Impression of the Australian Grand Prix | Melbourne honours rich F1 history

Calm start to a chaotic F1 weekend in Melbourne

It was a sunny Thursday morning at St Kilda beach, where Mercedes hosted an intimate media session to look ahead to the new Formula One season. The contrast could hardly have been greater: the serene view of the water and the quiet murmur of journalists were at odds with the chaos that would erupt at Albert Park that same weekend.

Mercedes had put out its star-studded line-up. George Russell, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Valtteri Bottas and team boss Toto Wolff were on hand to speak to the journalists present while enjoying a breakfast catered to perfection. It was not only the approaching 2025 opening race that was discussed, but also the future. These included the new 2026 regulations and also the drivers' contract situation.

When asked, Wolff made it clear that Max Verstappen - at least this year - is not on his radar. The 52-year-old Austrian stressed to have full confidence in his current driver duo, whom he called "the line-up of the future". "These two are the duo I want to move forward with Mercedes. I have no reason to doubt that," the Mercedes team boss clarified.

Verstappen stressed: 'I don't have that much to say'

After this, the official media programme at the Albert Park circuit kicked off with a day full of press moments, and the paddock was already buzzing with activity. While journalists made their way from one team to another for talks with the drivers, there was also plenty of action on the track.

Speaking to the Dutch press, Verstappen talked about his attitude during official FIA press conferences, among other things. What stood out was that the four-time world champion was paying more attention to his words, something he confirmed when asked. However, he remained level-headed about it. "On the other hand, I don't have that much to say and don't want to spend that much time on it anyway. Just relax. Then you'll see," Verstappen concluded.

On Thursday, Albert Park already had a full programme, with practice sessions, qualifications, and the first races of the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercars Championship. It was pleasantly warm, with a temperature of around 25 degrees and a clear blue sky. The crowd, which was present in large numbers even on a day without F1 action, thoroughly enjoyed both the sun and the action on the track.

 Updates under the Australian sun

Friday was even warmer, with temperatures rising to 29 degrees. Formula 1's first and second free practice sessions were on the programme, as were qualifying sessions for Formula 2 and Formula 3. The Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercars Championship also worked through their second races. The crowds continued to pour in, and the atmosphere on and around the Australian circuit was warm and friendly, as throughout the weekend.

On Friday morning, behind-the-scenes journalists were given access to the pit lane to examine the cars' updates. Red Bull Racing immediately stood out with a long list of updates, a sharp contrast to McLaren and Ferrari, which had brought few new parts. Mercedes, too, carried a number of updates.

Jerome d'Ambrosio, head of the Ferrari Driver Academy and Fred Vasseur's right-hand man, addressed the media at the back of the garage on behalf of the Italian racing stable. Among other things, the Belgian told how Lewis Hamilton is finding his niche within his new team: "On his first day, he shook hands with more than a thousand people, and that made a big impression on the team. That was beautiful. I think his integration has been fantastic. The cooperation with Charles is also going very well so far."

Scorching heat characterises Saturday in Melbourne

Saturday saw the first extreme weather conditions of the weekend. There was scorching heat, and the mercury rose locally to 37 degrees. The Australian sun is relentless, so small tubes of sunscreen were handed out on arrival at the circuit. Free SPF was plentifully available and not without reason: it did not take more than 15 minutes to burn.

In qualifying, things initially looked tight, with slight differences between the teams in Q1 and Q2. Yet McLaren still proved to have a clear edge over the rest in Q3, with Lando Norris and local hero Oscar Piastri securing the grid's front row. Verstappen was pleasantly surprised with the third starting position, having previously indicated that the second row of the grid would be the maximum achievable.

Qualifying interviews took place as usual in the 'square', the covered area where drivers speak to the press after the session. The heat made it sweltering, all the more so by the increasing number of journalists as qualifying progressed. Logically, local media was interested in home heroes Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan.

One personality who attracted attention with his presence at the Melbourne circuit was racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart. In an exclusive chat with GPblog, he praised Verstappen, among other things, and looked ahead to the rain-affected race ahead at the time.

Chaotic F1 race after heavy rain

On Sunday, conditions changed dramatically. Whereas the day before was still blistering hot, Melbourne woke up under monsoon-like conditions with black rain and wind gusts on race day. This meant that Sunday morning's entire race programme could only be partially completed.

While fans, dressed in hoodies and ponchos, waited in the stands for action on the track, only the F3 main race could be run. However, the race was shortened. Remarkable was the attitude of the fans present: instead of being fed up with the bad weather, several spectators said they were looking forward to a rain race, something that usually guarantees spectacle.

The weather worsened as the morning progressed, leading to the cancellation of the F2 and Supercar races. The big question was what impact this would have on the main event, but in the end, the weather gods favoured the Melbourne circuit. The rain lightened half an hour before the start, allowing the race to begin with a standing start.

Hectic on the grid

The grid was a hectic scene as VIPs and selected media tried to catch a glimpse of the drivers and cars protected by canopies. When the two-minute signal was given, the drivers rushed to their positions for the national anthem, which started exactly at 14:44. A few sprinted towards the temporary podium to catch up in time - if you are late, a visit to the stewards may await.

The race will be talked about a lot. The chaos started as early as the formation lap, with Isack Hadjar crashing. His dejection was clearly visible when he spoke to the press moments later. The Racing Bulls rookie was undoubtedly not the only one who failed to keep his car on track: Jack Doohan, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson also crashed.

The most embarrassing moment for Australian fans came during a rainstorm late in the race. Local hero Piastri slid off the track and landed in the grass, sending shockwaves all over the track. Deafening cheers rang out as the McLaren driver still managed to get his car back on track. Piastri eventually made another comeback and scored two points, but the disappointment was logically visible.

After an exciting battle in the final few laps, Norris eventually managed to keep Verstappen behind him. George Russell took advantage of Piastri's mishap to secure the final podium spot. Once in the cooldown room and later in the press conference, Verstappen and Russell seemed to have put their earlier disagreement behind them.

After the race, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner addressed the press. When GPblog asked about the decision to leave Verstappen out at the last minute, the 51-year-old Briton replied, "That's where you work with the driver. The first two sectors were faster, but we lost a lot of time in the third sector. We knew the rain wouldn't last long, and here, track position is incredibly valuable because you just can't overtake."

Australia has a heart for motorsport
As the final media interviews of the weekend took place, the paddock quickly emptied. Team members broke everything down at breakneck speed, while the party continued for a while outside. Australia once again proved its love for motorsport with a record attendance of 465,498 over the weekend. Despite Saturday's heat and Sunday's torrential rain, nothing seemed to stop fans from being fully immersed in the sport they love so much.

For many, the weekend felt like a reminder of why Formula 1 holds such a special place in the hearts of Australians. Not just because of the spectacle on the track but, more importantly, because of the shared experience, adrenaline and sheer fun that only a Grand Prix weekend can bring.