Australian Grand Prix: Piastri heartbreak, McLaren triumph at wet and wild Melbourne

The moment Oscar Piastri’s podium hopes came crashing down.Credit: Fox Sports

A composed Oscar Piastri spoke with media after the race, joking he was glad he’d spent time reversing on a tractor during the off-season.

The McLaren driver described the result today simply as “frustrating” but said he was still proud of himself.

“The pace was really strong,” he said. “[I’m] obviously disappointed with the mistake I made, but I think that doesn’t take away completely from how strong the whole weekend’s been for not just the team, but for myself.

“I feel like I’ve done a good job all weekend.

“It would be pessimistic of me to write-off the whole weekend because of one mistake.”

When asked how the curse of the local drivers could be lifted at the Australian Grand Prix (no Aussie has ever stood on the podium at Albert Park), Piastri had a quick answer.

“Mow the grass a couple of inches shorter,” he joked.

“It’s obviously a shame with how it went today … the crowd deserved to have an Aussie on the podium to cheer for, so it obviously hurts at the moment that I can’t be up there.

“But I think, for myself, there’s a lot of positives to try and take out of today.”

The party continued in the American Express lounge immediately after the race with Espresso martinis the drink of choice for guests seeking a combined caffeine and alcohol hit.

Tickets into the exclusive enclosure cost $4095 on Sunday and were completely sold out with guests making the most of a makeup touch up bar from Mecca and hair salon for Shark Beauty led by celebrity stylist Joey Scandizzio.

Guests were served seared scallops, slow cooked beef and Piccolina ice-cream and drank free flowing Moet & Chandon and wines from St Hugo.

The winemaker was conducting tastings of driver Daniel Ricciardo’s new rose with tasting notes conveyed through F1 racing style headphones for guests including former Carlton footballer Marc Murphy.

Spotted in the lounge were fashion designer Pip Edwards, chef Curtis Stone and crime fighter and influencer Bec Judd whose all white ensemble was a little worse for wear as a result of the Albert Park mud. Also there were Grand Prix ambassador and Collingwood captain Darcy Moore along with partner Triple J presenter Dee Salmin who stopped by The Ritz-Carlton restaurant to chat to teammate Josh Daicos and fiancée Annalise Dalins.

Jack Doohan crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix on lap one.Credit: Getty Images

One of the most chaotic Australian grands prix in the near three-decade history of the event in Melbourne was a baptism of fire for the six rookies on the 2025 grid, with Australian Jack Doohan a first-lap casualty in a race that even tripped up the most experienced driver in the sport’s history.

Doohan, son of five-time world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan, lasted just five corners on the first lap before clouting the wall on the high-speed run to turn six – the Alpine driver caught out by treacherous conditions as the field tiptoed through the opening stages of the opening race of the season.

Doohan, who debuted in Abu Dhabi for Alpine in the final race of last season, was unhurt in the shunt, and was initially mystified as to how his race abruptly ended after he qualified in 14th place.

“Lesson learned,” the 22-year-old said. “I didn’t really understand what happened, to be honest, until I got back [to the garage].

“Just looking at it, whether it was [running on] the white line, [tyres] just not up to temperature, it just seemed as I upshifted to fourth [gear], I lost the car.

“I’m making sure I spend some time with the boys to understand how I can make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We have a race weekend already next week in Shanghai [so] we’re going to regroup, keep our heads high. We’ve had a strong package this weekend – very strong yesterday afternoon. So we need to keep strong and bounce back next weekend.”

Doohan’s early bath was in keeping with a torrid afternoon for his fellow rookies, with only Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes, highly rated Italian Kimi Antonelli, managing to shine through the gloom.

The 18-year-old finished fourth at the chequered flag from 16th on the grid, but was demoted to fifth after a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in a late-race pit stop, a sanction that promoted Williams driver Alexander Albon to fourth place.

Sauber’s Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto crashed heavily at the penultimate corner on lap 45 while in 13th place after qualifying 15th.

New Zealander Liam Lawson had an Australian Grand Prix he’d probably rather forget.Credit: Getty Images

Red Bull Racing’s Liam Lawson, who started a season for the first time on Sunday after spending 11 races as Daniel Ricciardo’s injury substitute and eventual replacement at the RB team in 2023-24, ended a difficult first weekend as Max Verstappen’s teammate by crashing at the second corner one lap later as a rain shower lashed the Albert Park track, with the New Zealander running in ninth place.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who started three races for Ferrari and Haas last year as an injury replacement for Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen respectively, qualified and finished last.

French debutant Isack Hadjar didn’t even make the start, the Racing Bulls driver clouting the wall at turn two on the formation lap to the grid and returning to the pits in tears before being consoled by Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony – Hadjar’s shunt causing the race to be delayed by 10 minutes and reduced by one lap to 57 laps.

The wild conditions also caught out Aston Martin’s 43-year-old two-time world champion Fernando Alonso – who first raced at Albert Park in 2001, before any of Sunday’s rookies were born – with the Spaniard causing a safety car when he clattered into the barriers on the inside of turn six on lap 33.

Alonso’s compatriot Carlos Sainz jnr, the 2024 Albert Park winner for Ferrari, crashed out at the finalcorner on the first lap of his first race for Williams, his third non-finish in his past five visits to Melbourne.

The moment Oscar Piastri’s podium hopes came crashing down.Credit: Fox Sports

A composed Oscar Piastri spoke with media after the race, joking he was glad he’d spent time reversing on a tractor during the off-season.

The McLaren driver described the result today simply as “frustrating” but said he was still proud of himself.

