SHOWER AND THE GLORY

Norris is home and dry after dodging Max and the rain

- by DANIEL MOXON

THERE were crashes, rain showers and multiple pit stops.

And yet, after 56 laps of chaos, on the final trip around Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit it was all about those two again.

Lando Norris, 25, had led the majority of the race from pole but, as he sped towards the chequered flag, there was an ominous and familiar sight in his mirrors.

But the Red Bull of Max Verstappen failed to stop the Brit from winning the first race of the year - the fifth victory of his Formula One career.

"Not everything is about the car - today was a deserved win because we made good decisions as a team," said Norris.

That includes the driver himself, who made victory look easy in one of the most treacherous races of his career.

The McLaren ace famously threw away a maiden F1 win at Sochi in 2021 with a botched tyre decision - and then panicked behind the wheel when a late rain shower swept in off the Black Sea.