Lando Leads, Reckless Rookies, Fearful Ferraris: 2025 Australian Grand Prix
There’s nothing like the first race of the season, and this year, Formula One fans worldwide were spoiled with a true heart-stopper. Changing weather conditions, tire management disagreements, and confusing strategy calls no doubt made the inaugural race of 2025 a chaotic one. In the end, though, the quickest driver in Saturday’s qualifying, Lando Norris, was able to convert his pole position to a race win and a championship. This is notable, seeing as this is the first time a driver not named Max Verstappen has led the championship in 1,029 days.
Norris had the weight of the world on his shoulders at the start, with teammate Oscar Piastri and Verstappen lined up right behind him. Yet, as the lights went out, he was able to retain his lead into turn one, something Norris is infamously not successful at. From there, he and Piastri were able to tear away from the rest of the field and create a gap to third that exceeded 15 seconds. In the middle of the race, though, when this gap was at its largest, McLaren pit wall told its drivers to hold position. The gap between Norris and Piastri was under two seconds, but as soon as Piastri made a small error and the gap was extended, they were free to race again. Will McLaren continue to prioritize Norris this season, or are fans in for a 2016 Mercedes-esque teammate battle?
The Formula One online fanbase made lots of jokes about rookie crashes and DNFs ahead of the rainy forecast. If only they knew how right they would be. After a stellar Q2 appearance and nearly making it to Q3 in qualifying, Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar unfortunately lost control of the car during the formation lap due to the track’s slick conditions. In a statement to ESPN, Hadjar said, “Even on the laps to the grid I was like 'Oh yeah, this is tricky but driveable’ but... I'm just sorry for the team right now and my close ones watching the race. It's just embarrassing.” The French driver was not without a comforting presence, though. Anthony Hamilton, Sir Lewis Hamilton’s father, was able to meet with Hadjar after his race had to be aborted and told him to “keep his head high and to be proud of himself.” Hadjar was not alone in the land of DNFs. Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, Williams’s Carlos Sainz, and former World Champion Fernando Alonso all lost control of their races.
Speaking of a Hamilton, the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had a disappointing go of it on Sunday, finishing eighth and tenth, respectively. The main issue within the team does not seem to lie with its talent but rather the communication between engineers and the drivers. In a radio between Leclerc and his engineer Bryan Bozzi, the pair debated back and forth about the source of a small pool of water in the Monegasque driver’s cockpit. The conclusion? “Must be the water,” Bozzi said. Ferrari also made poor calls with its decisions to pit or stay out in the quickly changing track conditions. These calls could have been the difference between merely a points finish or a double podium for the Italian team. For the sake of Hamilton and Leclerc, let’s hope Shanghai is looking dry.
