The Australian Grand Prix has arrived after heavy rain cancelled multiple support races in the build-up to the 58-lap season opener at Albert Park.
F1 has three hours to get the race in from the scheduled 3pm AEDT start time, but with the downpour steadily decreasing from this morning it’s expected to be rain-impacted rather than ruined.
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Max Verstappen got past Oscar Piastri for second in the opening corners as Lando Norris led from pole.
But three drivers crashed out before the end of lap one – Isack Hadjar on the formation lap, Aussie rookie Jack Doohan after a frantic start, and Williams debutant Carlos Sainz under the safety car caused by Doohan.
Hadjar, who qualified best of all the rookies, was left in tears.
He was seen being consoled by Anthony Hamilton, the father of Lewis, as he walked through the paddock still crying on his way back to the pits.
F1 rookie in ‘tears’ after horror debut | 01:54
Russell fires cheeky on-air jab at Lando | 00:25
Driver PUSHES car along pit lane | 01:47
Race preview
“I think it will be chaos,” Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies said on Saturday.
“It’s a city track, you have six rookies on track, you have lots of rain coming.”
The Formula 3 feature race, which got underway at 9am local time, was thrown into chaos due to the weather, with several drivers skidding off the track throughout the 23-lap event. Most of race was contested behind a safety car, while red flags forced a premature end to the event on Lap 18.
Visibility nightmare triggers red flag! | 00:41
Later, Supercars Race 7 was abandoned after two laps behind the safety car due to dangerous conditions, including rivers of water across the track. In the afternoon, the Formula 2 race suffered the same fate.
“It looks like the race is going to start wet, I would say … so that’s going to make it a lottery to start with,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Fox Sports.
“In these conditions, anything can happen.”
The rain is meant to ease as the day progresses, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting 20mm falling in Melbourne across Sunday.
“Very high chance of showers, becoming less likely in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm this the morning,” the website states.
Doohan ready to seize F1 dream | 10:49
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is trying to become the first Australian to reach the podium of his home race.
Piastri was less than a tenth of a second from becoming the first local to take pole position in Australia, but still completed a front-row lockout with McLaren teammate Lando Norris, living up to expectations the team would be tough to beat in 2025.
It leaves the pair primed to battle it out for the race win, and for Melburnian Piastri, even finishing second or third would see him make history.
No Australian driver has ever finished on the podium of the Australian Grand Prix; Daniel Ricciardo came closest in 2014, crossing the line second before being disqualified post-race for a fuel rule breach.
The Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to get underway at 3pm AEDT.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
Front row Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren)
2nd row Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull), George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
3rd row Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB), Alexander Albon (THA/Williams)
4th row Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari)
5th row Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams)
6th row Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB), Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin)
7th row Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin), Jack Doohan (AUS/Alpine)
8th row Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes)
9th row Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber), Liam Lawson (NZL/Red Bull)
10th row Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas), Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas)
Sunday Australian Grand Prix schedule
10:20-10:55am: Supercars Race 4
11:30am-12:30pm: Formula 2 Feature Race
1-1:30pm: Formula 1 Drivers’ Parade
3-5pm: Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
