Lando Norris wins Australian Grand Prix after heartbreak for local Oscar Piastri

MELBOURNE–McLaren driver Lando Norris won the Australian Grand Prix after a late-race battle with Max Verstappen in changing conditions.

It was heartbreak for local Oscar Piastri, who was in second behind teammate Norris and looked to have superior race pace, but the pair ran off track when a burst of rain hit late in the race.

Norris was able to recover quickly and dived into pit lane, while Piastri mounted an extremely delicate operation to remove his car from the grass.

Max Verstappen moved past the pair into the lead but had to pit two laps later to change tyres and was unable to pass Norris despite catching him rapidly in the final five laps.

Mercedes driver George Russell completed the podium after a relatively quiet race.

"It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me," said Norris.

"I was pushing, especially the last two laps - it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie."

"Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I'm happy."

Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix began with constant bursts of rain around the circuit, bringing around 10mm in the early hours and interrupting running in the FIA Formula 2, Formula 3, and Supercars races.

The rain slightly dampened crowd numbers, with an estimated attendance of 131,547 on Sunday falling short of a daily record, but the total over four days of 465,498 was a new best for the Melbourne event.

Norris started on pole in a brief gap from the rain, with teammate Oscar Piastri running in close formation behind as they pulled away from the chasing pack, led by Verstappen.

Isack Hadjar was the first to crash in the wet conditions, the rookie visibly emotional after spinning on the formation lap.

With racing underway, Jack Doohan dashed local hopes when he crashed on his own near turn six, with the safety car deployed for the first time.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz spun behind the safety car on the final turn, forcing the field down the pit lane, with racing finally underway again on lap eight.

After a mistake from Verstappen, Norris and Piastri then set off down the track in team formation, building a lead of more than 12 seconds on the Red Bull in third, with Piastri told to hold position until the McLaren pair could pass the backmarkers.

Fernando Alonso spun and hit the wall just past the stadium section at turn five, and drivers dived into the pit lane for dry tyres.

The order was much the same at the restart and soon teams began to raise concerns of a storm on the way, predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology in their pre-race forecast,

It was disaster on lap 45 when the rain hit and both McLarens skidded out of position in the final sector, with Norris able to recover and dive into the pits, while Piastri inched off the grass but lost valuable time.

Verstappen briefly held the lead, then Hamilton, as teams gambled on waiting out the storm, but incidents for Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto brought out the safety car once again.

Piastri joined the restart thirteenth, with just Ollie Bearman behind him, and he picked off the duelling Ferraris ahead as they too caught up with the Alpine of Pierre Gasly.

At the front Norris was doing his best to outlast Verstappen, holding him off and taking the chequered flag.

"We got it wrong a lot last year so I guess we learned from our mistakes," said Norris about the conditions.

"Dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, with Oscar behind me. I was pushing the whole way through."

"A challenging race but for McLaren I need to give thanks as they have given me a brilliant car."

Second for Verstappen, third for Russell, and a massive drive for Alex Albon who was promoted to fourth in his Williams after a penalty for Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Piastri battled his way back into the points in ninth, ending a chaotic and ultimately entertaining start to the 2025 Formula One World Championship.

Watch every session of the Australian Grand Prix on Kayo Sports. Join now to get a 7-day free trial.