Lando Norris survived a rain shower and late charge from Max Verstappen to open his season in style by winning a wild, wacky and thrilling Australian Grand Prix.
With 13 laps remaining, both Norris and Oscar Piastri, who was running behind his McLaren team-mate in second place, ran off the road and through the gravel in the slippery conditions.
Norris was able to dive into the pits to move back on the intermediate tyres and salvage victory, but Piastri ended up in the grass at the penultimate corner, scuppering McLaren’s dream of a one-two. He would cross the line in ninth.
Norris took the chequered flag just 0.8 seconds clear of world champion Max Verstappen with George Russell third for Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing 10th on his Ferrari debut.
Follow the Australian Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 AUSTRALIAN GP – LATEST UPDATES
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Lando Norris wins dramatic Australian Grand Prix; Verstappen 2nd; Russell 3rd
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Ferrari spurn chance for win for Lewis Hamilton
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NEW: Kimi Antonelli penalty overturned
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Click HERE for the top-10 after a chaotic finale in Melbourne
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CRASH! Carlos Sainz out on Williams debut
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CRASH! Isack Hadjar out on formation lap
The 2025 Australian GP final order
06:32 , Olivia Hicks
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
“Yuki is probably the guy that should be in Red Bull,” said Zak Brown ahead of strong race weekend
10:00 , Olivia Hicks
Ahead of Sunday’s race, McLaren team principal Zak Brown offered his thoughts on Yuki Tsunoda’s spot at RB: “Yuki is probably the guy that should be in Red Bull if you look at how he performed. But they seem to make strange driver choices from time to time.”
Tsunoda qualified fifth on Saturday well ahead of Red Bull’s 2025 seat choice, Liam Lawson. Despite making it into second during Sunday’s race during the chaos, the Japanese driver missed out with a 12th-place finish.
McLaren’s rules of engagement
09:30 , Olivia Hicks
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.”
FIA STATEMENT
09:10
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!
08:58 , Kieran Jackson
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
08:30 , Olivia Hicks
“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.”
Verstappen on the last lap battle:
08:05 , Olivia Hicks
“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
07:55 , Olivia Hicks
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
07:45 , Olivia Hicks
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
07:35
Radio of the day goes to Leclerc
07:35 , Olivia Hicks
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
07:30 , Olivia Hicks
“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”
07:20 , Olivia Hicks
“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
07:15 , Olivia Hicks
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
07:05 , Olivia Hicks
“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”
06:59 , Olivia Hicks
“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.”
Lawson’s “practice run” concluded a disappointing weekend for Red Bull
06:50 , Olivia Hicks
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”
06:41 , Olivia Hicks
“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.”
Norris post-win: “We’ve learned from our mistakes”
06:19 , Olivia Hicks
“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
06:15 , Olivia Hicks
“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
06:12 , Olivia Hicks
“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
06:07 , Olivia Hicks
Your top three: Norris, Verstappen, Russell
06:06 , Olivia Hicks
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
06:04 , Olivia Hicks
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
06:02 , Olivia Hicks
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)
06:01 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:59 , Olivia Hicks
Antonelli overtakes Albon to take fourth.
Last laps (56/57)
05:58 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:56 , Olivia Hicks
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:
05:54 , Olivia Hicks
Back racing again: Norris leads (53/57)
05:54 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:51 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:49 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:44 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:41 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:40 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:38 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:37 , Olivia Hicks
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
05:35
A leaderboard update: (43/57)
05:35 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:34 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:32 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:25 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:21 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:18 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:16 , Olivia Hicks
And …. the safety car is back out! Yet again, another car crashes into the wall.
Piastri goes wide while Verstappen lags behind (34/57)
05:15 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:12 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:10 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:08 , Olivia Hicks
“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)
05:05 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:04 , Olivia Hicks
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)
05:01 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:57 , Olivia Hicks
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)
04:56 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:55 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:52 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:48 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:47 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:45 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:43 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:41 , Kieran Jackson
Alonso and Tsunoda under investigation
04:40 , Olivia Hicks
Both Alonso and Tsunoda are under investigation for leaving more than 10 car lengths with the car in front.
