MELBOURNE, Australia — Lando Norris’ McLaren MCL39 delivered a performance around Melbourne’s Albert Park that his 0.8-second winning margin over Max Verstappen in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix did not fully reflect. Amid the thrills and spills of Formula 1’s crash-strewn season opener, the McLarens looked truly dominant at times. Yet, as the checkered flag waved, Norris’ old friend and persistent foe, Verstappen, stayed right under his rear wing and applied pressure until the final corner of the final lap.
Norris’ Composed Drive Amid Chaos Highlights McLaren Progress
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That doesn’t mean Norris needed to win by a bigger margin, but without the race’s frequent chaos, he almost certainly would have. The McLaren driver endured both literal and figurative storms on Sunday as heavy rain swept through the circuit in waves, and he delivered one of his most convincing performances to date.
Norris showed no signs of the indecision that might have cost him his pole position advantage on the opening lap or caused him to falter under Verstappen’s pressure a year ago. Instead, he stayed focused on victory from the first lap, proving that both he and McLaren have spent the winter improving their game in pursuit of the 2025 drivers’ title.
Norris Overcomes Challenges as Verstappen Closes in Late
He said, “Starting the season with a win is good enough, but winning in such a stressful race, where making a mistake and ruining everything is so easy, makes it even sweeter. You know, everything can go wrong in an instant during the race—you lock up, hit the white line wrong, or have a big snap… At times, it was very difficult to avoid crashing into a wall or a tire barrier.”
After battling through a hectic afternoon, Verstappen delivered his best performance in the final laps, closing in on Norris. After the checkered flag, it emerged that Norris’ car had sustained floor damage and was losing performance during the final stint. However, to highlight Norris’ exceptional driving, Verstappen never truly believed he could make a successful overtaking move.