Strong Sunday nets P3 and P4 in chaotic season opener

• George Russell finished third and Kimi Antonelli fourth in the season-opening 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• A five-second time penalty for an unsafe release dropped him back to P5 but that was subsequently rescinded post-race, capping an impressive and mature debut for the rookie 18-year-old.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 becomes the second-youngest points scorer in F1 history, and the youngest to score points on his debut.
• George meanwhile secured the first trophy of the season for the team, claiming his 16^th top three finish in his F1 career.
• The team now moves on to Shanghai and the Chinese Grand Prix in seven days’ time.
  

George Russell

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 for 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 where he was unlucky to suffer floor 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

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 to come home 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’ve had a strong first weekend and I’m looking forward to building on that in China next week.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

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 unable to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves, so we can 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.

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We can be pleased with the start we made to the new season today. The conditions were difficult out there for both the drivers and the team operationally. They handled everything the race could throw at them calmly and efficiently though. We had many different conditions out there, and several challenging decision points, but we made the right choices at the right time. That is what helped us achieve a strong result today.

George drove a considered race and maximised the result possible. We didn’t have the pace to challenge the McLarens at the front, so he focused on conserving his Intermediate tyres in the first half of the race. He handled the falling rain on the dry tyres well and brought the car home in the closing stages to secure our first podium of the season. We are also delighted with how Kimi performed on his debut. He was unfortunate in Qualifying yesterday but didn’t let that deter him. It was an accomplished fightback, cutting through the field in the early stages, and then keeping the car on track when others were unable to do so as the rain fell. P4 is a great return for him.

We now head to China where we continue to build our knowledge of the W16, and our relative performance compared to our competitors. It is a very different type of circuit to Melbourne so will provide useful learnings. We will be looking for another strong weekend and to build on this positive first race of 2025.