McLaren Shines, Norris Edges Verstappen in Wet Thriller!

Norris Masters Melbourne Storm to Seal Epic McLaren Win!

16/03/2025

Lando Norris held off Max Verstappen in a thrilling, rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix, delivering McLaren an unforgettable victory to start 2025.

The forecasts were spot-on—the Australian Grand Prix kicked off Formula 1’s 2025 season under stormy skies. After two sunny days, heavy rain turned Melbourne’s Albert Park into a challenging aquatic battlefield on Sunday.

Earlier, the Formula 2 race had to be canceled due to excessive standing water, raising fears of a similar scenario for the main event. Fortunately, the skies cleared just enough for an unforgettable F1 season opener.

Drama Before the Start

McLaren dominated qualifying, with Lando Norris securing pole ahead of teammate and home favorite, Oscar Piastri, followed by Max Verstappen in third. Wet conditions saw immediate drama—rookie Isack Hadjar crashed during the formation lap, prematurely ending his race, while delays due to safety concerns pushed back the race start twice.

Chaotic First Laps

When racing finally got underway, Norris made a perfect start, maintaining the lead, but Verstappen quickly challenged, overtaking Piastri. Behind them, chaos ensued: rookies struggled as Jack Doohan crashed out early, bringing out the safety car. Moments later, Carlos Sainz spun into the wall, highlighting just how challenging the conditions were.

Norris Holds Firm Amid Pressure

Once racing resumed, Norris expertly managed relentless pressure from Verstappen, who aggressively pursued the lead. Piastri stayed close, turning the top three into a thrilling battle through rapidly drying conditions. Several drivers, including Alonso, Tsunoda, and Hamilton, faced investigations for safety car rule infringements, but all were eventually cleared.

Battle of Tires and Nerves

Mid-race uncertainty over the weather forced strategic gambles. Verstappen’s tire struggles eventually allowed Piastri to retake second place after a rare mistake from the Red Bull star. Meanwhile, Norris maintained composure at the front despite continuous threats of further rain.

A late crash by Fernando Alonso triggered another safety car period, causing strategic chaos. Teams split on tire choices, hoping to capitalize on uncertain conditions. Verstappen briefly took the lead thanks to aggressive tire tactics, but as the rain intensified, it quickly became clear intermediates were essential, prompting a flurry of pit stops.

Final Showdown

In a thrilling conclusion, Norris and Verstappen fought wheel-to-wheel in drying conditions, Norris holding on by less than a second to secure an epic victory for McLaren.

Behind the intense battle for victory, George Russell claimed an unexpected podium for Mercedes. Alex Albon took an impressive fourth for Williams, their best result since 2021.

Antonelli Shines as Rookies Falter

Debutant Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a remarkable race, finishing fifth despite a 5-second penalty. His performance stood out on a challenging day for rookies, who otherwise struggled in tricky conditions.

This season opener at Melbourne will certainly go down as one of the most memorable, full of twists, thrills, and remarkable drives. Norris and McLaren made a clear statement: they’re ready to fight in 2025.

Pos.DriverTeamDiffStop
01Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes MCL3957 Laps – 1h56m33.291s2
02Max VerstappenRed Bull Honda RBPT RB21+0.8952
03George RussellMercedes W16+8.4812
04Alex AlbonWilliams Mercedes FW47+12.7732
05Kimi AntonelliMercedes W16+15.1352
06Lance StrollAston Martin Mercedes AMR25+17.4132
07Nico HülkenbergStake F1 Kick Sauber C45+18.4232
08Charles LeclercFerrari SF-25+19.8262
09Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes MCL39+20.4482
10Lewis HamiltonFerrari SF-25+22.4732
11Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault A525+26.5022
12Yuki TsunodaRacing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02+29.8842
13Esteban OconHaas Ferrari VF-25+33.1612
14Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari VF-25+40.3512
15Liam LawsonRed Bull Honda RBPT RB21DNF1
16Gabriel BortoletoStake F1 Kick Sauber C45DNF2
17Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Mercedes AMR25DNF0
18Carlos SainzWilliams Mercedes FW47DNF0
19Jack DoohanAlpine Renault A525DNF0
20Isack HadjarRacing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02DNF0
Lando Norris held off Max Verstappen in a thrilling, rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix, delivering McLaren an unforgettable victory to start 2025.

McLaren Shines, Norris Edges Verstappen in Wet Thriller! McLaren Shines, Norris Edges Verstappen in Wet Thriller!

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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