Summary

  • Lando Norris wins as late rain shower causes chaos

  • Verstappen second, Russell third, Antonelli fourth after winning penalty appeal

  • 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

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Doohan and Sainz out

    3/57

    Only three laps on the board and the Australian Grand Prix is already three cars down. Jack Doohan was running in a straight line when he lost his Alpine heading to Turn Six, while Carlos Sainz reported he had a "power surge" as he was approaching the final corner under the safety car. The rear of the Williams sent the Spaniard into a half spin into the barriers.

    The car of Williams' Carlos Sainz is towed away by marshalsReuters

  2. Team radio - Leclerc to Ferrari

    "The track is drying up quickly"

  3. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    This is becoming a brutal introduction to some of these young drivers to Formula 1.

  4. Sainz also out

    2/57

    Carlos Sainz is also in the wall at the final corner! The Williams has dropped the car coming out of Turn 13 and the Spaniard's race is over. The greasy surface is causing many issues already.

  5. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It was a really good start from the McLaren [Lando Norris] on the front row. Max Verstappen was all over him at the beginning, it was Oscar Piastri who managed to block him but as they got through the turns, Verstappen managed to find his way in front.

  6. Doohan out

    1/57

    Another rookie bites the dust! Home driver Jack Doohan has crashed out in the Alpine. The Aussie is OK as the marshals rush over to Turn Six.

    Jack DoohanGetty Images

  7. Go! Go! Go!

    1/57

    And we're off!

    Lando Norris leads heading into Turn One but Max Verstappen has passed the McLaren of Oscar Piastri - the Australian is now running in third place. Charles Leclerc has also made a great start, lifting his Ferrari to fifth place.

  8. The final cars are lining up in their grid positions - Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson are starting from the pit lane. The 2025 season is almost ready...

  9. 'The drivers are on an absolute knife edge'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne

    What the Isack Hadjar incident underlines is just how difficult that it is to drive a Formula 1 car in the wet. The drivers make it look relatively easy but they are on an absolute knife edge.

    We are going to be watching some sublime skill and some mistakes inevitably. That puts it into context what these drivers are facing.

  10. Class of 2025

    A reminder there are plenty of fresh faces on the grid this year (and Lewis Hamilton Ferrari red), with only McLaren and Aston Martin remaining unchanged for the 2025 season.

    The 2025 drivers together on the gridGetty Images

  11. Formation lap

    Those intermediate greens have been taken out of their tyre blankets, so we're ready to go racing again. Take two.

  12. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Andrew Priestley: Another highly anticipated season in a multi-million pound sport kicks off in the most unpredictable of ways at an unusually wet Melbourne circuit, but here we are again, talking about the inadequacy of the wet weather tyres.

  13. Aston Martin have opted to switch Lance Stroll's wet tyres to the intermediates instead. We're also down a lap now, so get ready for 57 laps of fun/chaos/entertainment.

  14. 'It's going to be a hard and difficult race' - Vowles

    Williams team principal James Vowles spoke to BBC 5 Live's Rosanna Tennant: "It's a brilliant job by the team, we have two world class drivers and I think you're seeing the payback for that now.

    "It's going to be a hard and difficult race. It's going to be touch and go for the first few laps and then there's another shower in about half an hour."

  15. Rain on the way?

    Ferrari are informing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc class one rain is set to arrive in seven minutes. It won't last too long, however, around five minutes, say the Italian team.

  16. Lewis Hamilton's dad, Anthony, has gone straight over to console Isack Hadjar as the Frenchman returns to the paddock following his off on the formation lap. It's hard not to feel devastated for the 20-year-old Racing Bulls driver.

  17. Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator in Melbourne

    It does feel like it's been a real tough start for the majority of the rookies, I suppose better to get it out the way at the start.

  18. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Liam Holman: Rotten luck for Hadjar. A taste of things to come for the race?

  19. yellow flag

    Aborted start

    Head in his hands, Isack Hadjar watches on as his Racing Bulls car is rescued from the muddy Melbourne grass. Six rookies are suddenly down to five for the opening race.

    Formation lap will start at 04:15 GMT.

  20. 'It's his race over'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That's game over and what a disappointing way to start your Formula 1 career [for Isack Hadjar], it goes down as an inexperienced driver error. Unfortunately, it's his race over.