Chequered Flag Waves Goodbye at Albert Park for 2025

Formula 1

Australia’s hopes of witnessing a local driver ascend to the podium at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix will need to be postponed for another year, as Lando Norris claimed victory ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell in a tumultuous start to the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Championship season.

Norris executed an almost flawless race, securing his third career win in challenging wet conditions. He led for the majority of the race, fending off formidable challenges from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and reigning champion Verstappen.

Ultimately, Verstappen was unable to surpass Norris and had to settle for second place, while Norris became the sixth different driver to win the Australian Grand Prix in as many years.

For Piastri, all the hard work put in during qualifying—and a spectacular mid-race stint where he and Norris built a 16-second lead over the competition—was abruptly cut short on lap 44 when he spun at the second-last corner and found himself marooned as other cars whizzed past.

The Melbournian managed to rejoin the race and make a swift pit stop for a tyre change, but his hopes of securing a podium finish were dashed as he returned to the track towards the tail end of the field and faced an uphill battle.

Undeterred, Piastri salvaged some crucial points with a blistering final stint, finishing strong with a last-lap manoeuvre to overtake Lewis Hamilton and secure P9.

Only 14 drivers completed the race, with six failing to reach the chequered flag, including fellow Aussie Jack Doohan.

Much like Piastri, Doohan had a promising qualifying session but found himself retiring prematurely, crashing out on the first lap after struggling with the slick surface.

Doohan wasn’t the only driver to face early misfortune; Carlos Sainz found himself in the barriers, while Formula 1 newcomer Isack Hadjar crashed during the formation lap.

Other drivers caught out by the slippery conditions included Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto.

The Formula 1 World Championship continues with back-to-back weekends, as the Chinese Grand Prix is scheduled to take place at Shanghai International Circuit from March 20-23.

Supercars

With torrential rain sweeping across Albert Park, the Supercars’ final race of the weekend was abandoned. As a result, Will Brown was awarded the Larry Perkins Trophy victory, making him the first driver to achieve this honour twice.

Pole sitter Broc Feeney finished the weekend in second place, with Friday’s winner Cameron Hill completing the podium in third.

The Supercars series now heads across to New Zealand for the third round of the 2025 season, set to take place from April 11-13 in Taupō.

Formula 2

Despite numerous attempts to commence the race, the FIA Formula 2 Championship’s feature event was cancelled due to the inclement weather conditions.

The Championship’s next round is scheduled for April 11-13 in Bahrain.

Formula 3

Friday’s pole sitter, Rafael Camara, dominated Sunday’s Formula 3 Feature Race, securing a decisive victory, while Australian James Wharton faced a challenging morning, finishing P21.

The race was cut short, starting under a safety car and concluding with a red flag, which led to several interruptions as the future stars grappled with the tough conditions.

However, Camara excelled, establishing significant gaps over his Trident teammate Noel Stromsted during the race, and was thus a well-deserved winner when the race was halted on lap 18 following a serious incident involving Christian Ho.

The top three unchanged from Friday’s qualifying saw Stromsted follow Camara across the line for a Trident one-two, while Théophile Naël completed the podium rankings.

As for Wharton, the Victorian began further down the starting grid than his qualifying position after incurring a five-place penalty for an incident during Saturday’s Sprint Race.

Despite the setback, he managed to gain several positions throughout the race, finishing better than where he originally started.

Formula 3 is set to return next month at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir from April 11-13.