Australian GP: Winners and Losers featuring Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut

The 2025 Formula 1 season kicked off at the Australian GP this weekend. The new season is packed with surprises of fans and the first race proved it instantly. McLaren’s Lando Norris pulled off a stellar victory while keeping reigning world champion Max Verstappen at bay.

There was drama across the entire grid as rain made things challenging for drivers. Isack Hajdar, Jack Doohan, and Carlos Sainz retired even before fans witnessed some on-track racing. Meanwhile Ferrari tried a big gamble with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc midway through the Grand Prix.

Certainly, the race was one to remember and fans could not have hoped for a more thrilling start to the new season. Now, as the paddock prepares for next round, lets take a look at the winners and losers from the 2025 Australian GP.

Here are the winners and losers from the Australian GP:

Winner – Lando Norris

A lot was riding on Lando Norris for the first race of the season. After a failed title challenge last year, all eyes are on the Briton’s 2025 campaign. Norris did not disappoint fans. Not only did the McLaren suit him perfectly, the 25-year-old managed to fend off Verstappen to clinch victory.

The British driver did not crack under pressure even when the reigning world champion was less than a second behind on the final lap. The Australian GP will be big morale boost for Lando Norris who can now be optimistic over his title prospects.

Loser – Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is the biggest talking point of this season. The Tifosi were waiting for the seven-time world champion to make his debut for the Italian team. However, it turned out to a disappointing affair.

Hamilton could only salvage a single point this weekend after a botched strategy gamble forced him down the order. The Ferrari SF-25 seems to be lacking pace compared to even Mercedes. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton is still not used to the switch settings on the car. As such, there is a lot of work to do for the Briton.

Winner – Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli faced the task of making his Formula 1 debut at a top team like Mercedes. The 18-year-old managed to exceed expectations. Antonelli did not make any mistakes even during treacherous track conditions.

The Italian driver kept it clean and brought the car home just behind teammate George Russell. The fourth place finish is an impressive start to his F1 career.

Loser – Oscar Piastri

Local hero Oscar Piastri had everything he needed to win the Australian GP. The 23-year-old seemed quicker than Norris midway through the race. Unfortunately, he lost control and got stuck the grass and lost crucial time before his car could get back on-track.

The Australian driver not only missed out on a home race victory, but showed a major weakness to his team. This could become detrimental for Piastri if McLaren decides to back only one driver for the title.

Winner – Alex Albon

Many expected Alex Albon to be overshadowed by Carlos Sainz at Williams this year. However, the 28-year-old seized the opportunity when Sainz retired from the race. Albon pulled off an impressive driver and finished in fifth place.

Albon has showcased that he can not only stay calm in difficult track conditions, but even be quick enough to defeat both Ferraris.

Loser – Liam Lawson

Red Bull signed Liam Lawson, hoping that he would be a close match to Max Verstappen. But things could not have been worse for the Kiwi driver. Lawson failed to even get out of Q1 on Saturday, and seemed nowhere close to even be in the fight for points.

Matters only got worse after the 23-year-old crashed out of the race. Milton Keynes will not be happy with Lawson and he will need to bounce back straight away.

Honorable mentions: Winners – George Russell, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg

Honorable mentions: Losers – Carlos Sainz, Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso