Norris wins, Verstappen and Russell shine, but Bortoleto retires on F1 debut at Australian GP

Lando, Max and George. Take a bow 👏#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/9jG6SNkrDx

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025

Start sets stage for fierce battles

The lights went out in Melbourne with immediate action across the grid. Norris held his lead despite Verstappen’s bold move on the left, only for the Dutchman to back off as Piastri blocked his path into Turn 1. Verstappen soon overtook the Australian McLaren driver, while Russell, starting sixth, opted for a steady approach, steering clear of early trouble. Gabriel Bortoleto, in his first F1 start, jumped from 15th to 12th, capitalizing on a clean getaway on a track already slick from pre-race rain.

Chaos erupted quickly. Before the race even began, RB’s Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation lap, trimming the field to 19 cars. By lap 2, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz retired after separate incidents, triggering the safety car. Bortoleto stayed out of harm’s way, while Verstappen and Norris traded blows at the front. Russell quietly gained ground, reaching fifth after the initial pit stops for intermediate tires under the yellow flag.

Racing resumed after eight laps behind the safety car, with Norris cementing his lead, Verstappen in second, and Piastri in third. Bortoleto hovered in the midfield, adapting to the Sauber’s demands, but the looming threat of heavier rain hinted at tougher tests ahead for both the rookie and the frontrunners.

McLaren leads until rain shifts fortunes

Midway through, Norris and McLaren looked unstoppable. The Briton built a 15-second gap over Verstappen, while Piastri closed to within 0.6 seconds in five laps. The team ordered the Australian to hold position for an upcoming pit window, sparking radio complaints but preserving their one-two formation. Russell, running fourth, relied on the Mercedes’ consistent pace, while Bortoleto clung to 11th, teetering on the edge of the points in his debut.

Lap 34 brought a twist when Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso spun and hit the wall at Turn 8, prompting a yellow flag. Many, including Norris and Verstappen, swapped intermediates for dry tires, betting on better conditions. Bortoleto followed suit, but the gamble backfired when torrential rain struck on lap 44. Norris skidded into the gravel, and Piastri veered onto the grass. Verstappen took the lead briefly, while Russell rose to third amid the upheaval.

Bortoleto struggled to tame his car in the downpour. On lap 47, he spun at Turn 13 and smashed into the barriers, joining Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, who also retired on the same lap. His debut ended prematurely, though not before he’d shown flashes of potential in a treacherous race.

Heavy rain crowns Norris and ends Bortoleto’s debut

The late deluge reshaped the Australian GP’s outcome. After Norris and Piastri lost traction on lap 44, both pitted, but Norris recovered faster, reclaiming the lead by lap 51 following another yellow flag. Verstappen, on medium tires, closed to within 0.5 seconds in the closing laps but couldn’t overtake. Russell inherited third as Piastri, delayed by his off-track excursion, plummeted to tenth, proving how costly mistakes can be in such conditions.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s F1 baptism ended in disappointment. Holding 11th and nearing points before the crash, he fell victim to the slick track. Others faced similar fates:

• Isack Hadjar: crashed on the formation lap.
• Jack Doohan: wrecked on lap 2.
• Carlos Sainz: spun out on lap 2.
• Fernando Alonso: hit the wall on lap 34.
• Gabriel Bortoleto: crashed on lap 47.
• Liam Lawson: retired on lap 47.

Norris crossed the line with Verstappen breathing down his neck and Russell in third, with just 14 cars finishing. The result gave Norris 25 points and the championship lead, followed by Verstappen with 18 and Russell with 15. Bortoleto scored zero but gained invaluable experience for the races ahead.

Upcoming races and lessons from Melbourne

The 2025 F1 season moves swiftly onward. After the Australian GP, the schedule includes:

• March 23: Chinese GP, Shanghai.
• April 6: Japanese GP, Suzuka.
• April 20: Bahrain GP, Sakhir.
• November 9: São Paulo GP, Interlagos.

Norris, Verstappen, and Russell emerge as early frontrunners, while Bortoleto has 23 more races to prove his mettle. Sauber, last in 2024, sees the Brazilian as key to its evolution into Audi by 2026.

Bortoleto’s debut was a trial by fire. A champion in F3 (2023) and F2 (2024), he arrived with a stellar resume, but Melbourne exposed the learning curve ahead. Reaching Q2 in qualifying with a 1min16s516 lap and outpacing teammate Nico Hulkenberg were highlights, while the crash underscored the need for more wet-weather seasoning.

Championship impact and Bortoleto’s future

Norris now tops the drivers’ standings, with Verstappen and Russell hot on his heels. McLaren leads the constructors’ tally with 35 points, ahead of Red Bull (22) and Mercedes (20), while Sauber remains pointless after Bortoleto’s exit and Hulkenberg’s 13th-place finish.

For Bortoleto, the Australian GP was a bittersweet milestone. As Brazil’s first full-time F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017, he carries a nation’s hopes. Mentored by Fernando Alonso and honed by McLaren’s development program, he’s a rising star. Though the Melbourne crash stung, his journey to Sauber and early promise signal a bright future against titans like Norris, Verstappen, and Russell.