The 2025 Formula 1 season is officially underway, and started with a dramatic and rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia. With treacherous conditions, multiple DNFs, and a thrilling battle for victory, this race set the stage for what could be an unpredictable season.
Pre-Race Recap
McLaren had the quickest car during qualifying, with Lando Norris posting the fastest time at 1:15.096, and Oscar Piastri securing second at less than 1 tenth of a second behind his teammate.
However, the pace of the Red Bull and Mercedes machines were not far behind them, with Max Verstappen starting third at less than 4 tenths of a second behind Norris, and George Russell starting in fourth at less than half a second behind the pole sitter.
Ferrari seemed to struggle to find their pace in qualifying, with Charles Leclerc lining up in seventh on the grid and nearly 7 tenths behind Norris, while teammate Lewis Hamilton started in eighth at almost a full second behind pole.
But coming into the race on Sunday, the skies were dark and gloomy with rain soaking Albert Park before the lights even went out. While McLaren locked out the front row of the grid, the mixed weather conditions meant that this race could be anyone's to win.
Race Highlights
The slick track immediately proved to be a decisive factor during the formation lap as VCARB’s rookie Isack Hadjar had spun out coming into Turn 2, resulting with the car in the barriers. Unfortunately for the rookie, his race ended before it began, netting him the first DNF of the 2025 season. This resulted in a double yellow flag that would end up delaying the race start by 15 minutes.
After a second formation lap the remaining drivers were able to line up on the grid and await the green flag.
As the red lights went out, Verstappen made a quick and clean start to immediately put some pressure on both Norris and Piastri coming into Turn 1, but Norris read the move perfectly and closed the gap between them to ensure that the papaya pair remained in front through Turn 1. However, a minor mistake from Piastri at Turn 2 allowed Verstappen to capitalize on his grip and quickly snatch up second place.
The chaos of Lap 1 quickly escalated as Alpine rookie Jack Doohan suddenly lost control after crossing over a white line and put his car into the barriers just after Turn 5, resulting in the second DNF of the race.
During the yellow flag from Doohan’s incident, Williams’ Carlos Sainz experienced a random “torque surge” on Turn 13 as he upshifted. The sudden gain in traction ended up putting his car into the barriers, which resulted in the third DNF of the race, and it's only the start of the 2nd Lap, under a Safety Car no less!
The rain had finally let up during the 6 lap Safety Car, and with the track starting to dry out racing resumed on Lap 8 with Norris attempting to extend his lead over rival and reigning champion Verstappen. Piastri would continue putting pressure on the 4-time champ, and would eventually take back second place when Verstappen had locked-up his tires coming into Turn 11 on Lap 17.
The slippery conditions claimed another car during Lap 34, when Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso spun out on a patch of gravel in the kerb of Turn 7, resulting in the 4th DNF of the day. This gave the rest of the field time to pit for new tires as the Aston Martin was cleaned up and hauled away to the pits.
The Safety Car finally went back in on Lap 42, as multiple radio calls had warned the drivers of the incoming rain, which didn't officially arrive until Lap 44. This is when Norris and Piastri were hit by the sudden shower coming out of Turn 12, causing them both to go wide and off-track. Norris was able to quickly regain control and bring his car back onto the track before diving into the pits in front of Verstappen, while Piastri ended up sliding all the way across the track before coming to a stop, stuck in the grass.
The Red Bull team then made a risky call to stay out as Verstappen took the lead while Norris shambled into the pits for fresh tires. Halfway through the lap, fan-favorite Piastri had finally crawled out of the grass and into the pits to swap his tires, falling all the way back to P-15. Verstappen held on to the lead for the entirety of Lap 44 and 46, then began sliding into the pits to change tires.
As Verstappen came into the pits, Hamilton took the gamble to stay out after much deliberation with his pit crew, briefly taking the lead before being overtaken by Norris at Turn 4.
However, not too long after Norris regained the lead from Hamiliton, Kick Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto spun out at Turn 13 while Red Bull's honorary rookie Liam Lawson spun out at Turn 2, with both drivers ending up in the wall on Lap 47. Both drivers appeared to take too much of the kerb, spinning the car and sending it into the wall. Unfortunately, both would be retiring to the pits, resulting in the 5th and 6th DNF of the season opener!
During the safety car, multiple drivers came crashing into the pits, including Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (who supposedly performed an unsafe release in pitlane and accrued a 5 second time penalty), and Haas' Oliver Bearman, who came out of the pits in between Norris and Verstappen.
