F1 Results Today: Max Verstappen beaten as F1 champion crashes out of thrilling Australian Grand Pr….read more
A late and dramatic rainstorm brought chaos to the closing stages of the Australian Grand Prix, turning what had been a relatively straightforward race into a wild scramble for survival. Home hero Oscar Piastri, who had been in a comfortable second place and eyeing a career-best result, saw his dreams dashed when he spun off the track and became stranded in the grass. He remained beached there for nearly a minute, desperately trying to rejoin the race as the rain wreaked havoc across the circuit. Ultimately, Piastri was only able to salvage a couple of points from what had seemed destined to be a podium finish.
Meanwhile, his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris managed to avoid a similar fate – just barely. Norris also went off at the same corner as Piastri, but unlike his team-mate, he was able to regain control and return to the circuit immediately. Seizing the moment, Norris dived into the pits for intermediate tyres and then stormed through the final laps to claim an unlikely and opportunistic victory in Melbourne. As Norris celebrated at the front, the other McLaren of Piastri could only watch from the midfield, having slipped to the back of the field after his excursion.
Max Verstappen, who had not been in contention for the win for much of the race, capitalized on the late drama to secure a surprise second-place finish. Despite not displaying his usual dominant pace, Verstappen kept his head amid the storm and was able to profit from others’ misfortunes. George Russell rounded out the podium in third for Mercedes after what could only be described as a calm and measured drive. While others faltered around him, Russell steered clear of trouble and quietly collected valuable championship points.
The race had begun in chaotic fashion even before the rain arrived. A delay of 15 minutes was called after Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar crashed into the barriers on the formation lap, prompting early action for the marshals. Once the Grand Prix finally got underway, the drama continued on the very first lap, with two separate incidents claiming two more cars. Jack Doohan, standing in for an injured Esteban Ocon, became the first driver to retire from the race after crashing heavily. Moments later, Carlos Sainz spun out under the safety car, compounding Ferrari’s woes and taking himself out of contention before the race had truly begun.
The carnage did not stop there. Midway through the race, Fernando Alonso lost control and crashed out, further depleting the field. However, the real chaos was reserved for the closing laps when the sudden rainstorm arrived. With slick tyres rapidly losing grip on the wet surface, several drivers became passengers. Among them were Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto, who both ended up in the barriers, forcing race control to deploy the safety car yet again.
When the safety car peeled in, the race resumed with just six laps remaining in what turned into a frantic sprint to the finish. The wet conditions caught several teams off-guard, none more so than Ferrari. Both Charles Leclerc and the recovering Sainz were left out on dry-weather tyres, a strategy call that proved disastrous as they slipped down the order in the worsening conditions.
In one of the most unexpected results of the day, Alex Albon crossed the line in fourth place after keeping his composure during the rain-soaked finale. Just behind him was rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli, who had been running even higher before a late penalty dropped him to fifth – still a career-best result. Lance Stroll completed the top six, finishing ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who once again showed his consistency in tricky conditions.
For Ferrari, it was a day to forget as both drivers ended up finishing behind Hulkenberg, unable to recover from the strategic miscalculation. What had started as a relatively standard race turned into one of the most unpredictable and dramatic Australian Grands Prix in recent memory, with rain, crashes, and bold calls shaking up the entire order.
