2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Highlights

Lando Norris showcased masterful driving skills to clinch victory at the thrilling 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, navigating through treacherous mixed weather conditions and intense race dynamics. Starting from the pole position, Norris initially led a tight battle with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on a drenched track before a strategic shift to slick tyres midway through the race.

The drama intensified as a sudden downpour prompted another round of pit stops, with Norris and Piastri both encountering challenges. While Piastri spun off the track, losing valuable time, Norris managed a crucial pit stop that ultimately restored his lead after Verstappen’s required tyre change.

The race’s climax unfolded amidst a final Safety Car period triggered by incidents involving debutant Gabriel Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson. Norris faced relentless pressure from Verstappen in slippery conditions but held his nerve to secure victory, reminiscent of their fierce rivalry in the previous season.

Behind Norris, George Russell capitalized on the chaos to claim a podium finish for Mercedes, followed closely by teammate Kimi Antonelli, who recovered to fourth after a penalty. Williams’ Alex Albon delivered a stellar performance to round out the top five.

Further down the order, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll showcased wet-weather expertise to finish sixth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Despite challenges, Lewis Hamilton salvaged points for Alpine in tenth place after a strategic gamble during the late rainfall.

The race was marked by numerous retirements, including incidents involving Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, and Jack Doohan, contributing to the event’s high drama and unpredictability. Racing Bulls’ newcomer Isack Hadjar endured a heartbreaking start-line crash, epitomizing the challenging conditions faced by drivers throughout the event.

What a start to the 75th season of Formula 1! In just over a hundred minutes, we experienced so many emotions, with the result hanging in the balance to the last lap, not just for the win but also for the other top ten places.

From a purely technical point of view, today, we were able to see how the 2025 version of the intermediate performed, proving to be a tyre that allowed the drivers to push flat out and for many laps, even on a track where a dry racing line had emerged. There was only a bit of graining on the front left, the tyre that gets the most stress on this track, but generally, we saw minimal degradation. There’s not much to say about the slicks because the stints were pretty short, between ten to 14 laps, which means it’s hard to give a complete evaluation of their performance.

Now, along with the ten teams in the championship, we are preparing for the second round of the season, which is already next week in Shanghai. It’s a very different track to Melbourne, where we will find a brand-new track surface at a Sprint weekend, so it’s an extra challenge right from the second race.

The day on the track:

With light rain falling but gradually easing off, all drivers lined up for the formation lap on the intermediates, apart from Lance Stroll, who opted for a set of extreme wets on his Aston Martin. However, Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) went off the track, so the start was aborted, and by the time the race resumed after around ten minutes or so, the Canadian driver had changed to the same rubber as his colleagues. Another Aston Martin was in the lead for the first seven laps, but it was the DB9 Safety Car driven by Bernd Maylander, called out immediately following crashes for Jack Doohan (Alpine) and Carlos Sainz (Williams).

In between that first restart and a second Safety Car, prompted by Fernando Alonso, who hit the barriers in his Aston Martin, all drivers had used the same set of intermediates.

This time, the appearance of the Safety Car triggered a switch to slicks, with the remaining 16 drivers going for either Medium or Hard. However, the rain returned, which made it impossible to judge the relative performance of the two compounds because the entire field, either sooner or later, had to pit again for intermediates, which they then kept to the chequered flag.

2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Race Results

2025 Constructor Standings

Here are the team-by-team highlights:

Hear from McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Team Principal Andrea Stella after the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

During the Formation Lap, the race start is aborted due to an incident with Doohan. At lights out, Lando keeps P1, while Oscar loses P2 to Verstappen. The Safety Car is deployed following multiple incidents as the track gets wetter. After a clean restart, P2 is regained by Oscar as Verstappen runs wide. Another Safety Car is deployed after Alonso retires. A double-stack pit stop is executed, and both drivers switch to Hard tyres.

Following another clean restart, rain begins to fall. Oscar runs off track and gets stuck on the grass. Lando pits for Inters and rejoins in P6. Oscar recovers the car and boxes for Inters and rejoins at the back, a lap down. Lawson and Bortoleto spin, triggering another Safety Car. The race restarts cleanly once again. Lando is back in P1. Oscar battles through the field to finish P9. Despite pressure from Verstappen, Lando secured victory at the Australian GP.

