F1 Australian GP LIVE: Lewis Hamilton makes Ferrari vow after Lando Norris wins season opener

F1 AUSTRALIAN GP - LATEST UPDATES

• Lando Norris wins dramatic Australian Grand Prix; Verstappen 2nd; Russell 3rd
• Ferrari spurn chance for win for Lewis Hamilton
• NEW: Kimi Antonelli penalty overturned
• Click HERE for the top-10 after a chaotic finale in Melbourne
• CRASH! Carlos Sainz out on Williams debut
• CRASH! Isack Hadjar out on formation lap
• Lewis Hamilton highlights huge change for Ferrari to offer hope for Chinese Grand Prix

McLaren’s rules of engagement

Last season, Piastri and Norris’ status as equal drivers in the eyes of the team was a hot topic. Already, the issue seemed top of mind when Piastri’s race engineer instructed him to hold his place before eventually giving him the okay: “We’re free to race now, you know the rules.”

Ahead of the race weekend Piastri was clear about “papaya rules” claims: “We're starting from a clean slate, and ultimately, whoever's going to be faster on track is going to be the one who wins and finishes higher. So yeah, we’re very much clear on how we’re going into the season, and that’s racing each other and trying to hopefully fight for wins. It’s all very clear.”

Lewis Hamilton ready to 'unlock potential' despite Australian Grand Prix disappointment

"I don’t know if we had anywhere near the pace as maybe the McLaren’s had today, but I do think in the car there’s a lot more performance, I just think we didn’t unlock it this weekend," said the Ferrari driver.

"From the moment I got in the car on Friday, I didn't have the confidence, particularly at all the high speed I was down a huge amount. And [on] Saturday, confidence was coming back, I was building, building, building."

Lando Norris on beating rivals to win Australian Grand Prix

“I don’t know why people always talk about the car so much, like I don’t know. Too many questions in the media are about just the car,” Lando Norris said after victory.

“Like, me and Oscar drove very, very well yesterday. I’m not saying others didn’t, but others should not have been as far off as what they were. That was clear.

“But I think we do, by a little margin, have the best car. I’m not denying that. But not everything is about the car, and that’s clear.

“But, today was a deserved win I think, because we made good decisions as a team. And in the past like last year, we would have done the same race and we wouldn’t have won the race, because we were not the best at making those decisions and today we were.

“So, I give a lot of credits to the team, because they worked hard over the winter to make sure they were ready for a day like today.”

Carlos Sainz pinpoints reason for Australian Grand Prix crash

“I’ve had a chance to look at the data and we could clearly spot what happened – and that leaves me a bit more calm about the whole situation,” Carlos Sainz said after the Australian Grand Prix.

“Because obviously I wasn’t even going on throttle at the exit of the Safety Car in a Safety Car situation, and I know having experience for these kind of things, but it’s what it is.

“We haven’t got our season started yet. We will need to wait one more race to properly kick it off.

“At the same time, being out of the car has helped Alex bring this P4 [later demoted to P5, ed.], given that I could sit down with the strategy team and pick the perfect lap to pit him.

“It’s still a good result, a good outcome for the team, and we can now focus on getting my season started in China.”

‘Tearful’ Isack Hadjar branded ’embarrassing’ over Australian GP incident by Red Bull advisor

“Just embarrassed and sorry for the team,” Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko said on Isack Hadjar after he spun out of the Australian Grand Prix.

“Overdid it, overslipped the rears and once I lost the car, tried to save it, but was just a passenger. Just not so fast, I didn’t expect.

“I’m just mad. I mean, these mistakes, they can happen, it’s just breaking the car so early in the season really breaks my heart. Really sorry for the team.

“I’m missing out on more experience, my first grand prix, missing out on the wet track.

“I would say I’ve had similar low moments like this, this one is tough.

“But my way to F1 was also quite brutal, and I would say I have a strong chin, but this one definitely hits pretty hard.”

