The inaugural race of the Formula 1 World Championship 2025 a Melbourne It was a real spectacle, made even more unpredictable by the pioggia and from the wet asphalt. When everything seemed to be heading towards an unchallenged domination of the McLaren, a sudden downpour of water shuffled the cards, changing the fate of the race. Lando Norris managed to take victory, giving the Woking team their first win of the season.
For most of the race, the McLaren seemed to be heading towards unchallenged domination: up until ten laps from the end it seemed destined for a comfortable one-two, with Oscar piastri in the wake of his teammate. Then, the rain sent them both off the track as they were mounting your shape of urethane slick. Norris quickly rejoined, while the Australian was stuck in the grass for over a minute, dropping to the back of the pack before moving up to ninth.
Verstappen and Russell on the podium, Antonelli super
Those who benefited most from the chaos were: Max Verstappen e George RussellThe Red Bull Dutchman finished less than a second behind the winner, while the Mercedes driver took third place on the podium.
Among the great protagonists of the day there is also Andrea Kimi Antonelli, author of a very solid performance on his Formula 1 debut. The young talent from Bologna, Mercedes, finished in fifth place at the finish line, but a five-second penalty for unsafe release during the pit stop relegated him to fifth position, behind Alexander Albon (Williams).
Ferrari disaster: Leclerc 8th, Hamilton 10th
For the Ferrari, however, the first race of the season is one to forget. Charles Leclerc, despite a great start in which he overtook Albon and Tsunoda before the safety car came out following the accidents of Doohan and Sainz, he spent most of the race behind Russell, never managing to attack. An incorrect strategy in the final phase of the race, with the rain suddenly returning, then saw him slip to eighth place.
Things went even worse Lewis Hamilton, making his debut with the Scuderia from Maranello. After being slowed down at the start by Leclerc to avoid a collision, he remained stuck in the back for much of the race. When it seemed he could take advantage of the chaos to move up to second place, he made the same mistake as his teammate, delaying his pit stop for intermediates too long. The result? A disappointing tenth place, with the Briton overtaken in the final laps by both Leclerc and an aggressive Piastri.
The 2025 Australian GP finish line
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0"895
- George Russell (Mercedes) +8"481
- Alexander Albon (Williams) +12"773
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +15″135 (5″ penalty)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +17"413
- Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) +18"423
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +19"826
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +20"448
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +22"473
(retired: Lawson, Bortoleto, Alonso, Sainz, Doohan, Hadjar)
Drivers' Standings after the Australian GP
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 25 points
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 18 points
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 15 points
- Alexander Albon (Williams) – 12 points
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 10 points
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 8 points
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 6 points
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 4 points
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 2 points
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1 point
McLaren leaves Melbourne leading the way standings Builders, but Mercedes and Red Bull remain in the slipstream. Ferrari, on the other hand, must immediately take cover: the flop of the SF-25 in the rain is a warning bell for Maranello.
