Norris beats Verstappen to win Australian GP amid crashes as Hamilton endures low-key Ferrari debut

McLaren’s Lando Norris swept to victory in a moist and wild Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off defending champion Max Verstappen in a white-knuckle end to a Formulation One season-opener affected by crashes and security automobiles.

Mercedes’ George Russell was third on the slippery Albert Park circuit the place solely 14 of the 20 automobiles completed within the treacherous circumstances.

Norris, the pre-season favorite for the drivers’ title, began the Formulation One season as he completed the final at Abu Dhabi, with victory from pole.

The win ended Verstappen’s future on the high of the championship standings courting again to Could 2022.

Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri began second on the grid however completed ninth, his desires of changing into the primary house driver to say victory or a comfort podium ending with a skid into the grass.

Norris, who claimed his first win in Melbourne and the fifth of his profession, stated it had been a troublesome race with Verstappen respiration down his neck.

“It was superb. Robust race, particularly with Max behind me,” he added.

“I used to be pushing, particularly within the final two laps. It was a bit of bit disturbing, not going to lie.

“This time we acquired it proper and ended on high so I’m blissful.”

Lewis Hamilton’s debut for Ferrari proved a humid squib with the Briton ending tenth, two locations behind teammate Charles Leclerc.

However it was an encouraging day for Williams, with Alex Albon ending fourth after Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli was demoted to fifth on account of a five-second penalty for an unsafe launch from the pit.

Crashes mar Australian GP

The race was held up for quarter-hour after debutant Isack Hadjar misplaced management within the formation lap at flip two and rear-ended his Racing Bulls automobile right into a wall.

Along with his rear wing bent out of practice and his race over earlier than it started, the unhurt Frenchman was in tears as his automobile was hauled away by a crane.

Whereas Norris had a clear begin, Piastri was skidding left and proper on the first flip, permitting Verstappen to roar previous him on the skin.

Australian rookie Jack Doohan was gone quickly after the restart, crashing his Alpine at flip six on the primary lap to set off the security automobile as his father Mick, the motorcycling nice, seemed on in disbelief from the crew storage.

The drama continued as Williams driver Carlos Sainz spun uncontrolled at flip 14 in the course of the security automobile’s deployment.

When the monitor was cleared of hazard, Norris held Verstappen at bay as Piastri nipped on the Dutchman’s heels.

The entrance three’s order held till lap 16 when Verstappen locked a entrance brake and veered broad to permit Piastri to grab again second.

Piastri, with extra tempo than his teammate, had Norris in his sights however was ordered to carry place by the McLaren storage till a rain bathe handed and the monitor dried.

Twice world champion Fernando Alonso grew to become the fourth automobile knocked out when he veered off monitor at flip seven on lap 34 and crashed, bringing out the security automobile once more.

Norris and Piastri pitted to alter to arduous tyres however one other rain bathe wreaked havoc 10 laps later, as Piastri skidded into gravel then ended up within the grass.

He managed to reverse out and re-enter the monitor however his race was successfully over.

Crimson Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto then crashed out in fast succession, triggering a 3rd security automobile deployment.

Although that gave Verstappen a final crack at reeling in Norris, the Briton confirmed nice composure to carry the relentless Dutchman at bay and land the primary blow within the championship forward of spherical two in China.

F1 2025 standings:

With company inputs