Bearman: "I’m quite happy with my performance"

“The aim of today was to get the laps in and collect data. I’m quite happy with my performance, I felt like I executed things well. There are a few things where we lost a bit of time, but when you’re not fighting for points it’s the time to try things, and it just didn’t work this time – now on to China.”

Jack Doohan: "A tough way to learn but I have digested what happened"

“It was an unfortunate end to an overall positive weekend. It was the result of a combination of factors which we will go over together as a team to learn from and ensure it does not happen again.

“It is a tough way to learn but I have digested what happened and put it behind me to focus on what is ahead. The positive learnings from the weekend outweigh the outcome from today, we were strong yesterday afternoon but caught out with the yellow flag. All the weekend the pace has been there so as a team we can take confidence going into every race weekend.

Not how @jackdoohan33 wanted to finish his debut home Grand Prix 💔

Lots of positives to take from the weekend and it’s not long until we’re back out in China next weekend. pic.twitter.com/DYYMYXcdoe

— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 16, 2025

“We have back-to-back races with Shanghai coming up next week, so we will regroup as a team and aim to come back even stronger there. Overall, the weekend has been great, the fans have been amazing, the atmosphere was incredible, and to have the opportunity to drive in front of a home crowd for my season debut has been special.”

Alonso: "It came from nowhere."

“The incident came from nowhere, to be honest. I was surprised about losing the car. I was not wider than any other lap, I just found a lot of gravel.”

“Very costly incident, but I don’t really know what to do different.”

"A perfect weekend from start to finish," says Norris

💌 Inbox (1)

A message from the #AusGP winner! 🇦🇺#McLarenpic.twitter.com/jGnLyeObhr

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 16, 2025

McLaren reflects on complex Australian GP

McLaren’s Andrea Stella on Sunday’s result:

"Oscar and Lando were driving brilliantly, both, and effectively Oscar just paid a bigger price than Lando with going off-track and then not being able to come out of the grass.

Never give up!

An unbelievable move right at the end from Oscar Piastri on Lewis Hamilton 👏#F1#AusGPpic.twitter.com/7A4VFZN6S2

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025

“I think Oscar today was deserving to be in contention for the victory until the last moment, and he drove exceptionally well. And when I use the verb 'driving,' that's not only driving the car around the track, but it's also the kind of assessment of the conditions and the decisions that we should have taken."

Communication reigns supreme at Mercedes

George Russell on his podium-worthy drive: "The strategists and all the engineers knew exactly what we needed in each circumstance—when it was getting drier or when it was getting wetter, who would be making the calls, what they needed from me.

"And, you know, it's no secret that it's not been our strength in probably the last 18 months, these sorts of challenging races. That's why I was so keen today to just, you know, kind of bring it home, and we did a great job."

Stroll reflects on P6 result: "I had nothing to do with it."

More strategy than speed is what set Stroll apart.

“They were looking at the forecast and saw that it had started raining already on the other side of the track. They called me in, so I had nothing to do with it.

“So good man. Great way to top off our first race together. Nice!”@lance_stroll celebrates P6 in Melbourne with Senior Race Engineer, Gary Gannon, on their first outing together. pic.twitter.com/RGmMDOWMhq

— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 16, 2025

“I saw everyone spinning and saw a lot of rain on my visor, so it was about staying on the track and then being on the right tyre at the right time.”

F1 2025 season predictions: World champion, Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc and biggest shock

Roll up, roll up – it’s pre-season predictions time!

The 2025 F1 season has all the foundations to be one of the most action-packed in the sport’s 75-year history, with a title race set to be extremely close and Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari certain to attract even more eyeballs to the sport.

Lando Norris is the favourite, given McLaren’s constructors’ triumph last year, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen his closest contender, chasing a fifth title in a row.

Read more about this season’s predictions: F1 2025 season predictions

Albon reacts to P4, now P5 result

“I feel like we executed that race so well. Strategy was on point. Car was quick.”

Following the suspension of the five second penalty for Antonelli, Alex is now classified P5.

Nevertheless, a mega drive from Albono who brought home 10 points at our first race in '25 💙

— Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) March 16, 2025

“The adrenaline is wearing off, but I’m super happy.”

