Australia Grand Prix 2025: A Dramatic Start to the Season

motorsportweek.com

The Australian Grand Prix was the first race of the 2024 season, featuring six new full-season rookies and five experienced drivers with new teams. The weekend began with the qualifying session, where Lando Norris secured the first position, followed by Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.

Prior to the race, heavy rain in Melbourne raised doubts about whether the race would proceed as scheduled. Despite the adverse conditions, the race was set to begin. During the formation lap, Isack Hadjar spun and crashed, resulting in his premature exit from his debut race, causing him significant emotional distress.

The race start was delayed by 10 minutes due to worsening track conditions. At the start, Lando Norris maintained his lead, while Max Verstappen overtook Oscar Piastri. On the first lap, Jack Doohan, also making his full-season debut, crashed. Shortly after Doohan’s incident, Carlos Sainz crashed in his first race with his new team after leaving Ferrari. The safety car was deployed and remained on track until lap 7.

The rain was expected to subside in about 30 minutes, allowing drivers to settle into the race. The top three positions remained unchanged until lap 17, when Max Verstappen went off the track, allowing Oscar Piastri to pass easily. This development positioned McLaren for a potential 1-2 finish.

On lap 34, Fernando Alonso crashed, resulting in another safety car period lasting six laps. By lap 44, the rain intensified. All cars were using slick tires, which provided minimal grip. Consequently, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both went off the track into the gravel. Norris managed to rejoin the race, but Piastri became stuck, allowing Max Verstappen to overtake him again. Many drivers pitted to switch to wet tires as the rain persisted, while others, such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, stayed out, gambling that the rain would stop. On lap 47, rookies Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto crashed, prompting another safety car deployment.

The safety car period allowed the drivers who had remained on slick tires to pit for wet tires. Racing resumed on lap 52, with Lando Norris leading Max Verstappen and George Russell. Oscar Piastri, however, dropped to 13th after running off the track. Lando Norris maintained his lead for the remainder of the race, closely followed by Max Verstappen, and George Russell finished third, with his rookie teammate securing an impressive fourth place in his debut. The Australian Grand Prix proved to be an exciting and eventful opening race.