Lando Norris just held off Max Verstappen to make the perfect start to his bid to win this year’s F1 world championship by impressively winning a chaotic season-opening Australian GP featuring on-off rain and numerous crashes.
Norris, the pre-season title favourite, had led the majority of the 58 laps from team-mate Oscar Piastri as McLaren’s qualifying dominance transferred into the rain-hit race, but his win appeared in jeopardy as the return of wet weather in the closing 15 laps triggered a fresh round of chaos.
As the rain started to fall, both McLarens briefly slid off the track in the final sector, but while Norris successfully rounded the next turn and could immediately head for the pits for intermediate tyres, home favourite Piastri spun off into the grass and dropped to the back of the field. He eventually finished ninth.
Verstappen, who had lost touch with the McLarens to the tune of 16 seconds in the middle of the race after initially overtaking Piastri on the first lap, briefly inherited the lead but also had to pit for intermediates next time round as the rain only intensified. He finished on Norris’ tail in the slippery closing laps but could not find a way past the Briton.
“That’s one of the great all-time drives from Lando Norris there,” said Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.
Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar was left in tears after crashing during the formation lap before the race started at the Australian Grand Prix.
George Russell took third for Mercedes to earn a podium place that had not looked likely for the majority of the race.
New rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli recovered well from his disappointing Q1 exit to finish a fine fourth on the road in the second Silver Arrow although a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release by Mercedes from his pit stop earned him a five-second time penalty and dropped him to fifth behind Alex Albon, who capped a fine opening to the season in the much-improved Williams in what became fourth.
But Lewis Hamilton finished 10th – the final points-paying position – after a difficult first race for Ferrari.
Running in his qualifying position of eighth for most of the race, Hamilton briefly jumped into the lead when both Ferraris initially stayed out on slicks amid the late rain shower. He was second behind Norris when the Safety Car came out but Ferrari realised they had made a mistake as the conditions were just too wet and belatedly called their cars in, relegating them down the order with the field having closed up.
Leclerc took eighth with Hamilton relegated to 10th on the final lap by the recovering Piastri.
Jack Doohan and Carlos Sainz lose control on the opening lap and stick it in the wall at the start of the Australian GP.
Setting the tone for the season opener, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar – on the formation lap – Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, last year’s race winner, all crashed out of the event before the field had even completed the season’s opening lap.
More to follow…
The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, with coverage starting on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
