F1 Australian Grand Prix results: Norris triumphs in wet and wild season opener

The 2025 Formula 1 season roared into life with a thrilling, rain-affected Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. Pre-season speculation was finally put to rest as the true order emerged, and it was McLaren who continued their end-of-season form from 2024. Lando Norris emerged victorious after a tense battle with Max Verstappen and team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Here's our rundown of all the key storylines from F1’s 2025 season opener in Melbourne…

2025 Australian Grand Prix results

Lando Norris claims victory in season opener

Lando Norris made his intentions for the 2025 season known at the earliest opportunity, securing pole position and leading the race through treacherous and changing conditions. 

Having held Verstappen at bay during an early restart, he later resisted pressure from his team-mate Oscar Piastri as the race approached half distance. 

Switching from Intermediates to a set of Hards on Lap 35, Norris astutely navigated the drying track. 

Both McLaren drivers ran wide on Lap 44 as the rain returned, but the team opted to pit Norris with a quick-thinking strategy call that paid dividends. 

With others ahead still on slicks, he quickly reclaimed the top spots from Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers. 

After a final Safety Car, Norris nailed the restart and held off a late charge from Verstappen to clinch the first victory of 2025.

READ MORE: Norris' best chance yet?

Lewis Hamilton’s tough start to life at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut wasn’t quite the resounding success he’d hoped for. 
Having gone less than two tenths shy of renowned one-lap supremo and new Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in qualifying, the seven-time champion lined up eighth on the grid. 

Hamilton held position on the opening lap, but spent most of the race tucked in behind Alex Albon’s Williams. 

Radio messages between Hamilton and his new Ferrari race engineer seemed strained during the race, with Lewis repeatedly requesting that they ‘leave him to it’. 

A gamble to stay on dry tyres during the final rain shower backfired, costing him time before finally pitting on Lap 48. 

Then, on the final lap, a resurgent Piastri overtook him relegating a dejected Hamilton to 10th.

A quiet but assured drive to the podium for George Russell 

When Mercedes most needed a result in their first race since Hamilton’s departure. George Russell quietly delivered a strong performance for the Brackley-based team in Melbourne.

After qualifying fourth, he maintained his position early on and later benefited from Oscar Piastri’s spin. 

When the frontrunners pitted for intermediates, Russell emerged in third and came home a distant but comfortable podium finisher behind Norris and Verstappen.

Oliver Bearman’s nightmare weekend

One of 2025’s full-season rookies, Oliver Bearman endured a weekend to forget at Albert Park. 

A heavy crash in the final third of Practice 1 sidelined him for Practice 2 as well. Then, just three minutes into the third practice session, Bearman spun into the gravel meaning he’d start the first qualifying session of the season having completed just 13 laps.

The nightmare continued in Qualifying, where Bearman reported gearbox trouble at the start of his session. He wouldn’t continue, and so he’d start last on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

Once underway, he remained at the back of the field for the duration of the race, finishing 14th, just behind Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Williams’ turn of pace 

Williams’s pace in pre-season testing raised a few eyebrows up and down the paddock, but as any F1 fan knows, those times are always taken with a pinch of salt. In Melbourne though, the Grove outfit would prove itself a real contender for the 2025 season.  

Despite the disappointment of Carlos Sainz crashing out on Lap 1, both Williams cars reached Q3, and Albon ran in the top seven for much of the race. 

At the final restart, the Thai-British driver occupied fourth place, but rookie racer Andrea Kimi Antonelli snuck past him in the closing laps. 

In the end, Albon crossed the line an excellent fifth to score Williams’ best result since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

Rookie rollercoaster: Four struggles, one star

The 2025 rookies had a baptism of fire in tricky conditions at Albert Park. 

Of F1’s five full-season rookie drivers this year, four of them endured torrid weekends in which they found the unforgiving Melbourne barriers. 

One of the rookies, though, delivered a stellar debut drive that has caught everyone’s attention.

• Isack Hadjar – The RB driver spun at Turn 2 on the formation lap, but looked particularly strong in the early parts of Qualifying.
• Jack Doohan – the Aussie driver at Alpine hit the barrier on Lap 1, but had showed some good pace, particularly in the first two Practice sessions.
• Gabriel Bortoleto – having delivered a superb Qualifying performance to get Sauber into Q2, Bortoleto was also caught out by the conditions in Sunday’s Grand Prix, ending his race early on the sidelines.
• Oliver Bearman – The young Brit’s crash at the start of the weekend set the tone for his first event in 2025. He finished last of the runners in 14th.
• Kimi Antonelli – the 18-year-old Italian hotshot built a solid weekend in the practice sessions, but got caught out in qualifying and lined up 16th for the race. Nevertheless, he survived a spin early on to scythe through the field and recover to fourth, one spot behind team-mate Russell in an excellent debut drive.

Heartbreak for Home Hero Piastri

Melbourne’s own Oscar Piastri was cruelly denied a home podium as he became another name caught out by the conditions. 

Having locked out the front row with Norris, he slipped to third behind Verstappen on Lap 1. After a rare mistake from Max, Oscar was released to chase after his team-mate and did just that, applying immense pressure at the half distance mark.  

A switch to slicks on Lap 35 positioned him well as he retained second, but the rain returned on Lap 44, causing both McLarens to run wide in the final sector. Piastri spun on wet tyres near pit entry, dropping him all the way down the order. 

Fuelled by frustration, he recovered brilliantly, passing Hamilton on the final lap around the outside of the ultra-quick Turn 9 to salvage two points.

Max Verstappen is still in the mix

Max Verstappen proved he’s still a championship contender this season, wrestling his tricky RB21 to third on the grid. 

In a typically opportunistic move, Max snatched second from Piastri on Lap 1, but an uncharacteristic mistake handed second back to the Aussie. 

When Piastri spun, Max was elevated to second once more and a bold call to stay on dry tyres when Norris pitted for intermediates briefly gave him the lead.

He pitted a lap later handing the lead back to Norris, and after a final Safety Car restart, pressured his 2024 rival all the way to the chequered flag to secure second.