Lando Norris, Driver, McLaren Racing

It’s an incredible start to the year, and the team has given me an amazing car from the get-go. Whilst it was a tough race due to the unpredictable conditions and the pressure from Oscar and Max, I felt comfortable and confident out there in the package the team had given us.

It’s been a great weekend. We now need to go to China, do it again, and continue from there. There’s a long season ahead, and we have to keep our heads down and keep pushing.

Oscar Piastri, Driver, McLaren Racing

A disappointing result after a really positive weekend. I had the speed, and I felt in very good shape to fight for the win. Unfortunately, in the end, I just lost it in the sudden rain. Thanks to the team for all their efforts, and thanks to all the Australian fans who have given me so much good energy and support over the last few days. It means a lot.

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren Racing

It is very satisfying to begin the season with a victory, but we definitely have mixed feelings today because, for a long time, it looked like we were on for a one-two finish. Lando and Oscar were both driving brilliantly until they hit a sudden wall of rain in the final sector, where, effectively, Oscar just paid a higher price than Lando when they both went off track. He was just a little bit unlucky, but if the car keeps performing at this level of competitiveness, he won’t have to wait long to secure big results.

Lando was very impressive today.  Controlling the restarts, withstanding the pressure from Oscar and later Max in such challenging conditions, particularly as he was running with damage in the last stint, was a great display of how he continues to develop as a driver.

I’m very happy with the way the drivers have supported each other through the weekend by learning from each other, and the front-row lockout was the result of this collaboration.

As to the pace of the MCL39, I think today, the gap we were able to open in the first stint, before the Safety Cars, demonstrated both that the car is competitive but also that it is gentle on the tyres. It’s meeting the objectives we have set for ourselves over the winter, so congratulations to the whole team for a lot of hard work – but it will take a few more races until we can better understand the true competitive order. Here in Australia, I don’t think we’ve seen everything our competitors have to offer. We’ll learn more next weekend in China.

George Russell finished third, and Kimi Antonelli fourth in the season-opening 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The warm and sunny weather of the previous days gave way to rain and colder ambient temperatures on Sunday. The race got underway from a traditional standing start, but with the field all opting to be on the Intermediate tyre given the conditions. George, lining up P4, held position early on whilst Kimi, out of position in P16 having suffered floor damage in Qualifying, began methodically working his way through the field.

With light drizzle falling in short bursts, the Intermediate remained the tyre of choice until a mid-race Safety Car offered the opportunity to switch to a dry tyre without losing position. Both George and Kimi switched to the Hard compound, and it looked like they would hold station with George in P4 and Kimi now inside the top 10 until a rain cell developed over the sea near the circuit. With just over 10 laps remaining, that rain arrived, and a downpour, the heaviest of the Grand Prix, forced teams to adjust strategy.

The team judged the crossover well and pitted George and Kimi for the Intermediate tyre on lap 44. That enabled them to cycle through to P3 and P5, respectively; Kimi then dispatched the Williams of Alex Albon for P4 in the closing stages. A five-second time penalty for an unsafe release dropped him back to P5, but that was subsequently rescinded post-race, capping an impressive and mature debut for the rookie 18-year-old. The Italian became the second-youngest points scorer in F1 history and the youngest to score points on his debut. Meanwhile, George secured the team’s first trophy, claiming his 16th top-three finish in his F1 career.

The team now moves on to Shanghai and the Chinese Grand Prix in seven days.

George Russell, Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

That was not an easy race for anyone, so I’m pleased to bring it home in P3, taking our first podium finish of the new season. Keeping it on the road was a challenge at times, particularly in the changeable conditions. There were moments when the rain became slightly heavier whilst running on worn Intermediates, and then, near the end, the downpour arrived when we were on slicks. The team did a great job operationally today, and we definitely maximised the result. The pace of the car was enough for us to fight for the podium, but we know we’ve got to find more speed if we want to challenge McLaren in normal conditions.

