The 2025 F1 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix. Follow every lap here
After months of speculation, the 2025 Formula 1 season is here.
And the season-opening Australian Grand Prix may deliver pure chaos.
Rain and showers in Melbourne have lingered into the afternoon, and the wet conditions even forced the cancellation of the F2 race that was scheduled for earlier in the day. Rather than seeing cars on the track, fans instead saw ducks swimming in puddles along the Albert Park Circuit.
Even during a formation lap for the F2 race, the ducks were not far away:
formation lap running again, there are still ducks next to the track pic.twitter.com/EvF5CbULtM
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) March 16, 2025
While the rain has eased in Melbourne, during the formation lap for the F1 race most of the field had a set of full wet tires bolted on. Only Lewis Hamilton, on the cusp of his Ferrari debut, had a set of the green-walled intermediates bolted on to his SF-25.
We’ll be following every lap of the Australian Grand Prix, so follow along as the 2025 F1 season gets underway
All updates are in Eastern Time (pre-race) or according to Laps.
2025 Australian Grand Prix Race Coverage
12:15: Formation Lap 2.0 is underway.
12:12: Ferrari tells Charles Leclerc over the radio that there will be two quick bursts of “Class 1” rain after the start. Former strategist Ruth Buscombe Divey on F1TV relays that “Class 1” rain is typically defined as rain that “wets the track” by F1 teams.
12:08: F1TV continues to show images of a demoralized Hadjar making the walk back to the VCARB hospitality space, but then Anthony Hamilton — Lewis’ father — comes over to console the young driver. An incredible scene.
12:06: According to race control, the formation lap will start at 3:15 p.m. local time (12:15 a.m. for those on the East Coast).
12:04: Prior to the spin from Hadjar, 19 of the 20 drivers were on intermediate tires. Only Lance Stroll was on the full wet compound.
12:03: Race control has just issued an aborted start.
12:01: Isack Hadjar spins on the formation lap and hits the wall. There is damage to his rear wing and he is likely out of the race before it starts.
12:00: The formation lap is underway in Melbourne.
11:51: Speaking with F1TV Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner is uncertain if the race will have a grid start, or a safety car start, due to the wet conditions.
11:45: Due to changes made to his RB21 during parc ferme, Liam Lawson will start from pit lane. He will join rookie Oliver Bearman, as Haas made suspension changes to Bearman’s VF-25 under parc ferme conditions.
