After months of hypothesis, the 2025 Formulation 1 season is right here.
And the season-opening Australian Grand Prix might ship pure chaos.
Rain and showers in Melbourne have lingered into the afternoon, and the moist situations even pressured the cancellation of the F2 race that was scheduled for earlier within the day. Reasonably than seeing vehicles on the monitor, followers as an alternative noticed geese swimming in puddles alongside the Albert Park Circuit.
Even throughout a formation lap for the F2 race, the geese weren’t far-off:
Whereas the rain has eased in Melbourne, in the course of the formation lap for the F1 race a lot of the area had a set of full moist tires bolted on. Solely Lewis Hamilton, on the cusp of his Ferrari debut, had a set of the green-walled intermediates bolted on to his SF-25.
We’ll be following each lap of the Australian Grand Prix, so comply with alongside because the 2025 F1 season will get underway
All updates are in Jap Time (pre-race) or in keeping with Laps.
2025 Australian Grand Prix Race Protection
Lap 8: The inexperienced flag is out, and they’re racing once more in Melbourne. No less than for now.
Lap 7: The Security Automotive is ending this lap. Norris tells McLaren that the intermediates are nonetheless the best tire proper now, however that slicks would be the name ultimately, until the rain comes.
Lap 6: The Security Automotive stays on the monitor. Norris virtually appears to be racing it on the entrance of the sector.
Lap 5: Each Ocon and Lawson pit for brand spanking new units of green-walled intermediates.
Lap 4: Mercedes advises Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the radio that replays of Doohan’s spin appear to point out that he spun after placing a wheel on one of many painted strains. Antonelli suggests he virtually did one thing comparable, noting that “they’re slippery.”
Lap 2: The security automotive is out after Doohan’s incident. Replays present Doohan’s incident. However F1TV cuts away from a replay of Doohan’s incident to search out Carlos Sainz Jr. within the wall, as a spin at Flip 14 sees him slide into the wall.
Lap 1: Jack Doohan finds the wall between Flip 5 and Flip 6, and one other rookie is out of the race.
12:19: Lando Norris holds onto the lead off the road, as Verstappen tries to go huge round him. Verstappen ultimately will get by Piastri and settles into second, with Piastri third, Russel fourth, and Leclerc in fifth.
12:15: Formation Lap 2.0 is underway.
12:12: Ferrari tells Charles Leclerc over the radio that there will probably be two fast bursts of “Class 1” rain after the beginning. Former strategist Ruth Buscombe Divey on F1TV relays that “Class 1” rain is often outlined as rain that “wets the monitor” by F1 groups.
12:08: F1TV continues to point out photographs of a demoralized Hadjar making the stroll again to the VCARB hospitality area, however then Anthony Hamilton — Lewis’ father — comes over to console the younger driver. An unbelievable scene.
12:06: In accordance with race management, the formation lap will begin at 3:15 p.m. native time (12:15 a.m. for these on the East Coast).
12:04: Previous to the spin from Hadjar, 19 of the 20 drivers have been on intermediate tires. Solely Lance Stroll was on the total moist compound.
12:03: Race management has simply issued an aborted begin.
12:01: Isack Hadjar spins on the formation lap and hits the wall. There may be harm to his rear wing and he’s possible out of the race earlier than it begins.
12:00: The formation lap is underway in Melbourne.
11:51: Talking with F1TV Purple Bull Workforce Principal Christian Horner is unsure if the race may have a grid begin, or a security automotive begin, because of the moist situations.
11:45: Attributable to adjustments made to his RB21 throughout parc ferme, Liam Lawson will begin from pit lane. He’ll be part of rookie Oliver Bearman, as Haas made suspension adjustments to Bearman’s VF-25 beneath parc ferme situations.