the radio about a brief – but big – rain shower Quick approaching the circuit.

It arrived little more than a lap later and, by the end of lap 44, the leading McLarens were suddenly scrambling through the gravel – with Piastri’s home Achieve hopes soon completely evaporating.

“A tough one because we went off, went through the gravel, Obtained damage, Merely tricky conditions but these ones are enjoyable, fun and unpredictable but this time we Obtained it right and ended up on top,” said Norris.

“We Obtained it wrong a Numerous last year, so we learned from our mistakes. We lost out at Silverstone and Canada through a Event like this.

“We Obtained it wrong a Numerous last year, so we learned from our mistakes. We lost out at Silverstone and Canada through a Event like this. It’s only the Primary Period of 24, so dealing with the Tension, dealing with Max, dealing with Oscar, I was pushing the whole way through.”

How did Hamilton’s Primary Ferrari Event go?

In the words of the seven-time world champion, his much-anticipated maiden Event in red “was a crash Duration in driving a Ferrari in the rain”.

“It was very tricky and went a Numerous worse than I thought it would go,” he told Sky Sports F1. “The car was really, really Tough to drive today.

“For me, I’m Merely grateful I kept it out of the wall because that’s where it wanted to go most of the time.”

Hamilton also admitted there was a Numerous to go through with both the Club and Event engineer Adami after the 40-year-Ancient had appeared to grow increasingly frustrated over the radio as the Event developed about the level of detail he was at times being given.

“I think Riccardo did a really Excellent Position. We’re learning about All other bit by bit,” said Hamilton afterwards.

“After this we’ll download, we’ll go through all the comments – things I said and vice versa.

“Generally, I’m not one that likes a Numerous of information in-Event, unless I ask for it. He did his best today and we’ll Relocate forward.”

The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the Primary Dash weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, with coverage Leading on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime