Martin Brandl on the Australian Grand Prix results

      Former Formula 1 racer and Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brandl summed up the Australian Grand Prix…

      We have seen a wonderful and encouraging start to the 2025 season. They expected a tight fight and serious competition from him in advance, and the first race did not disappoint.

      Lando Norris and McLaren had an outstanding weekend. In qualifying, he and Oscar Piastri staged an interesting duel, and eventually occupied the entire front row of the starting field. Despite the problems and chaos on race day, an eight-meter advantage on the starting field played a role in Lando's victory.

      As promised by the forecast, it was raining on the day of the race. Precipitation and gusty winds disrupted the support races and ensured a wet track at the start of the Grand Prix.

      The schedule in Melbourne is always calculated by the minute: starting on Thursday, races are constantly taking place on the track. The asphalt of Albert Park, which is used as a highway only once a year, gets a large amount of used rubber, which melts in the rays of the sun. Add to this the slippery marking lines – in the rain, racers ride on this surface as if on ice.

      As a result, the race turned out to be difficult. At the start, Isaac Hajjar turned around, who dropped out of the race and was very upset. Because of the interrupted start, everyone was nervous, both on the track and in the pit lane. Norris started slightly worse than his closest rivals, but the pole position he earned the day before allowed him to remain in the lead.

      Piastri held back Max Verstappen, who started well, in the first corner, but at the exit, the McLaren spun around, and Verstappen moved into second place.

      Jack Duane slipped on the white line during acceleration and crashed into the barrier. The safety car pulled out and immediately Sainz crashed the Williams, distracted from piloting to switch on the steering wheel.

      When the race finally started, the three drivers – both McLaren drivers and Verstappen – quickly left their rivals behind and fought among themselves. Under heavy pressure, Norris remained remarkably calm during numerous restarts, when his team-mate Piastri, then Verstappen, then both were reflected in his mirrors.

      In the middle of the race, I realized that I was nervous, even though I was not on the track in the rain, but sitting in a dry commentary booth. I know this feeling well from racing, when you perfectly understand that every turn of the steering wheel or pressing the pedal can lead to an accident at any moment. When I was driving slicks in the dark in the middle of the night at Le Mans at 220 mph and it suddenly started raining, it felt similar.

      Those who haven't lost their way should be applauded.: It was a serious test. Even the great and wise Fernando Alonso fell into this trap and crashed into a wall.

      Then there were many reports on the radio that a short downpour might or might not hit the highway. Along with the rain, chaos began. Both McLaren drivers crashed onto the grass and gravel. Norris managed to come back and switch to intermediate tires, although he damaged the bottom. Piastri got stuck on wet grass, took a long time to get out of reverse gear, and lost one lap. It's a shame, because he could claim victory.

      Red Bull decided not to invite Verstappen to the pits in the hope that the rain would be short and light. They had nothing to lose at that moment, but deciding to do the same on the next lap would have been too much of a gamble.

      As a result, two people remained in the fight for victory – the heroes of last season, Norris and Verstappen, raced to the finish line on fresh intermediate tires.

      Norris was fast at every restart and maintained the lead, but drove into the gravel at the infamous sixth corner and lost time – Verstappen reduced the gap to a minimum and was able to use the DRS. Thanks to the calm and wise advice of his engineer Will Joseph on the pit wall, Lando did not flinch and scored an impressive victory, actually winning the second race in a row after his victory in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year. He led the World Cup for the first time. For the first time in the last 1029 days, it was headed by someone other than Max.

      Max also had a great race, but the reality is that both in the rain and on dry asphalt, if it hadn't been for the intervention of the safety car, the McLaren duo would have dominated.

      George Russell was invisible all day, but he finished third, and this is the first of many podiums for Mercedes this year, but they will have to find the speed to catch up with McLaren.

      His young team-mate Kimi Antonelli had a very mature first Grand Prix. Despite the mistake in turn four, he had some great overtakes and drove at a good pace, sometimes faster than Russell, and finished fourth. Mercedes has another star, and after the first stage, they, along with McLaren, are leading the Constructors' Cup.

      Lewis Hamilton started his career at Ferrari unsuccessfully by any measure. Eighth place at the start behind teammate Leclair, a slight gap in the first corner and the pursuit of Alex Elbon's Williams throughout the race, followed by overtaking along the outer radius of the fast ninth corner from Piastri on the last lap – and one point for 10th place. This is not where he should be.

      I don't understand why Lewis was so angry with his engineer Riccardo Adami, who, it seems to me, was just trying to convey the necessary and useful information. For Ferrari, everything turned into a disaster when they left the slicks on a wet track and lost a lot of places because of it. They left Australia seventh in the championship.