Lando Norris holds off Max Verstappen to win wet Australian Grand Prix
Lando Norris survived a rain shower and late charge from Max Verstappen to open his season in style by winning a wild, wacky and thrilling Australian Grand Prix.
With 13 laps remaining, both Norris and Oscar Piastri, who was running behind his McLaren team-mate in second place, ran off the road and through the gravel in the slippery conditions.
Norris was able to dive into the pits to move back on the intermediate tyres and salvage victory, but Piastri ended up in the grass at the penultimate corner, scuppering McLaren's dream of a one-two, with him finishing ninth.
Norris took the chequered flag just 0.8 seconds clear of world champion Verstappen with George Russell third for Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing 10th on his Ferrari debut.
Race 1 ✅
Here's the finishing order from a wild season opener, kicking off with the top ten 👇#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/vXKDv29as6
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025
Williams' Alex Albon was fourth, one place ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
The late chaos had promoted Hamilton to the lead after Ferrari kept him out on slick rubber. But the seven-time world champion was forced to follow the rest of the field and move on to wets.
Hamilton was furious with Ferrari's decision to keep him on the slick tyres.
'I didn't think it was going to rain much,' said Hamilton. 'We missed a big opportunity.'
Hamilton dropped to ninth, swearing when he was told he had fallen so far back, before team-mate Charles Leclerc and then Piastri passed him on the final lap.
The opening round of the season started in wild fashion after rookie Isack Hadjar crashed into the barriers on the second corner of the formation lap.
The French-Algerian was in tears and received a consoling arm from Hamilton's father, Anthony, as he made his way back to the pits.
When the race got under way after a 15-minute delay, Verstappen, starting third, was much quicker than Norris and Piastri off the line, but Norris moved aggressively to his right to hold off the Dutchman.
Verstappen swooped round the outside of Piastri to take second place before rookie Jack Doohan put his Alpine in the wall.
Out came the safety car on lap one, before Carlos Sainz crashed into the barriers at the final corner with three drivers out before the start of the second lap.
On lap 17, Piastri moved clear of Verstappen and then set about reducing Norris' three-second advantage.
By lap 30, Piastri was right on Norris' gearbox before he was controversially ordered to 'hold position' by McLaren's pit-wall.
'I am faster, but OK,' came the Australian's response. After falling two seconds behind Norris he was then told he was 'free to race' his team-mate.
Moments later, Fernando Alonso was in the wall at Turn 11 leading to a second safety car. With the track drying out, the field pitted for slick rubber before the race re-started again on lap 41.
But the rain arrived again just three laps later with Norris and Piastri running off the road.
Norris came in for wets, dropping him to eighth. Verstappen assumed the lead and attempted to stay out on dry tyres, but had to stop two laps later for intermediate tyres.
That gave Hamilton the lead but with the rain continuing to fall, he had no grip on his dry tyres and Norris was back in the lead.
On lap 47, Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto both spun out leading to a third safety car, which came in with six laps remaining.
Verstappen got to within half-a-second of Norris, but the British driver was able to keep him at bay to seal a fine win following a dramatic first round of the new campaign.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Madrid's new street circuit to debut in 2026, replacing Imola on F1 schedule
LONDON (AP) — A new street circuit in Madrid will make its debut on the Formula 1 schedule in September of next year, replacing the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. F1 announced its schedule for 2026 on Tuesday, setting the first Grand Prix at the new Madring track in the Spanish capital for Sept. 13. Spain gets two races for 2026 as Barcelona stays on the calendar for the final year of its contract. It faces an uncertain future after that. F1 has previously said Madrid's race will be known as the Spanish Grand Prix. The new schedule doesn't specify a new name for Barcelona's race, which has been known as the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991. Spain's second race means Italy drops back to having one Grand Prix as Imola leaves the schedule. The historic track, a favorite with drivers, returned to schedule in 2020 as a late addition amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has hosted five races since. Its contract was up this year. The 2026 F1 season will start March 6-8 in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix and concluded with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Dec. 4-6. ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Madrid arrives on 24-race Formula One calendar in 2026