The 2025 F1 driver standings

It may be too early to tell who is in the championship fight, but Norris is leading the driver standings after a wet Australian Grand Prix.

UPDATED after Antonelli's penalty reversal

Here's how the top ten stack up in the drivers' championship 👇#F1#AusGPpic.twitter.com/L0yZBSTQcW

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025

Verstappen and Piastri criticize complaints about track marshals during safety car

Amid concerns raised about on track safety vehicles and marshals going on track during the safety car stints, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen both said it wasn’t an issue.

“I was comfortable,” Norris said, while Verstappen replied with a candid: “If you crash into that behind the safety car, you’re really stupid.”

Ahead of weekend win, McLaren didn't expect dominance

McLaren doesn’t see dominance on the horizon like Red Bull, Piastri said ahead of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

“Obviously, that would be ideal—to try and have that level of success and competitiveness. I think that’s what every team dreams of and what every driver dreams of. But at this point in the regulations, with how last season went, expecting that is incredibly naive. I think this season is going to be just as tight, if not even tighter, than the second half of last year especially.”

Hamilton settles into a groove at Ferrari

“I thought you said it wasn’t going to rain much. Missed opportunity,” Hamilton said over the radio to his race engineer during the race.

The former Mercedes driver is adapting to life at the Scuderia and everything that comes with it — including communication styles.

“The information I got was that it was a short shower, real quick, it was just last corner. But then more came,” Hamilton said after the race.

Ahead of Australia Ferrari debut, Hamilton recreates iconic 1980s film

Before Lewis Hamilton stepped foot (or wheel) on track this weekend, he shared a recreation of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” where his character speeds off in a cherry-red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder.

Watch it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHI-xv4PEaO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

FIA STATEMENT

Decision: Having examined the new video, plus additional video previously not available to the Stewards and taken from the helicopter, the Stewards decide to reverse the previous Decision. As a result the penalty on Car 12 in Document number 43 is removed and no further action is required.

Reason: It is clear that Car 12 did not cross into the fast lane until a significant distance down the pit lane and only after the driver checked his mirror to confirm clearance with Car 27.

BREAKING: Kimi Antonelli penalty overturned!

The 18-year-old was handed a five-second penalty towards the end of the race, demoting him to fifth, but that penalty has now been reversed!

As a result, Antonelli finishes fourth on his Mercedes debut!

Stunning result!

Alex Albon drops to fifth as a result.

Nico Hulkenberg on P7 race result

“That's an absolutely positive result for the team. It definitely puts a smile on my face. We didn't see that coming yesterday after our qualifying performance.

“Under the challenging conditions today, we didn't make any mistakes and had a couple of good strategy calls. It was very difficult to keep that car on track and read the conditions.

“Street circuits under these circumstances are very unforgiving. You are constantly on the edge.”

POINTS FOR NICO AT THE #AUSGP 💚🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/xB3NVJOEcv

— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) March 16, 2025

Verstappen on the last lap battle:

“It was fun, those last laps, pushing. At least you know when you’re fighting for the win.”

Verstappen’s last spin around the Australian circuit in 2024 came to a sudden and sour ending: a right rear brake failure caused the world champ to retire early. This year, the driver best known for dominating a wet race managed to claim second.

How a 50 percent safety car probability turned into a certainty

Ahead of the grand prix, chances that a safety car would show up and parade the drivers around track were 50-50. But then the rain came, and went. And came and went again.

After a handful of clips and crashes into Albert Park’s walls, safety cars became a routine (and expected) sight. The result was tyre and pitting strategies that constantly changed as drivers discussed with their engineers what was for the best.

The wild cards who ended up on top

In a race full of surprises, there were a few shock names that ended up in the top 10.

The first was Williams’ Alex Albon with a P4 finish. Albon said post-race that he was “under-driving” because of the slick conditions. The second was Mercedes rookie Antonelli right behind the Williams.

Stroll was a surprise face rounding out the top six while Hulkenberg, in a Sauber, was just a second shy of the Aston Martin.

