Image source, Getty Images

McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished the race down in ninth told Sky Sports: "It's obviously pretty disappointing at the moment, I feel like every lap apart from one I drove an incredibly strong race and it's just a shame I don't have the result to show for it.

"I don't have anyone to blame but myself, it was probably a bit unfortunate to get stuck the way I did but it's only myself who put me there, so obviously disappointed."

McLaren have started their constructors' title defence with a win in Melbourne. Mercedes' double points in the wet have put them second in the standings, Red Bull sit third and Williams and Sauber are in the unfamiliar territory of fourth and sixth respectively.

1. McLaren - 27 pts

2. Mercedes - 25

3. Red Bull - 18

4. Williams - 12

5. Aston Martin - 8

6. Sauber - 6

7. Ferrari - 5

8. Alpine - 0

9. Racing Bulls - 0

10. Haas - 0

This is the first time in more than 1,000 days a driver other than Red Bull's Max Verstappen has led the drivers' championship. It's first blood to Lando Norris, but there is a loooong way to go.

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 25 pts

2, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 18

3. George Russell (Mercedes) 15

4. Alex Albon (Williams) - 12

5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 10

6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 8

7. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 6

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 4

9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 2

10. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1

Image source, Getty Images

On the last laps of the race, Lando Norris continued: “Max was quick, I knew I had that good pace but I made one mistake in Turn Six and he got within the DRS and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something so that allowed him to keep staying in that second and allow him to have a couple of looks.

“I had to change my mirror a few more times than I would have liked but I stayed calm and kept it together.”

On his thoughts going into the rest of the season: “My weekend has been amazing from the get-go, it’s not easy to put a weekend together like this especially when I got a lot of pressure from Max and Oscar because they are hungry and competitive and they want it just as badly.

“It was stressful but I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. It’s just round one so we need to go and do it next weekend and continue from there. A long season ahead but we’ve just got to keep our head down and keep pushing.”

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell, who finished in third in the Mercedes: : “It was a great race to come home in P3 and I want to say a massive well done to Lando [Norris], a race like that when you’re leading is probably your worst nightmare but he did a great job.

“Also, really well done to Kimi [Antonelli] who came back to P5 which is a really impressive first race but for us it wasn’t our strongest weekend but to end up on a podium, I’m super happy and let’s see what we can do next week.”

On the conditions: “It was good fun, I quite enjoyed it to be honest because I was hoping the two guys ahead in front would make a mistake and I could slip through, but that didn’t seem to be the case today, so really tricky. But that’s what F1 is about and that made it exciting for us.”

On the confidence in the team: “All things considered it’s been a really good weekend. McLaren are out in front at the moment but it was a strong result.”

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second at the Australian Grand Prix: "Yeah it was a difficult race, of course, but at the end, it was fun.

"Lando had a moment on entry of Turn Six, so he lost momentum there, so that's why I got close and got DRS. I got close but it's very hard to pass around here. It was fun, those last laps, pushing, at least when you're fighting for the win. I'm just very happy to bring it home, score good points. This is a decent starting point for us.

"It started to rain a bit, so it's a bit like a panic, I need to box, so they went in and I stayed out, the first lap was alright but the weather continued on the other side of the track as well. We then had to box, but at the end of the day if we had boxed one lap earlier, we would have still been P2 anyway.

"It was worth a gamble. It was quite spicy on the slick tyres. It was alright in the end.

"This is where I expected to be, In the first stint we were lacking a bit of pace to the McLaren. It is 18 points more than I had here last year, so I'll take that."

Image source, Getty Images

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who takes the first victory of the 2025 season: “It was amazing, it was a tough race especially with Max [Verstappen] behind me, I was pushing especially the last two laps which was a little bit stressful but an amazing way to start the year.

“It was a tough one because we went off and made some big mistakes, it was just tricky conditions but these are the ones that are enjoyable, fun and unpredictable, but this time we got it right and I’m very happy.”

On the tricky conditions and keeping calm: “We got it wrong a lot last year so I guess we learn from our mistakes.

"It’s still only round one but dealing with the pressure with Max and Oscar [Piastri] behind me, I was pushing the whole way through. I could relax inside but I couldn’t relax by how much I was pushing so it was a tough one.

“To not make too many mistakes and to not have a mistake that cost me anything I guess I can take a little bit of credit for that. A tough and challenging race but a big thanks to McLaren because they’ve given me an amazing car.”

McLaren chief Zak Brown says that the constructors' champions called a perfect strategy in difficult conditions. "The men and women at the factor have built an awesome race car," the American adds.

Let's have a look at what the top three had to say...

Champagne momentpublished at 06:26 Greenwich Mean Time

06:26 GMT

The heavens have opened once again! Lando Norris does his signature bottle bang and the champagne goes flying into the air. There is no extra point for fastest lap this season - that's been scrapped. Once the celebration have concluded in Melbourne, we're heading to China for the second race of the campaign next weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

Actually finishing the race when other rookies crashed out is actually an achievement for Oliver Bearman, given everything the British Haas driver has gone through this weekend.

The cameras are in the cooldown room - all seems friendly so far. The trio are watching the highlights from this dramatic Australian Grand Prix, with plenty of shocked expressions when each crash out and incident is shown.

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell are now on the podium. That trophy is a beauty.

11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

12. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)

13. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

DNF. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)

DNF. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

DNF. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

DNF. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

DNF. Jack Doohan (Alpine)

DNF. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Alex Albon (Williams)

5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

7. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

10. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

Will Max Verstappen and George Russell speak to each other in the cooldown room? Will they kiss and make up over some champagne on the podium? We'll find out shortly..

Andrew: That was a superb drive from Lando Norris today. He led from start-to-finish in tricky, changeable conditions, navigating multiple restarts and having an answer to all questions posed. Dare we call that a Championship drive?

Christian: What a race…. WHAT. A. RACE

Jeremiah: What a great drive by Norris! What a regrettable race for Ferrari.

That was the early wake up call. Kimi Antonelli finished fourth on the road, overtaking the Williams of Alex Albon late on, but the Mercedes driver was handed a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release, so he drops back down to fifth. What a result for Albon.

Oscar Piastri made a move around the outside of Lewis Hamilton and takes ninth place, leaving the seven-time world champion to end his first Ferrari outing in 10th spot. Charles Leclerc was eighth.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh, the Sauber man finishing higher than both Suderia drivers.

Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter in Melbourne

The crowd are on their feet as you can imagine cheering on the Papaya team.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Wow, take a breath, what a way to start the year!

This is going to be a fight to the line. Lando Norris was also told he has the pace in that McLaren, so trust in the car. The Red Bull is inching closing, but the Briton stays ahead in Melbourne. The fans have been treated to a classic here at Albert Park...

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator in Melbourne

When you get given these chaotic races the opportunity for those further down the midfield towards the back is massive.