The opening round of the 2025 Formula 1 season delivered a thrilling and unpredictable race in Melbourne. From rookies struggling to McLaren’s dominance and Ferrari’s questionable strategy, here are the biggest lessons learned from the Australian Grand Prix.
1. Never count out Max Verstappen
Coming into the weekend, Verstappen was sceptical about Red Bull’s chances. He admitted before the race that McLaren looked like the clear favourites and even questioned whether Red Bull would make it to Q3. However, as always, Verstappen found a way to be in the mix when it mattered.
Despite a small mistake that allowed Piastri to pass him in the early laps, Verstappen stayed within reach of the McLarens.
When the rain hit, he made the right strategic calls and kept his car out of trouble. He pitted for intermediate tyres at the perfect moment, taking the lead while others faltered. Although Norris ultimately reclaimed the top spot after the final safety car restart, Verstappen’s ability to maximise Red Bull’s performance in tricky conditions proved why he remains a formidable title contender.
His battle with Norris in the final laps was a highlight of the race, with the two going wheel-to-wheel before Norris ultimately pulled ahead. Red Bull may not have the outright pace of McLaren, but with Verstappen at the wheel, they remain a major threat.
After the race, Verstappen said, “It was quite spicy out there with the slick tyres, but it was alright at the end.”
2. Ferrari’s wheel of fortune strategy
For Ferrari, the Australian Grand Prix was yet another reminder that strategy can make or break a race. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggled to find pace in the tricky conditions, but the team’s questionable decision-making only made matters worse. It seemed like the strategists dusted off and spun the metaphorical wheel of fortune.
When rain started to fall on Lap 44, Ferrari hesitated on the tyre change, opting to prolong their stint on slicks while others pitted for intermediates. This gamble cost them dearly. Hamilton admitted post-race that he was simply relieved not to crash, while Leclerc spun but managed to continue. By the time they finally switched tyres, they had lost significant ground.
Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur defended the call, explaining that the conditions were unpredictable, with some parts of the track still dry. However, by waiting too long, Ferrari lost crucial time and potential positions. The strategy left them both finishing outside of podium contention, a disappointing result given Ferrari’s ambitions.
“It was a strange situation because Sector 1 and 2 were still dry and Sector 3 was wet,” Vasseur told the Motorsport Week.
“It was a kind of bet…we bet on the fact we have to stay on track and wait for the last part of the race with slicks.”
“When Mercedes and McLaren pitted two laps before, we went at the wrong time, the best option was to pit on the same lap as Max [Verstappen] and we made the wrong call.”
With McLaren and Red Bull appearing stronger, Ferrari cannot afford to make these kinds of strategic blunders if they hope to stay in the title fight. The early signs suggest that, while the car has potential, decision-making on the pit wall could once again be their Achilles’ heel.
3. Williams is back in business
After an encouraging pre-season, Williams has confirmed they are a genuine threat in 2025. While Carlos Sainz’s race ended early after crashing under the first safety car, Alexander Albon delivered a stellar performance to secure fourth place – later demoted to fifth after Antonelli’s penalty was rescinded.
Albon showed strong pace in both dry and wet conditions, keeping up with the front-runners and making smart strategic decisions. His late-race battle with George Russell and Charles Leclerc showcased his racecraft, and his ability to keep the car on track when others faltered was impressive.
His result provides Williams with a valuable points haul early in the season, and if their car development continues at this rate, podiums might not be out of reach in the near future. This marks a major step forward for the Grove-based team, who appear to be back in contention for regular top-five finishes.
4. Kimi Antonelli silences his critics – for now
Making his long-awaited Formula 1 debut, Andrea Kimi Antonelli proved why Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has placed so much faith in him. The 18-year-old Italian delivered a composed performance in treacherous conditions, crossing the line in fourth place before a post-race penalty threatened to demote him. However, the penalty was later overturned, securing Antonelli’s impressive result.
Pleased with himself, Antonelli spoke to the media saying, “I think today we got all the possible worst conditions for a first race. I mean, we got wet, slicks on [a] damp [track], slicks on wet, and then back to wet. So definitely a really, really eventful race. But really happy how it was managed from my side and from the team.“
“Of course, I did a couple of mistakes, especially the spin. But the conditions were super, super tricky. I mean, also those white lines were a killer.“
“But yeah, really happy. I mean, the team really helped me throughout the whole race and made all the right calls. And definitely cannot complain about today.”
Of the six rookies on the grid, including Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman, only two saw the chequered flag – and Antonelli was the only one to score points. While he did suffer a spin at Turn 4 in the early stages, he kept his composure, avoided trouble, and showcased solid racecraft throughout. As the rain intensified and caught out several more experienced drivers, Antonelli remained calm and capitalised on others’ mistakes.
With many questioning whether he had been promoted to Formula 1 too soon, his result in Melbourne serves as an early statement that he belongs at this level. However, one strong race does not define a season, and Antonelli will need to maintain this level of composure as the challenges of a full campaign unfold.
5. McLaren looks like the team to beat
Despite the chaotic nature of the race, McLaren’s raw pace was undeniable. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row in qualifying, with their race pace suggesting they could have cruised to a dominant one-two in dry conditions.
In the opening laps, Norris maintained the lead, with Piastri fending off Verstappen before retaking second place. The duo built a significant gap over the rest of the field, reinforcing the belief that McLaren is a real title contender. However, a downpour on Lap 44 changed everything. Both McLarens spun off the track—Piastri slid into the gravel and lost crucial time, while Norris narrowly avoided the barriers and managed to dive into the pits for intermediates.
Despite this setback, Norris clawed his way back, eventually reclaiming the lead from Verstappen. The Briton controlled the race in the closing laps, securing an important victory and underlining McLaren’s status as serious championship contenders. However, the unpredictable conditions meant that their true dominance remains to be seen in a dry race.
6. Experience matters
While Antonelli shone, the same could not be said for his fellow debutants. The wet conditions proved to be a nightmare for the grid’s newest drivers. Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation lap after losing control on the slippery surface, and Jack Doohan’s highly anticipated home Grand Prix ended in heartbreak just moments after the start. Doohan tangled with another car in the opening sector, sending him spinning into the barriers. Gabriel Bortoleto initially showed promise but ultimately succumbed to the conditions, crashing into the wall after a mistimed throttle application.
Even the more experienced Liam Lawson struggled. The New Zealander, making his full-season debut with RB, failed to string together a strong lap in qualifying and was already on the back foot when the race began. He was among several drivers caught out by the worsening conditions, crashing into the barriers on Lap 47 and ending his race prematurely. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman endured a weekend filled with technical issues and never truly found his rhythm in the Haas.
Melbourne is already a challenging circuit for rookies, and the ever-changing weather made it even more difficult. However, it’s important not to judge them too harshly just yet – even veterans like Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso found themselves in the barriers. Nevertheless, with mounting pressure to perform, drivers like Doohan and Lawson will need to recover quickly to avoid scrutiny as the season progresses.
Oscar Piastri deserves a mention here as well. The home hero was running comfortably in second place and looked set for a podium, but a dramatic spin in the worsening conditions cost him dearly. He eventually rejoined the race but lost over a minute, dropping out of contention.
While some teams hit the ground running, others will need to regroup quickly. If the Australian Grand Prix is anything to go by, 2025 is shaping up to be an unpredictable and thrilling season.
