‘We’ve learned from our mistakes’ – Lando Norris thrilled with ‘amazing’ Australian GP victory after ‘stressful’ chase from Max Verstappen

Lando Norris has hailed his victory in a chaotic Australian Grand Prix as an “amazing way to start the year”, with the Briton suggesting that he and the McLaren team have learned from mistakes previously made in similar races last year.

After making a good start from pole position in damp conditions, Norris led for much of the early stages as the track started to dry out. However, a heavy bout of rain later on saw the 25-year-old and team mate Oscar Piastri both slide onto the grass – with the Australian getting stuck – resulting in Max Verstappen sweeping through into the lead as Norris pitted.

While Piastri dropped down the order as he tried to recover from the incident, Norris managed to later reclaim P1 when Verstappen was forced to pit himself for intermediate tyres in the worsening weather.

And while the Red Bull man closed in on Norris in the final stages – resulting in a nail-biting closing few laps – the McLaren driver ultimately held on to take a hard-fought victory.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 — Norris fended off a charging Verstappen during the latter stages of the race

“It was amazing,” Norris reflected after jumping out of the car. “A tough race, especially with Max behind me. I was pushing, especially the last two laps were a little bit stressful, but an amazing way to start the year.

“A tough one because we went off, made some big mistakes and went through the gravel and did a lot of damage. It was just tricky conditions, but these are the ones that are enjoyable and fun and unpredictable, but this time we got it right and we ended up on top, so I'm very happy.”

Asked about how he had managed to remain calm throughout the 57-lap encounter – which featured numerous crashes and Safety Car appearances – Norris responded: “We got it wrong a lot last year so I guess we learn from our mistakes.

RACE START: Watch the dramatic getaway in Melbourne as Norris holds off charging Verstappen while Doohan crashes out in wet conditions

“We lost out on Silverstone and Canada through a race like this, so we've learned from our mistakes. It's still only Round 1 of 24, but dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, dealing with Oscar behind me, I was pushing the whole way. I could relax inside but I wasn't relaxing from how much I was pushing. A tough one.

"To not make overly too many mistakes, to not have a mistake that cost me anything, I guess I can take a little bit of credit for that. A tough, challenging race but for McLaren, I need to give thanks because they have given me an amazing car.”

2025 Australian Grand Prix: Norris crosses the line to take victory in the opening race of the season

Pushed further on how he handled the pressure from Verstappen’s charge during the final tours, Norris added: “I don't know, just drive, I guess. Max was quick. I knew I had good pace but I made one mistake in Turn 6 and he got within the DRS, and the DRS around here is probably worth a second or something.

“That allowed him to keep within that second and have a couple of little looks. I had to check my mirror a few more times than I would have liked but I stayed calm, kept it together and listened to [my race engineer] Will, so that's the most important thing.”

The win has given Norris an early lead in the championship standings, marking the first time that a driver other than Verstappen has been at the top since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix. In terms of whether this acts as a boost of confidence to start the campaign, the Briton said: “You would hope so, yes. It has been.

“My weekend has been amazing from the get-go. It's not easy to put a weekend together like this, especially when I've got a lot of pressure from Max and from Oscar because they're hungry, they're competitive and they want it just as badly.

“Stressful, but I know what I'm capable of, I know what I can do, but it's just round one. We need to go and do it again next weekend and then continue from there. A long season ahead. We've just got to keep our heads down and keep pushing.”