LEWIS HAMILTON suffered a nightmare Ferrari debut as six drivers crashed out of a chaotic Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, 40, made the switch from Mercedes to the Scuderia official over the off-season and made his debut for the Italian team as he chases a record-breaking eighth world championship.
The race start was DELAYED after rookie Isack Hadjar crashed out during the formation lap before bursting into tears as he was consoled by Hamilton’s dad.
Fellow rookie Jack Doohan then crashed out on the first lap after a huge spin before last year’s race winner, Carlos Sainz, crashed under the safety car.
Lando Norris took the chequered flag ahead of Max Verstappen after going off the track in a thrilling season opener, but Ferrari suffered a strategy disaster to leave Hamilton down in P10.
- Podium places: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell.
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‘Pretty disappointed’, says Piastri
“It’s obviously pretty disappointed at the moment. I feel like for every lap bar one I drove an incredibly strong race and don’t have anything to show for it. I don’t have anyone to blame but myself, a bit unfortunate to get stuck like I did but I put myself there.
“For me, the big positive is the other 56 laps of the race, I felt I had really strong pace in all conditions and that is what I will try and take from this weekend.
“Given I was trying to reverse for a minute, we made the right decisions. There was much more on the table than ninth today, so it is a shame to not have that result.”
Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri and his girlfriend Lily Zneimer arriving in the paddock at the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi last year Up next … China
The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix takes place over 56 laps of the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, March 23.
McLaren the team to beat
The McLaren’s speed, based on this weekend, will make them the team to beat this season.
How the race started (2)
Norris then held his lead from Verstappen on the restart with the three front-runners opening a gap on Russell in fourth, with Hamilton remaining eighth.
Piastri too was enjoying better pace as the track dried by lap 17 and when Verstappen went in too hot into turn 11, struggling with his tyres, the Australian shot past to reclaim second.
Norris however was in control out in front, happy with his tyres and conditions and over two seconds up on his teammate and a full 20 up on Russell in fourth by lap 24.
Lando Norris leads the pack shortly after the start of the race How the race started (1)
When the lights went out Norris covered off a quick-starting Verstappen to hold the lead but Piastri fell to the Dutchman though turn two in a sharp opening that was swiftly neutralised after the Australian Jack Doohan crashed out at turn five, causing the safety car to be deployed.
Doohan was not the last to exit early as Carlos Sainz followed suit shortly afterwards, spinning out under the safety car with a mechanical problem and going backwards into the barriers.
‘He kept his cool’
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was impressed by Antonelli’s drive from P16 to P5 – and now P4 – on a treacherous Albert Park circuit, one that even caught out the likes of last year’s Australian GP winner Carlos Sainz, who crashed his Williams behind the Safety Car.
“I mean, even very good drivers span or hit the wall, and it’s easier to not finish than to finish,” Wolff stated.
“He kept his cool and yeah, it was just very impressive to see. And it shows that he has a good future, as long as the trajectory keeps being like it is.”
Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday Two firsts – and a fifth – for Norris
This was the first time Lando Norris has won in Australia – and the first time he has won the season-opening race.
It is also his fifth career victory.
His team too will enjoy the winning feeling in Melbourne, after a long absence from the top step.
The last time McLaren took the flag here was with Jenson Button in 2012.
Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Australian Grand Prix 2025 at Albert Park, Melbourne Norris in action at the (very wet) Australian Grand Prix ‘We missed out’, says Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, who started the race in eighth, also got overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the last lap, to cap off a torrid final 15 laps.
“It was very tricky,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 afterwards.
“It went a lot worse than I thought it would go, the car was really hard to drive today. I’m grateful I kept it out of the wall, that’s where it wanted to go most of the time.
“A lot to take [in], different power unit in the wet, different driving and setup on the steering wheel. And the guidance of how much more rain was coming… we missed out.”
Lewis Hamilton enters the paddock on Sunday dressed in a red Willy Chavarria track suit In pictures
Here are some of the best images from the Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates with his trophy Lewis Hamilton signs autographs on the Melbourne Walk Third-placed Mercedes’ British driver George Russell attends a press conference
Antonelli’s penalty reversed
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, pictured below, has been promoted to P4, and Alex Albon back down to P5, after the Italian driver’s penalty was reversed.
