Lando Norris trumps Verstappen to take out Aus Grand Prix

Australia has officially returned as the season opener, and in what better fashion than with five safety cars and six drivers unclassified as Lando Norris silences all the talk.

Norris was the short-priced favourite to take out the seas on opener, with top F1 bookmakers paying $2.35 for this feat.

It was heartbreak for Australian hope Oscar Piastri as he ran off the track due to a late rain shower, forfeiting his P2 to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Piastri was seen very disappointed after parking up in Parc Ferme post-race but got a great boast from the Aussie fans as he leapt out of the car.

The hometown hero was the fastest driver on track for most of the race as he hunted down teammate Norris before his spin on the grass, paying $1.46 with BetOnline for a podium finish.

Ferrari endured an utter disaster after keeping both drivers out to weather the storm and ultimately give away their track position, causing both to finish in the wrong half of the top 10.

Mercedes made the most of the safety cars and accidents as rookie Kimi Antonelli went from P16 to as high as P4, although he fell back to P5 after receiving a five-second penalty.

2025 Australian Grand Prix results

F1 Australian GP biggest winners

Max Verstappen – Red Bull and Verstappen would be ecstatic with how their Sunday went, securing a lovely P2 in a very difficult race. Red Bull may not be competing for the Constructors Championship but will give Verstappen’s fifth Drivers Championship in a row a red-hot crack, with top online bookmakers paying $4.30 for the Dutch-Belgian superstar to win in China next week.

Kimi Antonelli – What an amazing debut for the young kid, going from P16 all the way to P4 after overtaking Alex Albon late in the race; however, a five-second penalty dropped him back to fifth after passing the line. Antonelli was paying as much as $15 with BetOnline to finish in the top six. He was the only rookie to finish in the top 10 after four of the six spun out in tricky conditions.

Alex Albon – It was an incredible start to the F1 2025 season for the Williams team, scoring their most points in a single race since 2022, with Albon finishing in P4. Carlos Sainz failed to finish, but that only means there is plenty upside for the remainder of the season.

2025 F1 Aus GP biggest blunders

Ferrari – Another horrific strategy from Ferrari saw the team stay out during torrential rain, which left both drivers furious over the radio on their way to finishing P8 and P10. Ferrari were second-favourites for the constructors title before the Australian GP with the top betting apps.

The Rookies – It was a brutal beginning for the rookies, as four out of six of them left the circuit due to spinning out or hitting the wall. A thunderstorm in your first F1 race is very unlucky, and they did not expect it to be so difficult. They’ll be looking to bounce back in China next weekend.

2025 Formula One drivers’ standings

• Lando Norris (McLaren) – 25 points
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 18 points
• George Russell (Mercedes) – 15 points
• Alexander Albon (Williams) – 12 points
• Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 10 points
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 8 points
• Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 6 points
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 4 points
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 2 points
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1 point
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 0 points
• Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) – 0 points
• Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 0 points
• Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 0 points

Sports news