The 2026 Formula One season will kick off in Melbourne in March and again feature 24 races as Madrid arrives on the calendar. The Australian Grand Prix gets the new campaign up and running on the weekend of March 6-8 and it will once again conclude in Abu Dhabi on December 4-6. Advertisement Madrid, which last hosted an F1 race in 1981, enters the schedule on September 11-13. The new 'Madring' circuit, featuring both street and non-street sections, is under construction and will be the only new venue on the calendar in 2026. It replaces the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, which drops off the 24-race list after Max Verstappen's victory in May. It will also be one of two races in Spain with Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya remaining on the agenda for next season – at least – over the weekend of June 12-14. These changes come in a year that will see the introduction of new aerodynamics and power unit rules and the arrival of some new names on the grid, including a Cadillac team. Advertisement F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: '2026 will be a new era for Formula One where we will witness a brand new set of regulations for our sport, the cars and the engines that will be powered by 100 per cent sustainable fuel. 'We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac and Ford join the Formula One grid. The Monaco Grand Prix will be staged in June (David Davies/PA) 'It promises to be an unforgettable season, where once again we will come together at 24 amazing global venues to watch the best drivers in the world push themselves to the limit and produce incredible wheel-to-wheel racing for our millions of fans watching around the globe.' Advertisement Other changes include the Monaco Grand Prix, considered the sport's most prestigious event, moving from its regular end-of-May slot to June 5-7. The Canadian Grand Prix also switches from its usual June date to May 22-24, following Miami in the schedule, as part of the sport's continued drive to reduce carbon emissions. The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will take place for the final time on August 21-23. Four-time world champion Verstappen's home race returned in 2021, having previously been absent for 35 years. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone – which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary – will take place on July 3-5. Advertisement Full 2026 F1 calendar: March 6-8 – Australia (Melbourne) March 13-15 – China (Shanghai) March 27-29 – Japan (Suzuka) April 10-12 – Bahrain (Sakhir) April 17-19 – Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) May 1-3 – Miami (Miami) May 22-24 – Canada (Montreal) June 5-7 – Monaco (Monte Carlo) June 12-14 – Spain (Barcelona) June 26-28 – Austria (Spielberg) July 3-5 – Great Britain (Silverstone) July 17-19 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) July 24-26 – Hungary (Hungaroring) August 21-23 – Netherlands (Zandvoort) September 4-6 – Italy (Monza) September 11-13 – Spain (Madrid) September 25-27 – Azerbaijan (Baku) October 9-11 – Singapore (Marina Bay) Advertisement October 23-25 – United States (Austin) October 30-November 1 – Mexico (Mexico City) November 6-8 – Brazil (Interlagos) November 19-21 – Las Vegas (Las Vegas) November 27-29 – Qatar (Lusail) December 4-6– Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
Business of Fashion
3 hours ago
- Business of Fashion
Is Sailing Ready for Its Fashion Moment?
Last weekend, nearly 10,000 people packed a grandstand in New York for this year's kickoff of SailGP, an international sailing race often likened to Formula 1 on the water that has rapidly attracted audiences with its elite, globetrotting allure. At the top of every sail on the high-speed catamarans was the logo for Rolex, which has sponsored the race since its start in 2019. This year, L'Oréal was also featured on the French team's sail as part of its three-year sponsorship deal with the team, while Tommy Hilfiger claimed nearly the entire sail of the US team, which it also outfitted on and off the water. On the ground, however, it was a different story. Fashion and beauty were largely absent, with most of the brand activations coming from hospitality players like The Plaza Hotel and Nobu. The event showed early hints of how fashion and beauty are starting to take notice of SailGP, but also how much room there is to grow. 'It's the very beginning,' said Christophe Babule, L'Oréal's chief financial officer. 'Look at Formula 1 30 years ago. It was a much more confidential event. Today, it's a worldwide event with a huge [following], so I'm quite sure that we will see more and more players coming into this event in the near future.' While it's early to crown SailGP the next Formula 1 for brands, the sport is seeing success in attracting a wider range of viewers, many of whom are drawn in by its aspirational nature. At its Auckland race, for instance, 70 percent of viewers had never sailed before. SailGP is also the subject of a new Paramount+ docuseries released today, 'SailGP: Uncharted,' that should bring it even more exposure, and as in other sports, high-profile investors have been getting involved with the teams, which may help with driving visibility. Anne Hathaway has joined the ranks of investors backing the Italian team, while Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman bought the Australian team, following Reynolds' investment in English football team Wrexham A.F.C. alongside co-owner Rob McElhenney, which has turned into a sensation with the series 'Welcome to Wrexham.' 