Lando Norris survived little at a late shower and worried about the gravel to win a humid and crazy Australian prize for a mustache.
The British ran when the rain sprinkled Melbourne's track, but fought against the car's car. Then he faced intermediate tires, sinking it to the eighth.
It seemed gloomy for him at this worrying moment after so many safe turns in difficult conditions after starting the pole and retaining Max Verstappen galantely to the lights off. But when other cars entered the wells to give up, he moved to his head again.
His only persecutor had been McLaren's teammate, Oscar Piasstri, but in the same place that Norris went to the track of a second or so. However, he could not correct his car and ended up trapped in the grass, his winning career perspectives, although he recovered to finish ninth.
Norris led well under pressure at the end, despite a small mistake in curve 6, since Verstappen crossed all the way and went up to the DRS rank, but clung to triumph in 0.8 seconds. George Russell was third for Mercedes, a very decent impulse from him.
It was a dazzling race, full of incidents, a great beginning for the 2025 season.
Lando Norris de McLaren won the Australia Opening Grand Prix of the Formula One season
He was victorious in Albert Park's slippery circuit, where only 14 of the 20 cars ended up in treacherous conditions
Norris, the preseason favorite for the title of the pilots, began the formula one season when the last one in Abu Dhabi ended, with the victory of the pole
“It was a bit stressful at the end, I will not lie,” Norris admitted. 'These difficult conditions are something I love.'
All eyes during the weekend had been in Lewis Hamilton, who began eighth in his very translated Ferrari debut. He briefly led after Norris's scare, but was dragged to the wells shortly after.
'F ***' shouted from the strategy he didn't want. 'We lost a great opportunity.' The British ended tenth, two places behind the teammate Charles Leclerc. A challenging weekend for the Scuderia.
A warning for Verstappen, who took everything out of his Red Bull machine after starting third place, but McLaren was in a class of one, and Norris was also a deserving winner due to his own performance.
However, they had given him a hand before when he was ordered to pastri favorite of the home that he was not going to compete with him.
The instruction came 30 laps when the Australian was right in Norris's tail. “Keep the post,” racing engineer Tom Stallard told him. The crowd of 131,000 was getting excited at this stage, since his man, a Melburnian, in fact, was in charge.
“I am faster,” he joined Piastri. But I'm fine.
In a perplexed way, the instruction was terminated a few laps later, but only after Piastri had backed away. “We are free to compete now,” said Stallard. “You know the rules.” It was a hollow welcome to press your case for three seconds.
Defender Max Verstappen champion was second, while George Russell was third
Meanwhile, the star of Great Britain, Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton enjoyed emotions and spills, but had some heated debates with his new racing engineer Riccardo Adami, telling him not to distract him
There were three safety cars in total, with Isack Hadjar de RB (in the training return), Jack Doohan de Alpine in the Opening Tour, Carlos Sainz de Williams behind the resulting security car, Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso in Tour 34, Gabriel Bortoleto de Sauber and Liam Lawson of RB, both on Tour 47, all of them.
Hamilton enjoyed emotions and spills, but had some heated debates with his new racing engineer Riccardo Adami, telling him not to distract him. “Leave it guys, leave it,” said the British at one stage. 'I am learning the car as I go companion, just leave me with the Drs. It is not a problem.
Companion Brit Bith Bearman for 14ยบ for Haas, the last of the survivors, a kind of triumph after two accidents in practice and qualification.