Kimi did an amazing job in his first race. To come through from P16 to P4 at any time is impressive. To do it on his Grand Prix debut is, therefore, fantastic. He deserved that result after yesterday when he was unlucky to suffer flood damage in Qualifying. It’s a positive start to the season for the whole team, and we’re excited to move on to Shanghai and see what we can do at next weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli, Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

That was an incredibly eventful race! The conditions were super tricky out there. We had so many different conditions that we had to cope with today, but I think we did a good job as a team. I was happy with how we managed everything from start to finish, and coming home with P4, having started P16, is really positive. I definitely can’t complain about how my debut race in F1 has gone. It was also great to see George up on the podium for the team. Whilst we didn’t have the pace to challenge the McLarens, it’s always good to pick up silverware.

The whole weekend has been a good learning experience. Being knocked out in Q1 after suffering floor damage yesterday was obviously disappointing. To bounce back today, though, and experience so much in one race is really good for my development as an F1 driver. We had a strong first weekend, and I’m looking forward to building on that in China next week.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

Both drivers did a great job today in very challenging conditions. George drove a superb and controlled race to finish on the podium, whilst Kimi showed a great deal of maturity, in addition to the speed we know he has, to fight through from P16 to P4. The team executed the race well and operationally performed strongly. We saw many other drivers fail to make it to the flag, and other teams were unable to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves so that we could be pleased with our Sunday.

The McLarens were incredibly quick today. We know we have to find more performance to be able to challenge them in normal conditions. We have clearly taken a step forward over the winter, though, and we can be encouraged by that. Both drivers have been working well together, the car is responding to their inputs, and it’s a solid platform to build on. We look forward to doing that in China next weekend.

Max Verstappen navigated tyre woes, safety cars and late-race rain showers to take a battling first podium of 2025 at the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen, Driver, Red Bull Racing

It was a good result for us and an enjoyable but hectic race. The conditions were fairly difficult and slippery but we managed to keep it out of the wall and stay out of trouble, which was the most important thing, so I am happy with that. It was hard for us to pass the McLarens, and we were struggling with the tyres overheating and tyre degradation. I think this is even more evident on intermediates, as the compound is even softer than the slicks. They were better at controlling the temperature of the tyres and were pulling away from us quite easily, so it would help a lot if we worked to keep our tyres in a better window. However, we scored 18 more points than we did last time we were in Melbourne, so this is an improvement on last year and was fun in the end. Even if we pitted later, we would have been P2, so I am happy with the result. We only have a few days before we are in China, so we are not sure how much we will be able to find and turn around, but we will work hard to improve. Again, it is the first race of the season, and we went for it and learned a lot, so this is a positive start.

Liam Lawson, Driver, Red Bull Racing:

This whole weekend was pretty terrible. Today, we were too slow at the start, and then we gambled. It nearly worked, but it wasn’t to be. Starting from the pitlane was tough, and we just didn’t really have the speed we needed in the first stint on the inter. We struggled with the fronts too much, so we will analyse and look at that in detail before the next race. On slick tyres, it was quite competitive for that couple of laps, but then it started raining again. We took a chance staying out on the medium and hoping half the track would stay dry. We knew that sector three was bad, but we thought sector one would stay a little bit drier, so we risked it, but it was bucketing down with rain. At that point, I had backed out of pushing because it was so wet, and I was just trying to stay on track. It has been a pretty horrible weekend and a struggle as a whole, but we have plenty of learning. For that, I am grateful, and I am just looking forward to going to China and resetting.

CHRISTIAN HORNER, CEO and Team Principal

That was a great race. It was always going to be tricky in those conditions. I think strategically, we called it right; Max had a very good start, but the McLarens at that time were super strong and pulled out a gap. Then the rain came, and we made the right call to get out on the slicks at the right time, and we took a slight gamble to get the overcut. It nearly worked, and then we had the restart, and Max so very nearly stole it off Lando. Credit to him and McLaren, though; they stuck it out and won the game. It was not the start Liam would have wanted this weekend. Luck was not on his side. He is a strong driver, though, and will already be on his way to preparing for China, bouncing back. All in all, it was a good start to the season at a track we traditionally do not perform well at. China will be a bit more measured and will be a chance to see a truer reflection of performance. Excited to see what comes.

Scuderia Ferrari HP’s season got off to a difficult start, leaving the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix after the opening round with just five points, far below expectations, courtesy of an eighth-place finish from Charles Leclerc and a tenth from Lewis Hamilton. The race in Albert Park was run in difficult conditions, starting on a damp track before drying, prior to the rain returning in the final stages, turning the race into a game of roulette when the decisions taken did not deliver the hoped-for results.

