Wet race, lucky race? This was the philosophy that Ferrari hoped would bring them the desired results after a compromised qualifying, but it was Lando Norris who clinched victory, ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell. Here’s the recap of the first race of 2025!
A masterful performance from Lando Norris in Melbourne during the GP Australia. The British McLaren driver will leave Albert Park in first place in the Driver’s Championship, sending a clear signal of what we might see throughout the season. The #4 driver has learned from last season’s mistakes and approaches the 2025 season with the awareness that he has both the car and the skills to compete at the top of the category.
Special mention goes to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Bolognese making his debut with Mercedes. After a forgettable qualifying, he showed he wasn’t in Formula 1 by chance, and that Toto Wolff’s trust in the young raw diamond was well-placed. Starting from 16th position, the #12 driver managed to move up to 4th place (5th after a 5-second penalty for an unsafe release). Antonelli was also the only rookie to avoid causing any accidents throughout the race weekend.
Among the DNFs in the Australian GP, due to a wet track, were Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard having an underwhelming debut with Williams. Alongside the veterans, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Jack Doohan, and Isack Hadjar also didn’t finish the race.
Live race recap of GP Australia
06:59 – The final lap begins. The rookie from Bologna gains a position on Alex Albon but is also noted for an unsafe release, receiving a five-second penalty. Max Verstappen chases Lando Norris, but it’s the 1999-born Briton who wins the GP Australia, the first race of the year.
The order at the finish line is as follows: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Alex Albon, Kimi Antonelli, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Lewis Hamilton. It wasn’t the performance expected from Ferrari for the first race of 2025.
06:51 – The Safety Car returns to the pit after lap 51, while Albert Park is illuminated by a faint ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds. Lando Norris is chasing his first victory of the season and the dream of the World Championship with a brilliant performance. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rise to 8th and 9th positions, seizing the opportunity after Pierre Gasly’s mistake.
06:41 – The lead returns to Lando Norris before the Safety Car comes out again due to a collision between Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto. The DNFs in the first race of the season rise to five. At lap 50, the positions are as follows: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Alex Albon, Kimi Antonelli (the first Italian in the top 5 since the 2019 Brazilian GP), Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, and the two Ferraris closing the top ten.
06:36 – Yuki Tsunoda overtakes Charles Leclerc, while the first drops of rain begin to fall on the third sector of the circuit. The GP Australia heats up with 10 laps to go: both McLarens go wide, with Oscar Piastri running off track, while Lando Norris pits and returns to the track behind Liam Lawson. Max Verstappen takes the lead of the GP Australia. Lawson manages to return from the grass and heads into the pit lane. Verstappen then pits for intermediate tires, leaving Lewis Hamilton in charge before both Ferraris do double pit-stops.
06:31 – The Safety Car returns at the end of lap 41, and a notification of an unsafe release is issued for the incident involving Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto in the pit lane. Meanwhile, the team pit walls warn their drivers about the expected Class 3 rain within the next 10 laps.
06:15 – After a long delay by Oscar Piastri, the McLaren pit wall changes its strategy, allowing the Australian to race against his teammate. In the back rows, Fernando Alonso crashes into the wall, and the Safety Car comes out again. Pit stops follow during lap 35.
06:08 – The pressure increases for GP Australia leader Lando Norris, as his teammate in DRS range tries to make history as the first Australian to win his home race. The first team order arrives from McLaren, asking Oscar Piastri to hold his position and not attack Norris. Both McLarens then fly away from reigning World Champion Max Verstappen with a +15.133 gap.
05:32 – Kimi Antonelli manages to move up to 11th position, just within points, setting a lap time of 1:30.706, matching the pace of Max Verstappen and his teammate George Russell, currently in 4th place.
05:51 – Taking advantage of Max Verstappen’s mistake, Oscar Piastri rises to second place, igniting the excitement of his home fans. Among those investigated for violating the Safety Car procedure are Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon. The FIA then announces no penalties for the investigated drivers.
05:44 – Oscar Piastri, utilizing DRS, attempts to pass Verstappen and close the gap to his teammate. Currently, Piastri is +0.505 behind Verstappen. Together with Norris, the top three are racing in a league of their own, setting times of 1:31. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli gains a position on Nico Hulkenberg, before spinning. However, the Italian manages to keep the car on track.
05:34 – The Safety Car comes in at the end of lap 7. The GP Australia restarts with Lando Norris leading, followed by Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc in the top 5. Fernando Alonso, currently outside the points, is under investigation for a Safety Car violation. Yuki Tsunoda is also under investigation.
05:29 – Taking advantage of the Safety Car, Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson pit for their first tire changes.
05:18 – Good morning, Italy! The GP Australia begins with a great start from both McLarens. Max Verstappen immediately attacks Oscar Piastri, taking the position from the Australian, while Lando Norris maintains the lead. Charles Leclerc rises to 5th place, overtaking Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon. It’s also been a nightmare weekend for Jack Doohan and Carlos Sainz – both drivers crashed, the former due to aquaplaning. The Safety Car comes out.
05:07 – 05:07 – The first driver to suffer the consequences of the wet track is Isack Hadjar, who crashes into the wall during the formation lap at turn 1. The Frenchman was also comforted by Hamilton’s father in the paddock. The race start is rescheduled for 05:15 (Italian time) to allow the VCARB to be cleared from the track, reducing the race by one lap.
01:58 – Oliver Bearman will start from the pit lane after the suspension on his car was replaced during Parc Ferme, violating Article 40.9 of the sporting regulations. Not the weekend the young British driver expected for his debut with Haas F1 Team.
23:23 – The start time for the GP Australia might be at risk. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, it’s currently raining in Melbourne, and the rain is expected to increase until the scheduled race time, with winds reaching up to 30 km/h.
23:16 – The first lights for the new season of Formula 1 are about to go out. The Australian GP at the home of Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan, who makes his official F1 debut with Alpine. The session promises to be packed with action, especially with rain expected to affect the Melbourne circuit.
Lando Norris took pole position for the race, and despite the bittersweet qualifying results, the sensation was that the McLaren MCL39 was dominant, allowing both McLaren drivers to lock out the front row at Albert Park.
On the other side, Ferrari‘s performance was disappointing, with the SF-25 struggling, 7-tenths off the McLaren pace. Ferrari’s drivers will start from 7th (Charles Leclerc) and 8th (Lewis Hamilton).
A sacrificed qualifying for Ferrari, according to Leclerc, waiting for rain to hit the Australian track, which seemed to explain a huge step back from the team compared to their free practice times.
In the second row, reigning world champion Max Verstappen will start 3rd, with Mercedes’ George Russell alongside him in 4th. The season’s first surprise comes with Yuki Tsunoda in 5th place, with Alex Albon starting 6th. Carlos Sainz also showed a strong performance, qualifying in 10th, just ahead of rookie Isack Hadjar.
F1’s first race of 2025 is set to start at 05:00 (Italian time) on Sunday, March 16. Who will take the first victory of the season?
Photo: McLaren, Formula 1.
