If you like drama in racing, the 2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix didn’t disappoint. Intermittent rain caused havoc on the track, and six drivers didn’t complete the 57 laps, including four of this year’s full-season rookies.
McLaren driver Lando Norris, the pre-race favorite, started and finished in first position. However, several other drivers, including new-to-Ferrari driver seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, were in the lead at times during the race.
When the checkered flag waved, the podium place winners were Norris in P1, Red Bull drive and four-time World Champion Max Verstappen in P2, and Mercedes driver George Russell in P3.
Drivers who didn’t finish the Australian Grand Prix
It wasn’t only rookies who left the race early. Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso and new Williams driver Carlos Sainz, both seasoned professionals, did not finish.
The rookies with DNFs were Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, and Dauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
Hadjar hit the wall before the race began, and Doohan ended his race during the first lap. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman finished the race but came in last.
Rookie Kimi Antonelli, on the other hand, lived up to the great expectations Mercedes have for him as the driver who joined the team after Hamilton left for Ferrari. Antonelli finished fourth behind veteran team leader George Russell. Kimi didn’t get on the podium in his first Grand Prix, but the 12 points he earned combined with Russell’s 15 points put Mercedes at the top of the Constructors’ leader board for the race and, so far, the season.
Hamilton finished tenth, the last place that earns points, so he earned one point for himself and for the team.
F1 driver and team standings
There are 23 more races in the 2025 F1 schedule, but the eyes are on the earned championship points. After the last race, the driver with the most points for the season is crowned the World Driver Champion. Teams combine the points of both drivers to determine the Constructors’ Champion.
Winning championships is a great honor, but the Constructors’ standings also determine how much money the Formula One management group pays to the teams. All teams are paid. The precise monetary awards aren’t public, but in 2024, the winner’s prize was reportedly $130 million.
Driver Championship points:
The driver points table below may be confusing. Twenty drivers suited up for the Grand Prix, but only 14 are listed below, including four with zero points.
Where are the remaining six drivers? For Driver’s Championship points, you aren’t even on the board if you don’t finish a race. The table won’t have vacancies later in the season as points accumulate, assuming that each driver finishes at least one race.
Place | Driver | Team | Championship Points |
1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 25 |
2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 18 |
3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 18 |
4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 15 |
5 | Alex Albon | Williams | 12 |
6 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 8 |
7 | Nico Hulenberg | Sauber | 6 |
8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 |
9 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2 |
10 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1 |
11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 0 |
12 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 0 |
13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 0 |
14 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 0 |
Constructor Championship points:
McLaren | 27 |
Mercedes | 27 |
Red Bull | 18 |
Williams | 12 |
Aston Martin | 8 |
Kick Sauber | 6 |
Ferrari | 5 |
Alpine | 0 |
Racing Bulls | 0 |
Haas | 0 |