The race. The track was damp prior to the grid forming up, with rain falling intermittently, catching out several drivers almost immediately so that the race start was aborted and its distance reduced by one lap. At the restart, Charles got away well and immediately dealt with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda to go fifth, while Lewis found himself stuck behind Williams’ Thai driver in eighth place. The order remained unchanged until lap 33 when Fernando Alonso crashed, bringing out the Safety Car, when everyone opted to pit for slicks, the Ferrari duo going for Hards, but the positions remained the same. On lap 45, a short, sharp shower hit the track, which jumbled up the order. The McLarens, then first and second, went off the track, and only Lando Norris was able to get going immediately to pit to take on Intermediates once more. Max Verstappen and the Ferrari pair stayed out, with Lewis finding himself ahead of Charles, who had spun in sector 3. At the end of the next lap, the Dutchman decided to pit, believing the track was too wet for slick,s and he went on to finish second. The Scuderia drivers stayed out for one more lap in the hope the rain would ease off. However, it did not, and so, one lap later, having lost a lot of time fighting to keep their Hard-shod SF-25s on track in the rain, they pitted for Intermediates, emerging to find themselves down in ninth and tenth places. In the closing stages, Charles passed Lewis and also Pierre Gasly to claim eighth place. Lewis also passed the Frenchman to go ninth, but on the last lap, he was unable to fend off Oscar Piastri and had to settle for tenth.

Immediately back on track. Tonight, Scuderia Ferrari HP is rolling up its sleeves and getting down to work. There is plenty of data to study to see what did not work properly this weekend so as to be well prepared for next week’s race at China’s Shanghai International Circuit.

Charles Leclerc, Driver, Scuderia Ferrari

It was a tough race, and there are things we have to review and work on. We weren’t the fastest out there, but in such weather conditions, there was a chance of scoring some big points, which we didn’t capitalise on today. I lost a few positions after the spin at Turn 11. In the end, it wasn’t that bad with the Safety Car that came out later on, but then we stopped a lap too late to switch to Inters, losing positions again. There are two things we have to look into. The first is easy—it was my mistake. The second is something we will sort out as a team, looking into our decisions and making sure we make the right call if the situation comes up again. It’s a continuous process of improvement. We are disappointed, but it’s good to know we’ll be back in the car in just a few days in China to give it another go.

Lewis Hamilton, Driver, Scuderia Ferrari

It’s not the start we wanted, but there’s lots to take away and work on from this one. The start was okay, but I lost momentum out of Turn 1 on the outside of Charles and got stuck behind Albon for most of the race. The rain always mixes things up, and strategy comes down to timing and a bit of luck. We took a gamble and made up places, but then boxing too late for Inters cost us, dropping us to the back of the top 10 with too much ground to recover. I struggled with balance, but it was an important race to learn more about the car in different weather conditions and gain more experience working with a new team. McLaren and Red Bull had a serious pace, so there’s work to do, but we’ll dig deep. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car next weekend in China.

Frédéric Vasseur – Team Principal, Scuderia Ferrari

We can’t be happy with today’s result as it doesn’t match the potential of our car, and that means, as a team, we didn’t do a good job. Charles got a good start, and Lewis also fought to move up the order. Then, when the rain returned, we took the risk of staying out, as indeed did Max (Verstappen). But then we got our next strategy move wrong by staying out one lap too long, and we paid the price. As for positives from the weekend, we had a strong pace on Friday in both qualifying and race trim, matching Mercedes and Red Bull, but we were just a bit behind McLaren. It’s also good that in a few days, we will be back on track, which means that very soon, we will be able to evaluate our potential once again. It’s a very long season, and we just have to continue to work hard.

The F1 season has begun in Melbourne. Get the thoughts of Lance, Fernando, and our team following the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend.

A mixed Sunday both in terms of the result on track and the weather in Melbourne, rain before and during the Grand Prix made an already slippery Albert Park Circuit track surface even more treacherous, ensuring a challenging 57-lap race.

Fernando Alonso, Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

It was a challenging race today with the wet conditions, and I was a little unlucky in the end. I was battling inside the top 10 and felt like I was in the mix with others around me. I drove the same line at Turn Six, but there was some gravel there, which caused me to lose control.

