Melbourne, Mar 16: McLaren's Lando Norris held off defending champion Max Verstappen to win during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, which featured mixed weather conditions, multiple crashes, safety cars, and a late-race downpour that caused huge drama.

Mercedes' George Russell rounds out the podium, and Alexander Albon of Williams fourth after a late five-second penalty demoted Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli to fifth.

Norris is in the world championship lead, having won the opening race of the season for McLaren at the Australian GP, featuring on-off rain and numerous crashes.

"It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps - it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie. Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I'm happy.

"We got it wrong a lot last year so I guess we learned from our mistakes - we lost out in Silverstone and Canada in similar conditions. Dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, with Oscar behind me. I was pushing the whole way through. A challenging race but for McLaren I need to give thanks as they have given me a brilliant car," Norris said.

Norris controlled the early stages of Sunday’s encounter from McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on a sodden track, before improving conditions enabled a switch to slick tyres over the second half.

However, shortly after the field had ditched their intermediates, another patch of heavier rain soaked the circuit once more, causing both McLarens to skid off. While Norris regained control and pitted, Piastri spun and lost time. This allowed Verstappen to take the lead, Formula 1 reports.

With Verstappen still on slicks and conditions continuing to deteriorate, it was inevitable that his own pit stop would be required and, when that duly happened, Norris reclaimed a lead he had managed so well earlier in the race.

After a final Safety Car period, caused by crashes for Kick Sauber debutant Gabriel Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, Norris came under attack from Verstappen in the tricky, slippery conditions, with the latter managing to get within DRS range.

However, Norris had just enough in hand to take the chequered flag over his 2024 rival, with George Russell exploiting the drama to complete the podium for Mercedes, ahead of high-flying Williams driver Alex Albon and rookie team mate Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli had passed Albon late on, only to be penalised for an unsafe release, dropping him to fifth from Aston Martin’s wet-weather specialist Lance Stroll, the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and the recovering Piastri.

Lewis Hamilton briefly led the race when he also stayed out a little longer on slicks during the late rainfall, leaving him 10th and in the final points-paying position when he pitted, denying the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and the Racing Bulls machine of Yuki Tsunoda.

Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman both tried to stick it out on intermediates ahead of the decisive final shower, only to go back to slicks and then have to complete further stops, leaving them 13th and 14th, respectively, at the finish.

Lawson and Bortoleto joined a sizeable list of retirements with their respective Turn 2 and Turn 13 shunts, adding to a heavy mid-race crash for the other Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso and early accidents for Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Alpine rookie Jack Doohan.

One driver who did not even make the start was Racing Bulls newcomer Isack Hadjar, who crashed on the formation lap – triggering an aborted start – and was left inconsolable on the side of the track.

(IANS)

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