Copybook victory as Norris and McLaren come through chaos unscathed

Monday, 17 March 2025 01:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Lando Norris' four previous F1 wins had come in dry races

Lando Norris and McLaren delivered on their potential with a copybook victory in a demanding Australian Grand Prix in the most difficult of conditions to put their stamp on the start of the new season.

Norris described his win as “stressful but rewarding.”

The first adjective was justified by the conditions in a madcap, crash-strewn, incident-packed race, where one small error can spell disaster – as it very nearly did for Norris himself at one point.

The second adjective was a recognition of the fact that this was exactly the kind of race in which, last year, McLaren had proved less than perfect, and thrown away at least one potential victory, and perhaps another, too.

But in Melbourne they were as perfect as it is possible to be in conditions such as these – even the renowned rain-master Max Verstappen slipped up at one point. And Norris and McLaren came through the chaos unscathed.

The fine line between victory and defeat was underlined by an incident with 13 laps to go that defined the race.

Norris was leading from teammate Oscar Piastri and Verstappen as a heavy shower of rain approached the track. It hit as the leaders were negotiating the final corners on lap 44, with 13 to go. Both McLarens ran wide on to the gravel at the exit of Turn 12, and Australian Piastri then spun through Turn 13. Norris was able to continue without losing too much time, but Piastri ended up on the grass on the outside of Turn 12, where he sat with his wheels spinning helplessly for what seemed like an age, as his hopes of victory at home evaporated before finally rejoining. He fought back to ninth by the end.

Norris immediately pitted for treaded tyres. That decision won him the race, and demonstrated how far he and the team had come since last year – they had planned that they would pit as soon as it rained, and acted decisively on the plan.

Verstappen stayed out and took the lead, but as the rain intensified he lost more time, and Norris resumed the lead when the Dutchman pitted himself two laps later.

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