He was initially on course to finish P4 in a rain-impacted Australian GP, a solid drive in his debut Grand Prix, though had to make do for P5 after the stewards issued a five-second time penalty in the closing stages for an unsafe release.
It was an incident which Wolff pointed out was not televised, and the outcome left the Mercedes boss unimpressed.
Recap of Constructors Standings
- McLaren – 27pts
- Mercedes – 25pts
- Red Bull – 18pts
- Williams – 12pts
- Aston Martin – 8pts
- Sauber – 6pts
- Ferrari – 5pts
Third-youngest EVER
More Kimi Antonelli facts.
He became the third-youngest driver to start an F1 Grand Prix behind Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll at 18 years, six months and 19 days.
Kimi thing
The weekend seemed to get off to a rough start for debutante Andrea Kimi Antonelli when he underwhelmed in a Q1 exit.
However, he came storming back when it mattered, as he collected a top-five finish in the Albert Park race on his debut.
Though, only a namesake and nothing more, the fightback is eerily similar to Kimi Räikkönen, who went from P13 to P6 in his debut.
Driver of the day
Following a mega drive from Lando Norris, the McLaren takes home the fan-voted Driver of the day award.
Hamilton on race
It was very tricky and went a lot worse than I thought it would go. The car was really, really hard to drive today.
For me, I’m just grateful I kept it out of the wall because that’s where it wanted to go most of the time.
A lot to take from it and just getting acclimatised with the new power unit in the wet conditions.
The settings it requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel.
I hung out as long as I could, got in the lead at one point. Just the guidance with how much more rain was coming, was missing there, so I think we missed out.
Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc’s ‘words of wisdom’
Lewis Hamilton was not the only Ferrari driver upset with their engineer today as Charles Leclerc seemingly wasn’t too impressed with some analysis they offered him on the radio.
Leclerc: “Is there a leakage?”
Engineer: “A leakage of what?”
Leclerc: “I have a full seat of water, like, full of water!”
Engineer: “Must be the water.”
Leclerc: “Let’s add that to the words of wisdom.”
Constructors standings after race one
There is a long way to go this season, but McLaren can be thankful they have a competitive race car to help Norris keep Verstappen at bay.
Meanwhile, Mercedes profited from a mistake-free race to score a P3 and P5.
- McLaren – 27pts
- Mercedes – 25pts
- Red Bull – 18pts
- Williams – 12pts
- Aston Martin – 8pts
- Sauber – 6pts
- Ferrari – 5pts
Hamilton post-race radio
After his disappointing Ferrari debut, Hamilton said:
Yeah it wasnt great but we keep pushing..
Lewis Hamilton
Norris on radio
Lando Norris on radio after the race:
Ooof, little bit of pressure! Well done boys, beautifully handled.
Executed to the second. One second later and we were done. Well done everyone, congrats, amazing way to start the year.Lando Norris
Race report
Read our full F1 race report here to remind yourself of all the chaotic events of this morning’s race.
Who needs coffee when you have races like that…
Albon scores P4 for Williams
A great race for Williams and Albon who manages to finish P4 with a quiet but crucially mistake-free race.
Hamilton rues Ferrari strategy blunder
Hamilton was left to rue a huge strategy blunder from his team as he finished down in P10.
The Brit had sensationally lead the race very briefly before he was forced to pit on to Intermediate tyres.
NORRIS WINS
Norris takes the chequered flag in Australia just ahead of Verstappen.
Martin Brundle on Sky Sports calls it “one of the all-time great Norris races”, and it is hard to think of many better performances from the Brit.
Norris v Verstappen one-lap shootout
Half a second separates Norris and Verstappen now as they cross the line for the final lap.
Piastri back in the points
After his horror mistake earlier, Piastri has managed to get his car back into the points which will be vital in the constructor’s championship.
Meanwhile, Verstappen is now within a second of Norris going into the final two laps and has DRS.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
