Chaos Race Set The Tone For The Rest of the season
Australian Grand Prix 2025
Last weekend marked the highly anticipated season opener at the Australian Grand Prix, a change from the traditional season kickoff in Bahrain. This shift in the calendar brought a fresh dynamic to the start of the Formula 1 season, with teams and drivers facing the unique challenges of Albert Park’s fast and technical circuit right from the get go.
The race was a learning experience for everyone involved.
When Isack Hadjar spun out on the formation lap, I knew we were in for a long race. Seeing him retire before the lights even went out and take the walk of shame back to the paddock was tough to watch. However, one of the most heartwarming moments came when Anthony Hamilton, Lewis Hamilton’s father, stepped in to console Hadjar. It was a touching gesture, especially since not many others came forward to offer support.
Everyone expected McLaren to be quick this season, but wow seeing them pull 14 seconds ahead of Max was absolutely incredible! The biggest obstacle McLaren facing is their own strategic team. Oscar was so close to overtaking Lando that the team had to step in and issue orders to prevent them from racing each other.
Why would they do that? From what I understand, McLaren is fully backing Lando as their championship contender this year, giving him every advantage to secure the title. However, after Oscar's mistake on track, he fell a few seconds behind Lando, leading to the team lifting the team orders, allowing them to race freely. McLaren really needs to get their strategy together if they want to compete for both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.
My heart broke for Oscar he was performing brilliantly, but his mistake nearly cost him the entire race. Despite the setback, he didn’t let that shake him. He stayed determined to finish strong at his home race, crossing the line in 9th and securing points for his team.
Hamilton experienced his first heartbreak with Ferrari as his debut race ended in disappointment. After qualifying eighth, he struggled to find pace and ultimately finished tenth, two places behind his new Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc.
At one stage in the race, Ferrari was on track for a 1-2 finish, but a strategic error in keeping their drivers on slick tires for too long cost them a crucial opportunity, potentially missing out on pole.
Mercedes and Williams perfectly timed their late switch to intermediates, while Ferrari took a risky gamble by keeping both cars out for too long. Instead of splitting their strategy to cover different scenarios, they committed to the wrong call with both drivers, ultimately costing them positions.
The famous line coming from Charles when the water was leaking into his car:
Leclerc: "Is there a leakage?"
Bozzi: "A leakage where?"
Leclerc: "I have the seat full of water."
Bozzi: "Must be the water."
Leclerc: "Let's add that to the words of wisdom."
The radio conversation was shared by fans across social media during and after the race, leading to a series of memes poking fun at Bozzi's response.
One rookie who truly impressed me was Kimi Antonelli. While the weather caught out those at both ends of the experience spectrum the seasoned pros as well as the unlucky rookies. Kimi kept his W16 firmly on the tarmac.
What a performance, going from P16 in qualifying to finishing P4, At first many doubted the decision to put an 18 year old in a Mercedes seat, but after this drive, it’s clear that Toto knew exactly what he was doing.
Once the five-second penalty for an unsafe release had been rescinded post-race, Kimi was deservedly classified in the position he crossed the line: P4.
I was really looking forward to seeing Lawson perform, but his race was disappointing. He failed to make it out of Q1 and then crashed his RB21 into the wall just past the halfway mark on Lap 47. It was a tough weekend for him, as he struggled with tire issues early on, which made it difficult to make any real progress in the race.
In an interview, he was surprised by his lack of progress to that point, he added,“Yeah, we were really struggling to be honest. I had a lot of tyre issues with the front early on in the race, so it’s just been a tough weekend.”
Many people questioned whether Christian Horner made the right choice by selecting Lawson over Yuki for the Red Bull seat. Especially considering Yuki’s strong performance, it’s a decision that continues to spark debate.
I’m rooting so hard for Williams this season! Their cars look incredibly strong, and both drivers made it to Q3 in qualifying. Albon and Sainz put in impressive performances, but unfortunately, Sainz was taken out early in the race, resulting in a DNF, which was so frustrating to watch.
Despite that, Sainz played a key role in helping with strategy for Albon, who spent his race fiercely defending against Hamilton. In the end, Albon finished P5, marking Williams’ best result of the season.
"I’m really happy," said Alex after the Australian GP. "It was such a crazy race, I’m still trying to get my head around it!
The final lap was absolutely intense! Max was closing in on Lando, thanks to the safety car, and it looked like he might just catch him. But Lando held on and crossed the finish line first. This race had me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait for next week’s Chinese Grand Prix!