Top 10: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri
04:38 , Olivia Hicks
The top 10 on lap nine is: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Gasly and Alonso
Norris leads as safety car ends
04:37 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:34 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:27 , Olivia Hicks
“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
04:26 , Kieran Jackson
Carlos Sainz joins Doohan and Hadjar with car in wall
04:22 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:21 , Olivia Hicks
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!
04:18 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:17 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:16 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:04 , Olivia Hicks
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
04:00 , Olivia Hicks
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
03:59 , Olivia Hicks
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?
03:50 , Kieran Jackson
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
03:45 , Olivia Hicks
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
03:37 , Olivia Hicks
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
03:32 , Olivia Hicks
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.
Cars take a rain-soaked track at Albert Park
03:23 , Olivia Hicks
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?
03:22 , Olivia Hicks
Only two teams carry over their existing driver lineup into 2025 — McLaren and Aston Martin. Several of Formula 1’s familiar faces switched teams:
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Hulkenberg from Haas to Kick Sauber
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Ocon from Alpine to Haas
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Sainz from Ferrari to Williams
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Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari
Oliver Bearman will start from pit lane
03:13 , Olivia Hicks
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.
Rain is getting heavier!
03:02 , Kieran Jackson in Melbourne
A quick dart to and from the paddock tells me the rain is getting heavier at the circuit.
There’s definitely a sense that this favours Max Verstappen, following his standout performance in the rain in Brazil last year. In contrast, Lando Norris had a torrid race from pole in Interlagos – can he put that right this afternoon?
As of now, we are proceeding as normal with the 3pm local start time.
New rule changes for 2025
03:01 , Olivia Hicks
The 2025 Formula 1 season ushers in more than just new faces: it also brings a series of rule changes.
Here are some key ones:
1. No fastest lap point: Say goodbye to the single point for the speediest driver. While one point may not mean much to the likes of Max Verstappen, some drivers lower down the grid will go all season without scoring a single point. The fastest lap point was many athlete’s only chance.
2. Driver cooling systems: When temperatures rise, the FIA has a solution. Now, drivers will be required to wear cooling systems when a heat hazard is declared.
3. Rookies and junior drivers enjoy double the testing time in FP1
4. Sanctions on testing older cars: Drivers are now only allowed four days in cars with a limit of 1000 km of testing ground covered.
5. The FIA to clamp down on “mini-DRS” wing designs
Windy and Wet: Anticipated strategies for the Australian GP
03:00 , Olivia Hicks
Albert Park tends to bring on the chaos, but gusty and wet conditions mean Sunday’s Formula 1 race nearly guarantees traffic and turbulence. So, how can we expect teams to react to the unpredictable weather? If the rain holds off or the track dries in time for lights out, fans can expect to see a typical one-stop race.
Things get a bit more exciting when the showers start, though. If it is misty, it won’t be easy to predict what teams will decide. The possibility of the first wet race in Australia since 2010, paired with Pirelli’s new wet tyres, means it is anyone’s guess as to how the order will fall.
Despite a 70 percent chance of rain, Lando Norris said that won’t change his mentality.
“Win. The same. It doesn’t change,” the British driver said post-qualifying.
Meet your Formula 1 class of 2025
02:55 , Olivia Hicks
Ahead of lights out, all 20 drivers took a group photo on a damp grid. Six of 20 are newbies and only two teams – McLaren and Aston Martin – carry over the same driver lineup as last season.
Who are the wild cards this season?
02:50 , Olivia Hicks
With rookies making up 30 percent of the 2025 Formula 1 grid, the season is primed for uncertainty.
Both Williams and Racing Bulls showed great potential throughout the weekend with Williams newbie Carlos Sainz going second fastest in the first practice session of the weekend. In qualifying, Yuki Tsunoda snatched fifth while his teammate, rookie Isack Hadjar, secured 12th. Both Williams cars made the top 10 with Alex Albon in sixth and Sainz in 10th.
Oscar Piastri, speaking on the drivers parade:
02:44 , Olivia Hicks
“It makes me want to push even more,” Piastri said about the rain. “It’s been an incredible weekend and thanks to the crowd for sticking out the weather. It’s going to be a pretty wild day I think, so I’m excited to see what we can do.
“If there’s a chance to try and win the race then I’m going to try and take it, it’s as simple as that. So let’s see what we can do.
