Australian Grand Prix 2025: Chaos reigns in Melbourne to open the F1 season

After months of hypothesis, the 2025 Method 1 season is right here.

And the season-opening Australian Grand Prix might ship pure chaos.

Rain and showers in Melbourne have lingered into the afternoon, and the moist circumstances even compelled the cancellation of the F2 race that was scheduled for earlier within the day. Relatively than seeing vehicles on the observe, followers as an alternative noticed geese swimming in puddles alongside the Albert Park Circuit.

Even throughout a formation lap for the F2 race, the geese weren’t distant:

Whereas the rain has eased in Melbourne, throughout the formation lap for the F1 race a lot of the subject had a set of full moist tires bolted on. Solely Lewis Hamilton, on the cusp of his Ferrari debut, had a set of the green-walled intermediates bolted on to his SF-25.

We’ll be following each lap of the Australian Grand Prix, so observe alongside because the 2025 F1 season will get underway

All updates are in Jap Time (pre-race) or in line with Laps.

2025 Australian Grand Prix Race Protection

Listed here are the provisional outcomes from the Australian Grand Prix:

Lap 57: It’s Norris! He holds off Verstappen to take the Australian Grand Prix. Russell rounds out the rostrum, and whereas Antonelli finishes fourth, the five-second penalty he was simply assessed for the unsafe launch will drop him to fifth, selling Albon to P4.

Unimaginable stuff.

The remainder of the factors go to Stroll in P6, Hülkenberg in P7, Leclerc in P8, Piastri in P9, and Hamilton in P10.

Lap 57: Antonelli will get by Albon for P4, however is underneath investigation for an unsafe launch that would end in a five-second penalty.

Lap 57: Closing lap of the Australian Grand Prix is underway, and Norris is simply 0.549 seconds forward of Verstappen.

Lap 55: Piastri will get by Gasly, who went by the grass earlier and opened the door for Leclerc, Hamilton, and finally Piastri to get by him.

Antonelli is inside DRS vary of Albon in entrance of him.

And on the entrance, Verstappen is inside DRS vary of Norris.

Lap 54: DRS has been enabled by race officers.

Piastri remains to be in P11, however inside DRS vary of Gasly in P10.

Lap 53: 5 laps to go, the present high ten stands as: Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Albon, Antonelli, Stroll, Hülkenberg, Gasly, Leclerc, and Hamilton.

Piastri is in P11, 1.4 seconds behind Hamilton.

Lap 52: The inexperienced flag is again out in Melbourne. Norris has pulled 1.185 seconds forward of Verstappen, and Russell is throughout Verstappen for P2.

Lap 51: The Security Automotive is ending on this lap. Norris will lead Verstappen on the restart.

Lap 50: The Security Automotive stays out, however lapped vehicles are actually unlapping, so we needs to be again to inexperienced momentarily.

Lap 48: Ferrari brings each Hamilton and Leclerc in for a double-stack, they usually swap to the intermediates.

Lap 47: Each Lawson and Bortoleto have spun into the wall.

Absolute chaos in Melbourne. The Security Automotive is out.

Lap 46: Verstappen peels in for the intermediates. Norris is in P6 on the intermediates, everybody in entrance of him has a set of slicks on.

Hamilton stays out! He expenses into the lead on his Ferrari debut on a set of hards, however can he handle it?

Lap 46: Verstappen stays out once more. He’s betting on the mediums. Piastri will get into the pits and comes out with a set of intermediates.

Lap 45: Piastri spins into the grass, and could be out of the race. Verstappen stays out and is on the medium compound. Norris pits for a set of intermediates.

Lap 44: The rain has arrived. “The way you reply to the deluge that’s coming goes to determine who’s going to win the opening race of the yr,” stated Alex Jacques on F1TV.

Gabriel Bortoleto has been given a five-second penalty for an unsafe launch out of the pits.

Lap 42: Ferrari tells Leclerc that “Class 3” rain is coming. Leclerc says that’s “loads.”