What would typically be considered “lower field” teams outscored Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton and a Red Bull.

PODIUM PICTURES

Radio of the day goes to Leclerc

After a suspected water bottle leakage, the radio of the race goes to Charles Leclerc who responded to his race engineer’s comment “must be the water,” with “Let’s add that to the words of wisdom.”

Leclerc, who started in seventh, ended an already wet race even more soaked and a place below in eighth behind Hulkenberg.

McLaren was "in a league of their own," says Mercedes team principal

“They were in a league of their own. As a competitor, we need to deploy everything we have in our arsenal to try and catch them. When they go, we go, and it was impossible to hold them.

“They’re just good at tyre management, they have such a wide window and are able to push like no tomorrow.”

Mercedes’ Russell rounded out the podium while Antonelli scored a P5.

Toto Wolff on Antonelli: "Very impressive to see"

“Started P16 but he took it in the right way, wheeled them in one by one, showed the pace when he had no traffic, P4 on the road and p5 result, really impressive.

“It’s easier to not finish than to finish, he kept his cool, very impressive to see, as long as the trajectory keeps being what it is.”

Worth the hype? Antonelli's P5 result stuck out from the grid

Despite two drivers in their 40s competing on the 2025 F1 grid, the field is overwhelmingly young this season. And among the six rookie drivers vying for points, the majorly-hyped Kimi Antonelli was the only newbie driver to make it in the top 10. He was only one of two rookies who even finished the race.

“It was good, a realty eventful race, I wanted the podium so bad, I didn’t know about the penalty but I cannot complain about the day. The team guided me through – when I had a mistake, it hurt my confidence but the team calmed me down. They made all the right calls.

“It was super difficult, grip was nowhere, with the white lines it’s super tricky. You lose the grip, especially on the slick was quite scary but really happy with how everything went.”

“I learned so many things, it was disappointing yesterday. Today was really good with how we managed everything and a good experience. We don’t want to start that far back but a really good experience.”

Ferrari's disappointing driver debut: Hamilton on P10 result

“It was very tricky. It went a lot worse than I thought it would go, the car was really hard to drive today. I’m grateful I kept it out the wall, that’s where it wanted to go most of the time.

“A lot to take, different power unit in the wet, different driving and setup on the steering wheel, hung up. The guidance of how much more rain was coming… we missed out.”

Miscommunication was a trend throughout the race for the British driver: “The information I got was that it was a short shower, real quick, it was just last corner. But then more came.”

Albon on P4 result: "It will be an exciting year"

“We were running P7, P6 for the whole race. We had good pace, even on the restarts the car felt really strong.

“It’s exciting, it will be an exciting year, so tight out there. RB and Alpine look extremely close to us.”

GET IN THERE ALBONO 🫨

P4 secured at the 2025 season opener!#DrivenByMyproteinpic.twitter.com/JO7BKEO61G

— Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) March 16, 2025

Lawson's "practice run" concluded a disappointing weekend for Red Bull

Ahead of the race start, Lawson said he was viewing his race as more of an additional practice and test run. The not-so-newbie driver failed to finish the race after spending nearly the whole race towards the back of the grid. The New Zealand-born driver started on the back foot from the pit lane after a botched qualifying and back-of-the-pack practice session results.

Piastri: "No one to blame but myself"

“Pretty disappointing at the moment, feel like for every lap apart from one I drove an incredibly strong race, shame not to have anything to show for it,” The Australian F1 driver said post-race. “No one to blame but myself, bit unfortunate to get stuck the way I did. Only myself that put me there, obviously disappointed.

“The big positive is the other 56 laps of the race, had strong pace in all conditions, that’s what I’ll try and take away from this weekend. Proud of the whole team effort this weekend.

“Clearly there was much more on the table than P9, so shame to have that result.”