Racing resumed on Lap 52 after Bearman was ushered past the Safety Car to rejoin at the back of the pack, leaving just 6 Laps to go until the checkered flag. While Norris got off to a good start out of the last turn, Verstappen wasted no time in applying heavy pressure, setting up a thrilling finale.
Despite the reigning champion's relentlessness, Norris held his ground, expertly managing the chaotic conditions to secure victory by just 8 tenths of a second. Behind them, Mercedes’ George Russell defended his position to claim the final podium spot, while teammate Kimi Antonelli impressed everyone by finishing P-4 in his debut race – his result further solidified after the stewards overturned his five-second penalty post-race.
Driver Performances
Driver of the Day - Kimi Antonelli
The young Mercedes rookie put in an impressive performance in his F1 debut, showing his confidence and skill in difficult conditions. Starting from P-16, Antonelli steadily worked his way up the order with solid overtakes and a steady race pace. While he had a few minor mistakes, they were nothing alarming for a rookie driver in these trying conditions. In an impressive late-race push, Antonelli finished in P-4 after the stewards overturned his pit-lane penalty, making him the rookie to watch this season.
Honorable Mention - Nico Hülkenburg
While midfield battles are often overlooked, Hülkenberg delivered a strong and consistent drive for Kick Sauber. Despite not having the fastest car on the grid, he navigated the tricky conditions with the precision and patience we expect to see from the veteran. His clean and hard-fought overtakes saw him finish in P-7 – an excellent result for a team that wasn't expected to be fighting this far up the grid. A great start to the season for the veteran, giving Kick Sauber a much needed confidence boost before they switch over to Audi next season.
Honorable Mention - Alex Albon
Whether or not the weather played a role or not, I think it's worth recognizing Alex Albon for the simple fact that he managed to finish in P-5 behind two Mercedes, a Red Bull, and a McLaren – in a Williams! Albon had quite an impressive drive, showing considerable pace and exceptional race craft throughout the entirety of the race. Overall, it was a great start to the season for Williams, other than the fact that Sainz had a DNF.
Tough Stuff Award - Lewis Hamilton
It was a frustrating season opener for the seven-time world champion. Hamilton’s race was a trial-by-fire, ultimately defined by a poor Ferrari pit strategy, a lack of confidence and pace compared to his teammate, and figuring out the engine configurations on the fly. Hamilton was unable to generate much progress in the varying conditions, ultimately finishing P-10, but I personally believe this will light a fire under Hamliton – and his team – to come out of the stable strong throughout the rest of the season. While it wasn’t a disastrous race by any means, it was certainly not the start that Hamilton would have wanted with the historic Scuderia.
Race Results and Analysis
With the season opener in the books, this year's championship is already looking like it will be an exciting one. Both McLaren and Mercedes are tied for 1st in the Constructors’ Championship standings with 27 points – thanks to the exceptional talent shown by both George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli behind the wheel – while Norris takes an early lead in the Drivers’ Championship rankings by 7 points.
Red Bull and Verstappen are nipping at both of their heels with his second place finish, sitting 3rd in the Constructors’ and 2nd in the Drivers' with 18 points. However, the DNF from honorary rookie Liam Lawson will raise some questions about Red Bull’s consistency heading into the next rounds.
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was Williams’ Alex Albon, who's skilled driving secured 10 critical points, and placing the team ahead of Aston Martin and Ferrari to start the season. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll has a good history in the rain, and his P-6 drive earned Aston Martin 8 points, which will only start to increase once Alonso is back on the grid and earning some points.
Nico Hülkenberg’s impressive drive also earned Kick Sauber a solid start to the season with 6 points, while Ferrari struggled a bit as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton only managed P-8 and P-10, respectively, netting a total of 5 points for the Prancing Horse pair.
Join us Next Week for the Chinese GP!
If Round 1 has been any indication, the 2025 season could be one of the most unpredictable in years. With McLaren making an early statement, Mercedes showing strength, and Verstappen still a looming threat, the fight for the title is wide open.
Round 2 at the Chinese GP is just days away, and with the FIA imposing updated rear wing tolerance requirements, will we see McLaren continue to pull away from Red Bull, or will the new requirements cause issues for the reigning constructors champions and open up a gap for Mercedes to go for? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below!
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