Norris maintains a lead over Piastri, with Verstappen in P3.

Lap 41: The Security Automotive is ending on this lap. Most likely some nerves on pit wall for a couple of totally different groups.

Lap 40: McLaren tells Norris that the rain may even be heavier than they have been considering, and Norris raises the prospect of pitting now for a set of intermediates, whereas the Security Automotive remains to be out.

In the meantime Haas has introduced each Bearman and Ocon in for medium tires, giving up on their plan with the intermediates.

Lap 38: F1TV at present debating whether or not a “sprinkling” or a “smattering” of rain is coming.

Ocon radios in to Haas that “we all know why we’re doing this,” as each Ocon and Bearman are the one two drivers nonetheless on the intermediates. Haas appears to be betting on the rain being tougher, which is an honest guess to make if you find yourself working in P14 and P15, as Ocon and Bearman each are.

Lap 37: The Security Automotive stays out right here on Lap 37. McLaren tells each Piastri and Norris that there could also be “one lap of rain as much as Class 2 to three,” someplace from Lap 45 to 50.

The sky seems to be fairly darkish as properly.

Norris sounds lower than assured on the report from his group.

Lap 35: Piastri and Norris each pit, and tackle hards. Verstappen opts for mediums.

Lap 34: Everybody from sixth on again comes into the pits. Albon takes a set of mediums, as does Hülkenberg. Hamilton, Gasly, Antonelli, and Stroll go for hards.

Lap 34: Alonso hits the wall at Flip 6, and the Security Automotive is out. Can be fascinating who makes the decision for slicks right here.

Lap 33: Piastri runs into the gravel at Flip 6, and slides again greater than two seconds behind Norris.

McLaren then tells him that he’s “free to race.”

So, yeah.

Lap 30: Piastri is instructed to “maintain place” regardless of closing in on Norris for P1.

Lap 28: Hadjar has made it to the VCARB pit wall to be greeted by hugs from his group members. Good to see given how the younger driver was so emotional after his spin on the formation lap .

On the observe, Hamilton appears a bit pissed off together with his engineer, asking once more that they “please depart me to it.”

A number of spots behind Hamilton the motive force who changed him, Antonelli, is closing in on Alonso in entrance of him for P10.

Lap 26: Piastri has closed to inside 1.285 seconds of Norris on the entrance of the sector. The hole from Piastri to Verstappen is over 14 seconds.

Lap 25: Hamilton tries to form a transfer on Albon at Flip 11, however the Williams driver closes the door.

Leclerc radios in that he should have a leakage as a result of has a seat “stuffed with water.” When he’s instructed that it should be water, he replies “let’s add that to the phrases of knowledge.”

Leclerc engaged on his tight 5 for the Chuckle Hut whereas he’s driving in an F1 race. Unimaginable.

Lap 23: One of the best battle on the observe proper now could be the battle between Albon and Hamilton for P7. Hamilton radios into Ferrari that he misplaced “gear sync,” nonetheless, which may very well be one thing to observe.

Lap 22: Alex Jacques on F1TV notes that rain is falling and umbrellas are going up on the observe. McLaren tells Piastri that the rain will go away in “three laps.”

Lap 21: Hamilton, Tsunoda, and Alonso have additionally been cleared of potential Security Automotive Infringements.

Lap 20: Race officers have cleared Albon of a possible Security Automotive Infringement.

Lap 20: The hole from Piastri in P2 to Verstappen to P3 is now 5.750 seconds. The McLarens are pulling away from the sector proper now.

Lap 18: The McLaren’s are again on the entrance, with Norris working forward of Piastri.

Each Albon and Hamilton have been famous for doable Security Automotive Infringements. Race officers are additionally now investigating Alonso and Tsunoda for probably the identical violation.

Verstappen radios in that if there’s “any rain we’d must pit for brand spanking new tires.”

Lap 17: Verstappen goes large and opens the door for Piastri to take second away.