The 2025 Australian GP final order

1. Lando Norris

2. Max Verstappen

3. George Russell

4. Kimi Antonelli

5. Alex Albon

6. Lance Stroll

7. Nico Hulkenberg

8. Charles Leclerc

9. Oscar Piastri

10. Lewis Hamilton

11. Pierre Gasly

12. Yuki Tsunoda

13. Esteban Ocon

14. Oliver Bearman

Who didn’t finish: Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Jack Doohan and Isack Hadjar

Norris post-win: "We've learned from our mistakes"

“Tough, tough race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing. It was, especially the last two laps, a little bit stressful, I'm not going to lie, but amazing way to start the year, a tough one, because, you know, we went off and we made some big mistakes.

“I went through the gravel, a lot of the damage, just tricky conditions. But these are the ones that are enjoyable and fun and unpredictable.

“We got it wrong a lot last year, so I guess we learned from our mistakes. You know, we lost out on Silverstone and Canada through a race like this. So we've learned from our mistakes.”

Verstappen: "Difficult but fun" race

“It was a difficult race, of course, but at the end, it was fun.

“Lando had a little moment on the entry of [turn] six, so he lost a lot of momentum there. So that's why I got close, and then I got the DRS, so I got close, but it's very hard to pass around here, but it was fun those last laps.

“I'm just very happy to bring it home. Score good points. And this is a, let's say, a decent starting point for us focus the call to stay out on the slicks, because that looked like a split second decision.

“We were lacking a little bit of pace compared to the McLaren, but it's still 18 points more than what I had here last year, so I take that all right.”

Russell, in P3, speaks post race

“It was a great race to come home in P3.

“And massive well done to Lando. I think, in a race like that, when you're leading, is probably your worst nightmare. You did a great job. Also really well done Kimi to come back to p5 which is it really, really impressive first race.

“It wasn’t our strongest weekend, but to end up on the podium, super happy. Let's see what we'll do next week. I mean, like, some of the toughest conditions I've ever seen.

“It was good fun.”

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix winner

A RACE WIN TO START 2025! 🔥

What a drive, @LandoNorris 👏#McLaren | #AusGP 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/FirfltXhR3

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 16, 2025

Your top three: Norris, Verstappen, Russell

Three teams make up the podium as Norris leads Verstappen and Russell.

The rest of the grid is as follows: Albon, Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton, Gasly, Tsunoda, Ocon and Bearman.

Piastri goes around the outside to overtake Hamilton before flag

Piastri, down the leaderboard after spinning, overtook Hamilton’s Ferrari in a bold move to take ninth place in his home race.

Antonelli hit with five second penalty

Antonelli is hit with a five second penalty as he drops down the order after an unsafe release investigation.

A battle to the flag: Norris wins the Australian GP (57/57)

Norris beats Verstappen by eight-tenths of a second to take the checkered flag in his first opening season race win of his career.

Antonelli jumps to fourth amid unsafe release investigation (57/57)

Antonelli overtakes Albon to take fourth.

Last laps (56/57)

Current top 5: Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Albon and Antonelli.

Just 0.4 seconds stretch between Verstappen and Norris.

Antonelli closes the gap to Albon (54/57)

Everyone is on equal standing on inters as Mercedes rookie Antonelli is 0.3 seconds behind Albon’s Williams.

Hamilton and Gasly battle it out with the Ferrari coming out on top in ninth.

Watch Piastri's slide:

Where it all went wrong for home-hero @OscarPiastri 😱#F1#AusGPpic.twitter.com/SDC1vkbyPU

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025

Back racing again: Norris leads (53/57)

Norris has a strong launch as the safety car comes in. Verstappen, however, keeps the gap just over a second. Russell and Albon follow closely behind.

Leclerc brushes wheels with his new Ferrari teammate as he overtakes Hamilton for ninth. He’s gaining on Gasly with just half a second separating the two.

What you missed in the chaos: Spins and sunshine (51/57)

Leclerc spun but got back on track while Norris had a dip he recovered from.

Suddenly, the sun is peeking through the clouds and drying the track.

The safety car will end this lap.

With less than 10 laps left, only 14 drivers remain (50/57)

Still under the safety car, we’re set up for a thrilling restart as just over a dozen drivers remain in this race. Only two rookies are still on track: Bearman in 14th and Antonelli in an impressive fifth.

