F1 Australian Grand Prix starting grid: Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen to lead off

Driving in sweltering hot weather conditions during Saturday’s F1 2025 Qualifying event, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri won the first and second starting positions for Sunday’s F1 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Red Bull’s four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has the third spot on the starting grid.

McLaren reportedly has the fastest cars to begin the 2025 F1 schedule, and Norris has been the favorite to win the race. Norris and Piastri are both Grand Prix winners, and no one is shocked or even mildly surprised that the two McLaren drivers will be in the front row when the red lights go out to start the race in Melbourne.

The weather is predicted to be cooler on Sunday, with wind and rain during the race. You can never count Verstappen out because of his brilliant, consistent skills, but if it rains, Verstappen’s threat level sky-rockets because his performance in the rain is unparalleled. During heavy rain in the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen started the race in the 17th position and won the race handily.

What happened to the other drivers?

This was Lewis Hamilton’s first Qualifying event as a Ferrari driver, and the seven-time World Champion said after the event that he’s still learning the car. Hamilton will start the Grand Prix in the eighth position, sharing the row with teammate Charles Leclerc, who starts seventh on the grid.

Four of the six rookie drivers for F1 teams this season also demonstrated they need to learn their cars. Bortoleto, Antonelli, Lawson, and Bearman placed in the bottom six of twenty starting positions for the Grand Prix.

However, Rookie Alpine driver Jack Doohan earned the ninth spot on the grid, and Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjat starts in the eleventh position. Well done.

Williams had an unfortunate season in 2024, but with former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz joining the team, Williams’ fortunes may rise. During Qualifying, Williams driver Alex Albon’s time earned him the sixth starting spot, and Sainz starts in tenth position. Two drivers starting in the top ten must make the entire Williams team happy.

Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda had hoped to get a seat on the Red Bull senior team, but Liam Lawson got the nod instead. Tsunoda knows he has to make a strong impression this year to continue in F1 next season and beyond. Yuki’s determination did the trick as he starts in the fifth spot in the Grand Prix.

The 2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix starting order

F1 Qualifying events determine the drivers’ order in the Grand Prix’s starting grid. The following is the order of the drivers for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.