Summary

  • Lando Norris wins as late rain shower causes chaos

  • Verstappen second, Russell third, Albon fourth, Antonelli fifth

  • Lewis Hamilton 10th on Ferrari debut

  • Oscar Piastri spins off from second place

  • Alonso, Lawson, Bortoleto, Doohan and Sainz crash or spin out

  • Isack Hadjar spins off on formation lap

  • Get involved: #bbcf1

  1. 'The race strategists will be on the edge of their seats'published at 05:08 Greenwich Mean Time

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    On a day like today it makes race strategy so difficult, you can have all the simulations, all the predictions and as many plans are you like but at the end of the day you just have to almost look out the window and judge what's happening in front of you.

    The race strategists up and down the pit-lane will be on the edge of their seats right now.

  2. Postpublished at 05:08 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 28/57

    Ferrari are trying to give Lewis Hamilton some information about the DRS but the seven-time world champion says leave him to it; that's not the issue at the moment. Carlos Sainz, the man he took his seat at the Italian team, is watching on from the Williams garage after crashing out under the safety car at the start of the race.

  3. Postpublished at 05:06 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 27/57

    Kimi Antonelli is up to 11th place now as his Mercedes team-mate George Russell is running a lonely race up in fourth spot. Oscar Piastri is banking consistent fastest laps as his McLaren team-mate leads this Australian Grand Prix. Piastri has said his intermediate tyres are looking good, so let's keep going.

    Andrea Kimi AntonelliImage source, Getty Images
  4. Team radio - Leclercpublished at 05:06 Greenwich Mean Time

    Leclerc: "Is there a leakage?"

    Engineer: "A leakage where?"

    Leclerc: "I have a seat full of water. Like full of water"

    Engineer: "Must be the water"

    Leclerc: "Let's add that to the words of wisdom"

  5. Postpublished at 05:04 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 26/57

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The two McLarens are pulling away at quite some rate now, the gap between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen is nearly 13 seconds.

  6. Postpublished at 05:04 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 25/57

    Charles Leclerc is reporting a problem with his Ferrari. Is it a mechanical failure? Maybe a power-unit issue? Nope. Looks like his water bottle has leaked all over him. The Monegasque driver is sitting in fifth place, soaking wet.

    Charles LeclercImage source, Getty Images
  7. Postpublished at 05:02 Greenwich Mean Time

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    In simple terms, Lewis Hamilton is talking about how smoothly the gears synchronise with each other.

    You should have a seamless shift from one gear and the next.

  8. Postpublished at 05:02 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 24/57

    Lando Norris in out in front and leading his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 1.8 seconds. Red Bull's Max Verstappen is further down the road, 12 seconds behind rival Norris.

  9. Postpublished at 05:01 Greenwich Mean Time

    Rosanna Tennant
    5 Live F1 reporter in Melbourne

    The rain has arrived, the umbrellas are going up in the paddock, the ponchos are being put on.

  10. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 05:00 Greenwich Mean Time

    #BBCF1

    Andrew Priestley: Max Verstappen cooking his tyres trying to keep pace with the two McLarens in the early stages of the race. The Papaya cars look to be light and nibble on their tyres again this season.

  11. Postpublished at 05:00 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 23/57

    Lewis Hamilton needs to jump on the Ferrari team radio to tell his pit wall he has lost gear sync. The seven-time world champion is still in eighth place, stuck behind the Williams of Alex Albon. The Italian team don't sound too concerned, however, and Hamilton is continuing with his race.

    Lewis HamiltonImage source, Getty Images
  12. Top fivepublished at 04:59 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 22/57

    1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

    3. Max Verstappen (Red Bul)

    4. George Russell (Mercedes)

    5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

  13. Postpublished at 04:58 Greenwich Mean Time

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne

    [Following Max Verstappen's radio] The impact of that is really quite large because what that is saying is that the McLarens are looking after their tyres better than the Red Bull is, so that could have a play all the way through the rest of the race.

  14. Postpublished at 04:58 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 21/57

    With the forecast changing constantly, driver and engineers are talking strategies are being discussed in case another safety car makes an appearance. Lando Norris and his engineer, Will Joseph, are in perfect harmony, as Oscar Piastri is told this patch of drizzle will stop in about three minutes.

  15. Postpublished at 04:56 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 20/57

    Over at Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli has passed Nico Hulkenberg with the same move to reclaim 12th place - at the same spot, too.

    Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon were also on the naughty list along with Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso for safety car infringements. All drivers have been found not guilty by race control, so carry on...

  16. Team radio - Verstappenpublished at 04:55 Greenwich Mean Time

    Verstappen: "If there's any rain, we might need to pit for new tyres"

    Engineer: "Bear in mind, we would currently lose positions for doing that."

  17. Postpublished at 04:54 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 19/57

    It's back to how we started with Lando Norris first, Oscar Piastri second and Max Verstappen in third place. The Dutchman is now chatting to his engineer about what to do with his tyres if the weather conditions change.

    Max VerstappenImage source, Getty Images
  18. Postpublished at 04:53 Greenwich Mean Time

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It looked like maybe Max Verstappen locked a wheel going into the breaking zone that pushed him very wide over the kerb splashing through puddles.

  19. Piastri overtakes Verstappenpublished at 04:52 Greenwich Mean Time

    Lap 17/57

    Oscar Piastri has DRS on Max Verstappen. The McLaren is looking for an opportunity to strike and he finds it when the Dutchman goes too deep under braking. He locks up and opens the door for the Aussie to sweep through and take second place. Verstappen tells his pit wall his tyres are done.

    McLaren's Oscar PiastriImage source, Getty Images
  20. Postpublished at 04:51 Greenwich Mean Time

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne

    We've seen for a number of laps now Max Verstappen seeking out a wetter part of the track to try and keep those tyre temperatures under control.