Lawson and Bortoleto bring out yet another safety car (48/57)

Lawson is out, along with Bortoleto, as he spun off track in the wet conditions.

Under the safety car, the top 10 is as follows: Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Albon, Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Gasly, Hamilton and Leclerc.

Hamilton leads the race before Norris snatches it (47/57)

On Ferrari debut, Hamilton stays out and leads the grand prix before the McLaren comes out in front.

Chaos ensues with the leaderboard all over the place (46/57)

The top five are: Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly, Tsunoda and Leclerc as the pit lane traffic increases.

And the home hero is off track while Verstappen leads (45/57)

Norris pits as his teammate slides off track into the wet grass. He gets back on track slowly.

Verstappen leads while Hamilton follows behind.

Dark clouds hand overhead as Bortoleto hit with penalty (44/57)

With just over 10 laps to go, the rain is coming. And the pit lane is about to get crowded.

Bortoleto’s unsafe pit release resulted in a five-second penalty.

WATCH: Fernando Alonso crash

SAFETY CAR! ⚠️

Fernando Alonso finds the barriers and everyone scrambles for the pits! 💥 pic.twitter.com/FBvAZz7zQj

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 16, 2025

A leaderboard update: (43/57)

Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly, Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Lawson, Ocon and Bearman.

And ... we're back racing (again)! (41/57)

Verstappen, on mediums in third, puts the two McLarens, on hard tyres, under pressure as the safety car comes back in and the race restarts.

But the Red Bull fails to overtake Piastri ahead.

Just before the safety car ended, Bortoleto was noted for an unsafe pit release.

McLaren goes back and forth over strategy (40/57)

With constantly changing conditions, Norris is going back and forth with the pit lane over more intense, longer rain coming and whether to switch tyres now or later.

Haas switches to slick tyres.

Forecast update: Rain expected later on (38/57)

The pit lane warns the McLaren drivers: There is a possibility of just one lap of intense rain somewhere between laps 45 and 50. The weather continues to shakeup an already chaotic race.

Everyone switched to slick tyres under the safety car but Ocon and Bearman remain on inters.

The grid under the safety car: Norris leads (37/57)

The 16 drivers still in the race include: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly, Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Ocon, Bearman and Lawson.

The safety car brings everyone into the pit lane (35/57)

The Ferraris are the first to enter the pit lane as nearly everyone pits for new tyres under the safety car. Everyone sheds inters for hards, except for four drivers going for mediums.

Alonso is the fourth retirement of race (34/57)

And .... the safety car is back out! Yet again, another car crashes into the wall.

Piastri goes wide while Verstappen lags behind (34/57)

The Australian driver has been faster than his teammate up front for around half the race so far, yet goes wide, opening the gap.

New team orders are issued: “We’re free to race now. You know the rules.”

Verstappen is nearly 15 seconds behind.

McLaren issues first team orders of the season (31/57)

Piastri, closing the gap to Norris, is told to hold his position.

“I’m faster but okay,” Piastri responds.

Ahead of the race, Zak Brown said three to four seconds would be the necessary gap to double stack the two McLarens but that both drivers would be allowed to battle it out.

Piastri continues to snatch fastest lap after fastest lap (30/57)

Just 0.4 seconds sit between the two McLarens as the hometown driver closes the gap to the leader, Norris.

Top 10 remains: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso.

Hamilton clear with boundaries (28/57)

“Leave me to it,” Hamilton says over the radio as he works out a communication style with his new race engineer.

Hamilton remains in eighth.

Letting the two McLarens race (27/57)

Just over a second separates the two McLaren drivers as Piastri gains on his teammate Norris.

Verstappen nurses his tyres and drops back, 15 seconds off of the race leader, as he attempts to fend off Russell.

Hamilton fails to speed past the Williams as Leclerc's seat is full of water (25/57)

Leclerc’s cockpit is full of water on lap 25 as his new teammate, Hamilton, fails to catch up to Albon’s Williams.

Antonelli leaps forward past Stroll (23/57)

As exciting as the race up front is, let’s not forget those further down the field.