“The pace was really strong,” he said. “[I’m] obviously disappointed with the mistake I made, but I think that doesn’t take away completely from how strong the whole weekend’s been for not just the team, but for myself.

“I feel like I’ve done a good job all weekend.

“It would be pessimistic of me to write-off the whole weekend because of one mistake.”

When asked how the curse of the local drivers could be lifted at the Australian Grand Prix (no Aussie has ever stood on the podium at Albert Park), Piastri had a quick answer.

“Mow the grass a couple of inches shorter,” he joked.

“It’s obviously a shame with how it went today … the crowd deserved to have an Aussie on the podium to cheer for, so it obviously hurts at the moment that I can’t be up there.

“But I think, for myself, there’s a lot of positives to try and take out of today.”

It’s closing on 6pm local time and the sun is again peeking its way from behind the clouds … what a classic weather day in Melbourne. The temperature has dropped noticeably after the early morning rain on raceday coincided with muggy conditions in the Victorian capital.

The Mercedes lounge on turn 10 hosted a mix of Melebrities, media types and the city’s corporate elite over the race weekend including actor Travis Fimmel and Tour De France champion Cadel Evans on Sunday.

Property developer and former Gold Medal softdrink scion Harry Stamoulis was there on Friday but said he while he enjoyed attending the Grand Prix but didn’t really follow the cars.

“I’ve been to more grand prixs overseas than here,” he said. “I go to Monaco a lot. The fact that it goes through the town is unique and the history. I think that is the best one. Outside Monaco, this [Melbourne] is the best.”

Proving that even multi-millionaires keep an eye on the bottom line, Stamoulis was happy to share his secret to keeping costs down at the Monaco Grand Prix.

“With Monaco I take friends,” he said. “I take them on my yacht. We anchor and tender in. You can go in the port but they want 50,000 euros for one week to get in there and you can’t move, you are stuck for a week. So we drop anchor.”

Moving on to the state’s bottom line, Stamoulis said the $130 million the Victorian taxpayer spends on the grand prix is money well spent.

“It’s alright to spend money on stuff as long as it is not wasted,” he said. “This government wastes a lot of money. I think the grand prix is a good one. There’s two things Melbourne is number one in Australia for – one is the arts, and one is sports, and I think it’s important to maintain that.”

Stamoulis spent the day with artist Vincent Fantauzzo, fresh from a court hearing after he tackled a thief to who tried to steal his prized Ducati motorbike and former Melbourne Victory chair Anthony Di Pietro, celebrating the birthday of corporate spinner Mark Hawthorne.

Also at Mercedes was SWEAT app founder Kayla Itsines, with her husband Jae Woodroffe, designer Effie Kats, Design Files founder Lucy Feagins and former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and his partner Brodie Ryan.

Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall, and George Russell on the podium after a stunning Australian Grand Prix.Credit: Getty Images

George Russell (3rd)

“I was quite enjoying it [the conditions] to be honest, because I was hoping the two guys ahead would make a mistake and I could slip through but that just didn’t seem to be the case today – it was really, really tricky.

“That’s what F1’s about.”

Max Verstappen (2nd)

“It was a difficult race, of course, but at the end it was fun – Lando had a little moment on entry of [turn] six … he lost a lot of momentum there, so that’s why I got close and then I got the DRS, [but] it’s very hard to pass around here.

“It was fun, those last laps – pushing, at least when you’re fighting for the win.

“I’m just very happy to bring it home and score good points.

“This is a decent starting point for us.

Verstappen and Russell speak with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Jackie Stewart in parc ferme.Credit: Getty Images

On his late-race strategy – staying out on slick tyres for as long as possible and not flinching with the drama unfolding around him: “It started to rain a bit … they [the McLarens] went off [the track]... almost into panic, so they went in [the pits]. I stayed out. The first lap [after], honestly, I think it was alright, but then unfortunately the weather continued a little bit more on the other side of the track as well. We then had to box [into the pits].

“At the end of the day, even if we did box one lap earlier, we would have still been P2 anyway after that stop.

“I think it [our strategy] was worth the gamble, you know.

“It was quite spicy out there with the slick tyres, but it was alright at the end.”

Lando Norris (race winner)

“It was amazing - a tough, tough race, especially with Max behind me [in the closing stages].

“I was pushing, especially the last two laps. It got a little bit stressful, I’m not going to lie.

“We [both McLarens] went off, we made some big mistakes, we went through the gravel… just tricky conditions, but these are the ones that are enjoyable and fun, and unpredictable. This time we got it right and ended up on top.

“We lost out on Silverstone, and Canada through a race like this [last year], so we’ve learnt from our mistakes.

“It’s still only round one of 24, but dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, dealing with Oscar behind me... I was pushing the whole way through.

“To not make overly too many mistakes, to not make a mistake that cost me anything, I guess I can take a little bit of credit for that.

Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri was left heartbroken after spinning off in the race’s closing stages.Credit: Getty Images

In the final laps, staving off Verstappen: “I just drive. Max was quick – I knew I had good pace but I made one mistake at turn six and he got within the DRS [range]… I had to check my mirror a few more times than what I would have liked, but I stayed calm and kept it together.

“My weekend’s been amazing ... it’s not easy to put a weekend together like this, especially when I’ve got a lot of pressure from Max and from Oscar, because they’re hungry and they’re competitive, and they want it just as badly, so [it was] stressful but I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. It’s just round one. We need to go and do it again next weekend and continue from there.”

Barely 20 minutes after the rain finish … it’s pouring again.

It absolutely teeming down here. It’s a day to both remember – the good, and the bad of it.