Lap 17: Antonelli goes by a giant spin at Flip 4, however manages to maintain his W16 out of the wall and solely loses a single place to Nico Hülkenberg. Antonelli is now in P13 in his first F1 race.

Lap 14: Each Verstappen and Norris have dipped off the primary racing line at varied factors, both to chill their intermediate tires, or to check totally different traces.

Lap 14: McLaren tells Norris the danger of rain is “rising.” Behind him this has changed into a three-car race. The hole from Piastri in P3 to Russell in P4 is already over six seconds.

Lap 12: Race officers have declared that DRS is now enabled, with circumstances drying. Whereas Norris is over a second forward of Verstappen, Piastri is simply 0.495 seconds behind the Crimson Bull driver for P2.

Lap 11: After Verstappen closed to inside 0.311 seconds of him, Norris has prolonged his lead over the Crimson Bull driver to over a second. Presently the hole between the 2 is 1.145 seconds.

Ferrari tells Leclerc to chill down the entrance left tire, however Leclerc radios again that he “appreciates” the knowledge however that he’s caring for it.

Lap 9: Verstappen has closed to inside 0.311 seconds of Norris for the race lead.

Each Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda have been famous by race officers for a doable Security Automotive Infringement.

Lap 8: The inexperienced flag is out, and they’re racing once more in Melbourne. At the least for now.

Lap 7: The Security Automotive is ending this lap. Norris tells McLaren that the intermediates are nonetheless the proper tire proper now, however that slicks would be the name finally, except the rain comes.

Lap 6: The Security Automotive stays on the observe. Norris virtually appears to be racing it on the entrance of the sector.

Lap 5: Each Ocon and Lawson pit for brand spanking new units of green-walled intermediates.

Lap 4: Mercedes advises Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the radio that replays of Doohan’s spin appear to point out that he spun after placing a wheel on one of many painted traces. Antonelli suggests he virtually did one thing related, noting that “they’re slippery.”

Lap 2: The security automotive is out after Doohan’s incident. Replays present Doohan’s incident. However F1TV cuts away from a replay of Doohan’s incident to seek out Carlos Sainz Jr. within the wall, as a spin at Flip 14 sees him slide into the wall.

Lap 1: Jack Doohan finds the wall between Flip 5 and Flip 6, and one other rookie is out of the race.

12:19: Lando Norris holds onto the lead off the road, as Verstappen tries to go large round him. Verstappen finally will get by Piastri and settles into second, with Piastri third, Russel fourth, and Leclerc in fifth.

12:15: Formation Lap 2.0 is underway.

12:12: Ferrari tells Charles Leclerc over the radio that there might be two fast bursts of “Class 1” rain after the beginning. Former strategist Ruth Buscombe Divey on F1TV relays that “Class 1” rain is usually outlined as rain that “wets the observe” by F1 groups.

12:08: F1TV continues to point out photographs of a demoralized Hadjar making the stroll again to the VCARB hospitality house, however then Anthony Hamilton — Lewis’ father — comes over to console the younger driver. An unimaginable scene.

12:06: Based on race management, the formation lap will begin at 3:15 p.m. native time (12:15 a.m. for these on the East Coast).

12:04: Previous to the spin from Hadjar, 19 of the 20 drivers have been on intermediate tires. Solely Lance Stroll was on the total moist compound.

12:03: Race management has simply issued an aborted begin.

12:01: Isack Hadjar spins on the formation lap and hits the wall. There’s harm to his rear wing and he’s seemingly out of the race earlier than it begins.

12:00: The formation lap is underway in Melbourne.

11:51: Talking with F1TV Crimson Bull Staff Principal Christian Horner is unsure if the race may have a grid begin, or a security automotive begin, because of the moist circumstances.

11:45: Resulting from adjustments made to his RB21 throughout parc ferme, Liam Lawson will begin from pit lane. He’ll be a part of rookie Oliver Bearman, as Haas made suspension adjustments to Bearman’s VF-25 underneath parc ferme circumstances.