From 11 to 17: Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Lawson, Ocon and Bearman.

Top 10 on Lap 21 into 22

The top 10 is: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso.

Rain is increasing it seems despite claims from the pit wall that the weather will clear.

A series of no further actions (21/57)

Albon, Hamilton, Tsunoda and Alonso are free to race with no further action after safety car infringement investigations.

Verstappen calls for pit but weather is clearing

There’s mixed signals as Red Bull says conditions will improve on track while Verstappen calls over the radio for an upcoming pit stop.

Verstappen’s teammate, Lawson, improves up the order past Ocon to take 15th.

Through goes the home hero

Verstappen slips up, brushing slightly off track, and Piastri goes through.

The top 10 is: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso.

Antonelli moves up to overtake Hulkenberg and spins

Antonelli cruises past Hulkenberg in lap 15 to take 12th place. The rookie started in 16th.

In lap 17, he spins off track and gets back in the race after falling back behind Hulkenberg.

Track is drying, but rain risk is increasing

The wet conditions are getting tricky and that means tyre strategy is even trickier.

Lando Norris is told over the radio that the rain risk is increasing all while the track seems to be drying out.

DRS is fit for race conditions

Piastri is in DRS range and is hunting down Verstappen with less than half a second between the two cars.

Current leaderboard remains the same: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso.

Norris attempts to stretch gap to Verstappen

We’re on lap 11 and the McLaren driver continues to stretch the gap between him and the Red Bull four-time world champion. The current gap sits at 1.412 seconds.

Australian GP start

Alonso and Tsunoda under investigation

Both Alonso and Tsunoda are under investigation for leaving more than 10 car lengths with the car in front.

Top 10: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri

The top 10 on lap nine is: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso

Norris leads as safety car ends

Lando Norris continues to lead with Max Verstappen just behind the McLaren by less than a second.

Alonso is under investigation for a safety car infringement.

Drivers pit under safety car

Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson pit under the safety car on lap five for new inters while no significant rain is expected for the next 30 minutes.

Plus: The culprit of the spins is not just the wet conditions but — oddly — public park paint. Rookies are being told to avoid the painted white lines to avoid a trip into the street circuit walls. “I almost did the same [as Doohan]” Kimi Antonelli said over the radio.

Conditions are changing quickly on lap 4

“The track is drying up quickly,” Charles Leclerc says over the radio, anticipating a tyre switch.

The current wet conditions have left three cars in pieces. The race continues under a safety car as the track is cleared from debris.

The current top-10 order is: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso.

WATCH: Carlos Sainz in the wall

Last year's race winner is IN THE WALL 😳

Sainz is out in his first race for Williams 🔵 pic.twitter.com/GAOdn1W34A

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 16, 2025

Carlos Sainz joins Doohan and Hadjar with car in wall

Sainz slips off track and is out of the race with a broken rear wing.

“I have, like, a massive torque surge,” Sainz said over the radio. We’re only on lap two under a safety car.

Lando Norris keeps hold of lead in chaotic opening lap

The opening lap is expectedly chaotic with wet conditions as Lando Norris keeps the lead but home heroes Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan fall short. Max Verstappen speeds to second while a safety car comes out for Doohan’s crumbled car.

And we're racing!

Lights out and away we go in Melbourne as 19 cars take the track for 57 laps of wet and windy action.

Heartwarming moment Lewis Hamilton’s dad consoles F1 rookie after debut crash

Lewis Hamilton’s dad Anthony consoled Isack Hadjar in a heartwarming moment in the paddock after the rookie crashed out in a disastrous start to his F1 career.

Torrential rain in Melbourne on Sunday meant very wet conditions for the drivers by the time pole-sitter Lando Norris led the cars round for the formation lap.

Yet French driver Hadjar, 20, who was starting 11th on the grid for Racing Bulls, spun randomly at turn 1, with his car propelled into the wall.

Due to damage to his rear wing, Hadjar was unable to get his car going again. The incident followed Hadjar stalling at the start line when in contention for the F2 title in Abu Dhabi in December.