'Our challenge is education and marketing to new eyeballs,' said Mike Buckley, co-owner and chief executive of the US SailGP team. SailGP has been promoting itself to an affluent fan base at events like the Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the Las Vegas Grand Prix to tap racing fans more broadly. While sponsors of SailGP were traditionally more specific to sailing, like Helly Hansen and Sail Racing, the shift creates an opportunity for brands outside of the performance gear space. 'Our audience is an audience that I think high end fashion brands would resonate with, in terms of our demographic that are either coming to our events or watching on TV or a small screen,' said SailGP managing director Andrew Thompson. Storytelling Through Sailing SailGP's Paramount+ series has its brand partners banking on enhanced visibility. The fast-paced nature of the event set against backdrops from Saint-Tropez to Dubai is eye candy for today's short attention spans. 'It is obvious that it will work, because it's pretty well designed to be seen on a screen,' said Babule from L'Oréal. 'We know what it takes today to activate consumers. These races are very quick ones, so you can follow that on Instagram or on TV.' Beyond the show, content production opportunities for brand partners are plentiful. For Tommy Hilfiger, being easily visible on the boat and at the heart of the sport is crucial. 'With SailGP, we chose a place where one of the key athletes sits to play a pivotal role in steering and maneuvering the boat,' said Virginia Ritchie, the brand's chief marketing officer. 'So we get a lot of great content of him sitting right on top of the flag.' In addition to designing the team uniform, as well as performance goggles in partnership with Safilo, the brand dresses the team in fashion outside of the performance realm for moments like walking to the race, or for event appearances, said Ritchie — all of which can easily be repurposed as content across brand channels. The company sees a significant opportunity for driving fashion sales through storytelling that uses sailing and performance content. To accompany the launch of its spring 2025 sailing capsule collection, its window displays in key European stores used photos from the Los Angeles and San Francisco races featuring its branded red, white and blue flag. Rolex has leaned into storytelling around SailGP athletes. It produced a series featuring the British SailGP team's strategist Hannah Mills and showcasing her career and journey becoming a mother and then returning to the team. The sport also gives brands an opportunity to position themselves in a new light with customers. L'Oréal, for instance, is hoping to reach more men, who are historically more challenging to sell on beauty. They make up 'probably 25 percent of beauty consumption, but actually 10 percent of our sales,' said Babule. 'When you are in a sport like high-tech sailing, it's a way to more easily reach a new target of consumers that is in the clear objective that we set ourselves.' The group can activate differently depending on where the races occur, varying the brands it features and marketing tactics it employs. Education around suncare, for instance, remains a challenge for L'Oréal in the European market, and activating around sailing moments, where sun exposure is an obvious element of the sport, creates chances for the group's dermatological beauty division to further its goals in the region. Brand Alignment For brands considering potential sports partnerships, however, alignment with the sport is a key consideration. Tommy Hilfiger, for instance, landed on SailGP after looking at seven potential sports to work with. Sailing was one of them — and a natural fit, too, due to how influential the sport was to the formation of the brand's DNA, all the way down to the Tommy Hilfiger flag, which is based on the nautical letters (colourful flags used in sailing to represent different letters in the alphabet) for the designer's initial, T J H, said Ritchie. The brand also launched its first Sailing Gear collection in the early 1990s. Tommy Hilfiger's experience as an F1 partner let it see that it had another opportunity to marry brand history, a similar racing product and the chance to work closely with athletes in the way that Tommy Hilfiger had with racecar drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, transforming the paddock walk, which had been very 'uniform driven,' into a runway of sorts, Ritchie said. 'That kicked off a ton of collaboration opportunities, a whole new content stream and storytelling,' said Ritchie. L'Oréal has its own history in sailing. The company has been involved with a number of sailing races, including sponsoring the French team when women could compete in the America's Cup for the first time in 2024, as part of the group's broader goal of supporting women. SailGP, which is the only sailing race to include both men and women on the same boat, fell squarely into L'Oréal's value system. While Rolex has historically been involved with sailing — it first partnered with the New York Yacht Club, which created the America's Cup, in 1958 — SailGP, a more modern version of the sport, 'is not their traditional sailing property,' said Thompson. When the brand came on board as SailGP's title sponsor when the race first launched, 'For them, it was quite a bold move,' Thompson added. 'We were untested. [But] Rolex saw the opportunity.'