“It’s going to be a pretty special race.”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur after qualifying:
02:31 , Kieran Jackson
“Obviously, we can’t be satisfied with today’s qualifying result. We didn’t look too bad in Q1 and Q2, as we were one to two tenths off the McLarens.
“However, in Q3, we didn’t do a good job because we didn’t manage to run at the same pace as our opponents and as a result, we find ourselves in positions that do not reflect our true potential.
“Tomorrow’s race could be a completely different scenario, as our pace was good yesterday and the forecast is for rain. The points are handed out tomorrow and we must do a good job now, preparing every last detail.
“I really believe we have the potential to bring home plenty of points.”
Carlos Sainz on the gusty and wet conditions
02:28 , Olivia Hicks
“I’ve never driven this car in windy conditions like this. I’ve never driven this car in the wet. So you can imagine everything I’m going to be learning is going to be from lap one onwards.
“It’s going to be a steep learning curve: A lot of brain power used in those first laps to try and understand and adapt to everything that is going on.”
Lewis Hamilton, speaking on the drivers parade:
02:26 , Kieran Jackson
“It’s been incredible, these first few months, to see the crowd here is incredible. Weather has been crazy, the support is insane.
“It is a phenomenal experience, I’m building with the team, another first experience today. I’ve never driven the car in the rain, the settings and communication with the team is different, so we learn on the fly.
“Getting the tyres working today, with the four laps to the grid, hopefully I can get on top of it. We haven’t had a race here in the rain for a long time as well.”
Liam Lawson after qualifying P18:
02:20 , Kieran Jackson
“We expected the start of quali to be tough, to be honest,” Lawson said.
“The first laps, we expected to be off, and then we were just planning on building through the session, but obviously going off on that second lap sort of put everything out of order a bit.
“Then the last lap was good, honestly, just until the last sector where I just had a big drop.
“Missing P3 obviously doesn’t help any of this, but I shouldn’t be going off in quali so…”
Lando Norris, speaking on the driver parade:
02:11 , Kieran Jackson
“I feel good. I slept beautifully last night, excited at the same time. There’ll be opportunities.
On battling Piastri: “We’re free to do whatever, we’re both racers and want to win.”
Jack Doohan, who starts P14 today:
02:05 , Kieran Jackson
“Looking forward to getting stuck in and getting it all started.
“I’m comfortable in the wet, haven’t driven in a Formula 1 car in the wet but let’s do it.”
F1 STATEMENT: New Concorde Agreement reached
01:50 , Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 can confirm that all teams have signed the 2026 Concorde Commercial Agreement, which secures the long-term economic strength of the sport. Formula 1 has never been in a stronger position and all stakeholders have seen positive benefits and significant growth.
We thank all the teams for their engagement during this process to reach the best outcome for the sport.
The 2026 Concorde Governance Agreement will be finalised in due course.
George Russell arrives in a very wet Melbourne paddock!
01:46 , Kieran Jackson
The Mercedes driver starts fourth on the grid this afternoon, alongside arch rival Max Verstappen.
UPDATE: F2 race cancelled
01:40 , Kieran Jackson
The feature race in Formula 2, after a few laps behind the safety car, has been cancelled due to the torrential downpours here at Albert Park.
Right decision… it’s so wet out there!
What does this mean for the grand prix? Let’s see how the weather plays over the next few hours!
How can I watch it online and on TV?
01:35 , Kieran Jackson
The Australian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom – and ESPN in the United States. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 2:30am (GMT).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action in Melbourne on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the Australian Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market.
Why Lando Norris knows there is ‘no excuses’ now – he has to win 2025 F1 title
01:29 , Kieran Jackson
Taking the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi at the final race of 2024, bringing home a first constructors’ title in 26 years for McLaren, brought up mixed emotions for cheerful chappy Lando Norris.
On one hand, it was pure elation. A member of the McLaren family for eight years, this meant as much to Norris as anyone else. He described it as a “perfect” end to the season, beating Ferrari to the championship by 14 points. And he’d need no invitation; he was going to get “hammered” later that night over the border in Bahrain.
Yet in the same breath, even amid joyous papaya-clad celebrations on the pit-wall, the boy from Bristol could not help but sample that bittersweet taste. “It’s been a special year,” he said over team radio, before adding: “And next year is going to be my year, too.”
Why Lando Norris knows there are now ‘no excuses’ – he has to win 2025 F1 title
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent’s website
