MELBOURNE. — McLaren’s Lando Norris swept to victory in a wet and wild Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off defending champion Max Verstappen in a white-knuckle finish to a Formula One season-opener littered with crashes and safety cars.
Mercedes’ George Russell was third on the slippery Albert Park circuit where only 14 of the 20 cars finished in the treacherous conditions.
Norris, the pre-season favorite for the drivers’ title, started the Formula One season as he finished the last at Abu Dhabi, with victory from pole.
The win ended Verstappen’s long run at the top of the championship standings dating back to May 2022.
Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri started second on the grid but finished ninth, his dreams of becoming the first home driver to claim victory or a consolation podium ending with a skid into the grass.
Norris claimed his first win in Melbourne and the fifth of his career, saying it was difficult with Verstappen breathing down his neck.
“It was amazing. Tough race, especially with Max behind me,” he added.
“I was pushing, especially in the last two laps. It was a little bit stressful, not going to lie.
“This time we got it right and ended on top so I’m happy.”
Red Bull kept Verstappen out on worn tires hoping for a break in the rain but he was ultimately forced to pit, potentially costing him a better shot at taking out Norris.
Verstappen said it was “worth the gamble.”
“It was quite spicy on the slick tires. It was alright in the end,” he said.
“This is where I expected to be. In the first stint we were lacking a bit of pace to the McLaren.”
Lewis Hamilton’s debut for Ferrari proved a damp squib with the Briton finishing 10th, two places behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
But it was an encouraging day for Williams, with Alex Albon finishing fourth after Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie Andrea KimiAntonelli was demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty for an unsafe release from the pit. – Reuters
