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Norris holds off world champion Verstappen to win rain-hit Formula One opener Australian Grand Prix
Gulf Today
|March 17, 2025
Lando Norris kept his cool in a rain-hit and incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix Sunday to edge world champion Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 1Oth on his Ferrari debut.
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The pole-sitting Briton took the chequered flag by less than a second from the Dutchman, with Mercedes’ George Russell third after a chaotic race in Melbourne that saw three drivers crash before the end of the first lap.
With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit, Norris held on to clock a fifth grand prix win and second in a row after topping the podium at the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
RB rookie Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz -- last year’s winner -- all failed to finish the first lap on a track made treacherous by earlier torrential rain.
Norris came into the season as favourite for the 2025 drivers' title and cemented his status as the man to beat.
"It was amazing, a top race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps -- it was a little bit stressful, not going to lie," said Norris.
"Tricky conditions, but there are the ones that are enjoyable and we ended up on top so I'm happy."
This story is from the March 17, 2025 edition of Gulf Today.
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