There are some weaknesses in the car that we need to tackle, but if we execute a good weekend,d then it looks like we can score points this season. We have another trip next week to China.

Lance Stroll, Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

That was a super tricky race, so it’s good to come away with some big points for the team. I’m happy with that, for sure. We knew from the start that it was about staying on track and being on the right tyre at the right time, and we did that today. It’s always a real balance of risk versus reward in these changing conditions. You’ve got to stay clean and consistent.

The team made a great call, bringing me in for the Intermediate tyres towards the end of the race. They were across the forecast, and we made up positions because of it. The car still isn’t where we want it to be – we’ve got to keep pushing for improvements – but that makes it even more important to make the most of opportunities like we did today.

Andy Cowell, CEO & Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team

Eight points for Lance is a great way to start our season. Conditions were incredibly challenging for everyone, but he delivered an excellent race to navigate his way to sixth place [from P13]. He maximised every opportunity and did not put a wheel out of place all race.

Our strategy calls from the pit wall was strong, and it was a great team performance. We had a solid opportunity to score with both cars today, but Fernando was unlucky with some gravel on the exit of Turn Six, sending him into the wall on lap 33. This result gives us a nice boost as we head to China, but it’s clear we need to work hard to improve the car for the long season ahead of us.

Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda narrowly missed out on a points finish, crossing the line in 12th place after a determined drive. Meanwhile, his rookie teammate, Frenchman Isack Hadjar, endured a heartbreaking Formula 1 debut. The young driver’s race ended before it even began when he lost control, exiting Turn 1 on the formation lap, sending his car into the barriers. The incident triggered an aborted start, leaving Hadjar visibly devastated as he stood by the side of the track, watching the grid reform without him.

Yuki Tsunoda, Driver, VCARB F1 Team

The timing of the pit didn’t go our way today; it was too late, and suddenly, I dropped to P11 after the Safety Car. The pace was there, and we didn’t make many mistakes until the last bit of rain. I did what I could; I was pretty happy with my performance. We’ll definitely revise what happened and learn from this in the future. We need to make sure we’re not making the same mistakes, especially with the field being so tight this year. Every single point is very important. It’s not ideal, but we can take a lot of positives from this weekend; we had pace and if we can maximise performance, we can have a good race weekend, we’ll just have to keep performing like this and come back strong.

Isack Hadjar, Driver, VCARB F1 Team

I feel embarrassed today, and I can only learn from my mistake and apologise to the team. There were tricky conditions out there, and from the installation laps, I felt a very low grip and poor confidence. In the formation lap, I tried to prepare the tyres as much as I could, but unfortunately, I had a spin, and the car was unsavable; I just felt like a passenger before hitting the wall. Now, I look ahead to be ready to race in China next week.

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, VCARB F1 Team

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team opened the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Esteban Ocon 13th and Ollie Bearman 14th at the Australian Grand Prix, held Sunday at Albert Park, Melbourne.

Esteban Ocon, Driver, Haas F1 Team

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

Alex Albon took the FW47 to points at the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the best result for Williams Racing to start a season in a decade.

Alex Albon, Driver, Williams Racing

Carlos Sainz, Driver, Williams Racing

Pierre Gasly began the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix from ninth place on a set of new Intermediate tyres, navigating the mixed conditions with a steady performance. He made his first pit stop on Lap 33, switching to new Hard tyres, before returning to the pits on Lap 46 for another set of new Intermediates as the weather conditions evolved. Despite his efforts, Gasly crossed the finish line in P11, narrowly missing out on points. His fastest lap of the race was a 1 minute 25.020 seconds. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan, starting from 14th on the grid and also on new Intermediates, faced a challenging race but was ultimately forced to retire before reaching the checkered flag.

Jack Doohan, Driver, Alpine F1 Team

It was an unfortunate end to an overall positive weekend. It was the result of a combination of factors, which we will go over together as a team to learn from and ensure it does not happen again. It is a tough way to learn, but I have digested what happened and put it behind me so that I can focus on what is ahead. The positive learnings from the weekend outweigh the outcome from today. We were strong yesterday afternoon but caught out with the yellow flag. The pace has been there all weekend, so as a team, we can take confidence going into every race weekend. We have back-to-back races with Shanghai coming up next week, so we will regroup as a team and aim to come back even stronger there. Overall, the weekend has been great; the fans have been amazing, the atmosphere was incredible, and having the opportunity to drive in front of a home crowd for my season debut has been special.