Read more:

Heartwarming moment Lewis Hamilton’s dad consoles F1 rookie after debut crash

We're back! Formation lap resumes

Second time is the charm as formation lap resumes without rookie Isack Hadjar. The conditions are misty as several spectators dotting Albert Park throw on their rain gear.

Isack Hadjar already spins in formation lap, race start moved to 15:15 local time

Even before the lights have gone out, RB’s Hadjar slides off track — a rough start to his F1 debut. The race start is aborted as the expected chaos rings true in the formation lap.

The formation lap begins as drivers bemoan tricky conditions

​​The drivers take to the track for the formation lap ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. Buckle in for a chaotic start to 2025 Formula 1 season.

Alex Albon called the conditions “oily” and “unbelievably slippery” before he jumped in the car. Teams, like Red Bull, have already changed tyre strategies while on the grid — opting for inters.

Liam Lawson takes pit lane start

Red Bull newbie Liam Lawson will also take a pit lane start and the team has opted to go for a wet set-up for the New Zealand-born driver.

What is the starting grid?

1. Lando Norris

2. Oscar Piastri

3. Max Verstappen

4. George Russell

5. Yuki Tsunoda

6. Alex Albon

7. Charles Leclerc

8. Lewis Hamilton

9. Pierre Gasly

10. Carlos Sainz

11. Isack Hadjar

12. Fernando Alonso

13. Lance Stroll

14. Jack Doohan

15. Gabriel Bortoleto

16. Kimi Antonelli

17. Nico Hulkenberg

18. Liam Lawson

19. Esteban Ocon

20. Ollie Bearman

Meet the hometown heroes: Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan on racing in Australia

Australian drivers Piastri and Doohan spoke ahead of the race weekend on performing in their home country:

Doohan: “[My goal is] to enjoy. Enjoy each time I'm on track, because number one, that’s why I'm here, because I enjoy what I do. And to work hard with the team, ensure that we extracted everything we could from Bahrain pre-season testing and put that into play for this weekend and then deliver on track, whatever the car's potential.”

Piastri: “I think this is the most relaxed I've been at my home race. The first two years, especially the first year I came here, it was an overwhelming experience. Even last year, it was still a pretty big experience. This year, I’ve been able to enjoy it more. Maybe because I’m more confident in the car under me, but I've really been enjoying it and enjoying the support. I feel like it's gone up a little since last year as well. It’s amazing what happens when you start winning stuff. No, it's great to have all the home support, and I really appreciate it.”

2025 Australian Grand Prix breaks attendance records

The official headcount for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix race day is 131,547. However, it is the total estimated weekend crowd count that really matters: 465,498 fans watching the start of what has been deemed the closest Formula 1 season in history.

The estimated attendance is the highest on record in Melbourne, and is higher than the last year’s total — then-record — by 13,443.

Less than 30 minutes until lights go out

With just under 30 minutes until engines turn over, the cars are lining up on a damp grid after getting a feel for the track.

Who’s ready for a wet race?! pic.twitter.com/TUG4KoB25n

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 16, 2025

Cars take a rain-soaked track at Albert Park

The Mercedes are first out on the track and all 20 drivers are eager to test the conditions and limits of the circuit in this windy and wet weather.

Driver Musical Chairs: Who has a new workplace this season?

Only two teams carry over their existing driver lineup into 2025 — McLaren and Aston Martin. Several of Formula 1’s familiar faces switched teams:

• Hulkenberg from Haas to Kick Sauber
• Ocon from Alpine to Haas
• Sainz from Ferrari to Williams
• Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari

Oliver Bearman will start from pit lane

Haas rookie Oliver Bearman has had a rough weekend so far. The British driver, who stunned with his stand-in performances for both Ferrari and Haas last season, crashed heavily in FP1, missed out on FP2 and then only made it two laps before ending his FP3 run with a spin.

Qualifying didn’t treat him much better when he failed to get a single lap in all thanks to a gearbox issue.

He will start the grand prix from the pit lane because of the car’s suspension being changed.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website