Rain and chaos overshadow McLaren's cyclone; Norris survives it all and Verstappen takes second

McLaren was on a roll at the Australian Grand Prix, the first F1 race of 2025, when heavy rain arrived with 17 laps to go and the race was completely turned on its head.

Lando Norris took the victory, the fifth of his life, and Oscar Piastri was destined for second, but a few meters from the entrance to the pit lane he went off the track and there appeared Verstappen to fish in troubled waters. Only Max tried to put them in trouble for 10 laps, but had to give up after a blow in his car that warned him that he could not keep up with the papayas. At the end of the race, a rock like the Dutchman got the prize. He is one of those who never ends up against the wall and ends up winning or on the podium. He even came close to victory at the end.

The victory and the one-two for the Woking team was in everyone's predictions, but not the differences they showed during two-thirds of the race. McLaren seems to want to send three teams to a class B, which would be Verstappen (not Red Bull), Russell and Ferrari... And the rest perhaps to a class C. We have already seen this with Mercedes (2014-21) and Red Bull (2022-24). What we saw in Melbourne seems to indicate that, although the rain has masked it. In dry conditions it would have been a terrible beating for the rest.

Spaniards against the wall

It was a fateful day for Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso. The former ended up in the wall after a strange engine failure, which lost power and then delivered it all at once, due to a gear shift in the gearbox, according to telemetry data. And that in the wet was fatal, when it was only the first lap and under safety car.

For Fernando, the accident came halfway through the race, when he was going for Gasly and touched the kerb with one wheel. The AMR25 did not forgive him and went into the wall at turn 7. It's the first time since Imola 2022 that neither of them has finished a race. There will be better days. Sainz has a Williams that walks (Albon fourth) and the Aston did not look so bad throughout the race. (Stroll sixth).

Ferrari shock (II) and Leclerc attacks Hamilton

The big loser of the weekend was Ferrari, with Leclerc eighth and Hamilton 10th, after an error at the decisive moment, when they stayed on track when the rain was pouring down and an accident caused a safety car. There was little reflection in the pits, as they had the podium within reach.

In the subsequent restart, Leclerc, who had given up his position to Lewis with a spin, rebelled against finishing behind his new teammate and took the stickers off with a touch included. It is not known if they will win anything, but the internal battle in the Scuderia promises to be a good one throughout the season.

For Lewis it was worse, because on the final lap, a Piastri who was coming back ed him like a thunderbolt brushing the walls in a spectacular image.

Hadjar, the first one out before leaving

From a standing start, the mess and spray was impressive, the RB Frenchman was left on the wall trying to warm up his tyres, at the first corner. The start was postponed, with the whole procedure to be done.

Exit (V1/58)

Verstappen attacked from the start and in the second corner he overtook Piastri to move into second place. Behind him, Gasly ed Sainz who was tenth and Alonso moved up to 11th. Leclerc moved up from seventh to fifth.

Doohan suffered an accident and then Carlos Sainz, in the last corner under safety car. "I lost power and then it went up massively," he said over the radio. It was still the first lap.

This was Sainz's accident. With his off-track excursion, Alonso moved up to tenth.

Resumption (V8/58). Norris first: The Englishman kept the position and Piastri was closing in on Max from behind. Alonso was still tenth. There was a warning of an incident involving Fernando under the safety car. It was being investigated. Also of Tsunoda.

Antonelli ed Hulk on lap 13 and Hamilton could not get past Albon, who was seventh. Spectacular spin by Antonelli on lap 16, with the luck of catching the parking lot in the run-off without touching the wall.

Verstappen goes off the track (V18)

He went slightly off track at Turn 11 and lost the place to Piastri. He was third. Even Max made mistakes

Alonso was still 10th and Albon and Hamilton were also being investigated for the safety car. All four were exonerated of any infringement.

A light rain was returning on lap 22, but it was only going to be for three laps

And Verstappen was already eight seconds ahead of Piastri. He had to let the McLarens go because they were unapproachable.

Piastri stuck to Norris (V29): The crowd roared in the stands and the Australian got on top of his teammate. "Hold position," he was told over the radio to the second McLaren. He was not allowed to attack

Despite this, the Aussie lost the car for a moment, and the two McLarens lapped Lawson's Red Bull on lap 34

Alonso's accident (V34)

The Spaniard attacked Gasly and went into the wall at turn 7. Safety car and everyone overtook to change tires and put dry until the end of the race. A pity for Fernando. Both Spaniards were out. He stepped on the curb at turn 7 and lost control of the car. He had warned before starting that the lines were very dangerous and it was a race of survival.

Restart on lap 40/57: And warning of heavy rain imminent. Max could not cope with the McLaren despite having medium on the hard of his rivals. And the sky opened up on lap

Piastri's accident (V45)

The rain changed everything, with Piastri in the lead, Norris pitting and Verstappen taking the lead. The Dutchman went in to put on intermediate rain tyres and Hamilton was first, with Leclerc second, who had also had a spin but recovered

It was madness, with Lawson and Bortoleto against the wall, the Ferraris taking risks, Norris third, Tsunoda fourth and Verstappen fifth, when the safety car came out. Piastri was 14th.

Ferrari had to give up and come in, so the order was Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Albon, Antonelli and Stroll. Hamilton was ninth and Leclerc 10th. A dramatic turn of events

Relaunch (V52), Leclerc's on Hamilton: It was a five-lap mini-race. And a great by Charles on Lewis took the stickers off him, while touching the front wing with one of his wheels. Leclerc was ninth and Hamilton tenth.

Verstappen put pressure on Lando, but it was too late. Russell was third and Albon was fourth, while Antonelli finished fifth after a wonderful race.