Pierre Gasly, Driver, Alpine F1 Team

After such a tough race in really challenging conditions, it is definitely a disappointing feeling to leave without scoring points. It was a lottery out there, and I felt like we did well staying in the mix for the majority of the race. The rain shower at the end ultimately decided things, with some drivers benefitting from pitting earlier and others, like us, taking a gamble to go a lap or two later. That is the way it goes sometimes. I am pleased with the competitiveness of our overall package. We have shown we have a strong pace, and I am confident going into next weekend in China, so we’ll focus on the positives as a team and move on. Those conditions were really tough, even for the most experienced drivers on the grid with such a lack of grip. Jack has done a great job all weekend. He was really thrown into the deep end with those conditions, and I know we are both determined to be back next week doing the best job possible and hopefully competing again for points.

Oliver Oakes, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team

It’s easy to come away from a race like today feeling disappointed. There are definitely some positives to take from the weekend. We showed that we’re firmly in the midfield fight, and with how close the field is, it will no doubt fluctuate at different circuits across the season. The conditions were incredibly tricky out there today, with a lot of incidents. Pierre was running a strong race until near the end when the conditions changed, and they missed out on the points. For Jack, it’s obviously not how he wanted his race to end, but he has shown a positive pace across the entire weekend. With a double-header to kick off the season, our attention now turns to China, where we’ll look to regroup and improve on this weekend’s result.

KICK Sauber F1 Team brought home six precious points from a thrilling Australian Grand Prix as Nico Hulkenberg finished an impressive P7 on his first race back with the team on a Sunday in which the weather conditions played a pivotal role. The German, starting in 17th place on the grid, was composed on a day that really tested all drivers, with rain affecting the opening and closing stages of the race. Gabriel Bortoleto, making his Formula One debut, had a solid afternoon closely tracking his team-mate but eventually fell victim to the late shower and bowed out of the race with little more than 10 laps to go.

The result moved the team up to P6 in the Constructors’ Championship, while the race itself was a prime example of the thrilling spectacle that is Formula One.

Nico Hulkenberg, Driver, Kick Sauber F1 Team

That’s an absolutely positive result for the team. It definitely puts a smile on my face. We didn’t see that coming yesterday after our qualifying performance. Under the challenging conditions today, we didn’t make any mistakes and had a couple of good strategy calls. It was very difficult to keep that car on track and read the conditions. Street circuits under these circumstances are very unforgiving. You are constantly on the edge. On the intermediate tyres in the first half of the race, I was struggling quite a bit.  It was a matter of just staying in the race and waiting for our opportunity. The safety car then obviously put us back in the race for the points when it started to rain towards the end. We managed to pit exactly in the right moment ahead of others. Sometimes, you have to be lucky. With others having some trouble, we stayed clean and rewarded ourselves with these nice six points. I would like to thank the entire team for the hard work to make that happen.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Driver, Kick Sauber F1 Team

Unfortunately, the race didn’t end as we had hoped – which is a shame, as things were going quite well for me up until that moment. Once the Safety Car period ended, I found myself at the very back, trying to recover, but I touched the curb and ultimately ended up in the wall. We knew anything could happen in conditions like these; we gave it everything but pushed a little too hard. On the other hand, I’m happy for Nico and the team for scoring points today: he did an amazing job, and everyone deserved it, both trackside and back at our HQ in Hinwil. All in all, I think it’s safe to say my debut weekend went well aside from this, especially considering my qualifying result yesterday. It’s been a weekend of learning and getting to know the team and its dynamics even better. Now, I intend to keep working and improving as we look ahead to China next week.

Beat Zehnder, Director Signature Programs & Operations, Kick Sauber F1 Team

Today’s race showcased everything that makes Formula One so special—unpredictable weather, thrilling overtakes, exciting manoeuvres, and, unfortunately, a few crashes as well. Huge congratulations to both drivers for their performances, and especially to Nico for securing his first points for the team. It was a strong collective effort throughout the entire weekend. The team executed really well, making the right calls in changing conditions and laying the foundation for this result. While this is a great step forward, we remain focused on addressing the challenges we face to ensure we can consistently fight for points.