Australian GP: Lando Norris keeps Max Verstappen to win exciting race

MELBOURNE – Previous season Favorite Lando Norris conquer Max Verstappen, changing weather, a journey over the grass and three periods of the security cars to win a crazy Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Norris kept the attacking Red Bull from Verstappen and only exceeded the line for 0.8 seconds for the ruling world champion.

It was a suitable highlight for a wild season opening, which was repeatedly immersed in chaos by intermittent rain and the large number of drivers that crashed during the competition.

“It was great,” said Norris. “It was a tough race, especially with Max [Verstappen] Behind me. I mainly pushed the last two laps, which was a bit stressful, but a great way to start the year.

“It was a difficult one because we left and made some major mistakes. They were just difficult circumstances, but these are those who are pleasant, fun and unpredictable. But this time we are right and I am very happy.”

Norris had led away from the post and, in the moments between the drama, he and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri from the vicinity. But A trip outside the track for both orange cars In round 44 when the rain increased, McLaren’s chance ended up a two-two finish, in which Piastri went off in the last corner and descended the order.

Norris avoided a similar fate to achieve his fifth career victory and to set up a championship leader that he hopes to solve this season.

McLaren had looked comfortable in the moments between the chaos, but the rain -like everything. Norris Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell finally finished third.

In the midst of the chaos, McLaren showed a glimpse of a problem that could linger throughout the season if it has a dominant car – how to manage his two competitive drivers.

At a certain moment when Piastri closed on Norris, the Australian was told Not to race his teammateA call that was reversed three laps later.

Norris and Piastri had insisted in the run -up to the race that they would be free to race.

Williams driver Alex Albon finished fifth, while the Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli – the replacement of Lewis Hamilton – was fourth for Mercedes. Antonelli was fined five seconds and let him go through the stewards to fifth place for an unsafe release, but the Punishment was destroyed After Mercedes appealed against the decision.

Hamilton’s debut in Ferrari has dominated a large part of the construction of the new season, but the seven -fold world champion Located for 10thLosing a position after a fantastic movement by Piastri, who finished ninth.

Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc finished eighth, but at a crucial moment a spider rugs that cost him a shot on stage after Ferrari had made a late gamble in the rapidly changing circumstances that almost worked.

The moody weather in Melbourne set the tone for the race; Heavy rain in the run -up set up a spectacle and the drama started before the race started. Racing Bulls Rookie Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation round, which takes place before the start.

The desperate Hadjar was comforted by Anthony Hamilton, father of Lewis and Hadjar’s boy’s hero. Hadjar’s accident started a terrible afternoon for F1’s Rookie class of 2025.

When the race started, Alpine Driver Jack Doohan – who will be, will be, according to many Replaced by Franco Colapinto This year – spun in the wall at turn 6, which encouraged the first safety car of the race.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz wasted a strong position by pouring down while the peloton drove a lap later at a reduced speed behind the safety car. Halfway through the race, with McLaren who disappeared again in the distance, Fernando Alonso’s Crash brought the security car to the front for the second time in round 34 and bundle the field together again.

But it was the third and final safety car that caused a breathtaking finish. The constant delays pushed the race closer to a late rain shower. When the rain began, the pack ran on dry tires – both McLaren drivers could have been crashed when the rain increased. In the end it was two more rookies that crashed.

The first was reigning Formula 2 champion Gabriele Bortoleto, who crashed on the last corner before Red Bull’s Liam Lawson ended a scorching afternoon through the wall in the last sector. Both drivers withdrew from the race, leaving 14 left.

The last restart seemed to set up a grandstand finish between Norris and Verstappen, but Norris held in despite a late error that the Red Bull driver helped to close the gap.