Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix early on Sunday morning is strongly forecast to be hit by rain and create conditions one team boss suspects could provide first-race “chaos”.
Amid sunny and dry weather at Albert Park on Saturday, McLaren impressively confirmed their post-testing status as favourites by sweeping to their first pole position and front row lock-out for a season-opening round since 2012 as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri headed Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen on the grid.
But the spectre of rain hangs over Sunday’s 58-lap race – which starts at 4am live on Sky Sports F1 – and therefore the possibility of unpredictability to ensure that everything seen in Melbourne so far could be turned on its head.
Mercedes’ George Russell, who qualified fourth, said: “The McLarens [are] super impressive, we sort of knew that, but tomorrow is a new day and it’s going to be wet seemingly, so all to play for.”
Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies – whose driver Yuki Tsunoda will start a stunning fifth – predicted: “I think it will be chaos.
“It’s a city track, you have six rookies on track, you have lots of rain coming.”
Even McLaren, for all their early superiority in the dry, agreed that nothing could be taken for granted given the forecast.
“It’s going to be a tough race,” said chief executive Zak Brown.
What’s the latest Sunday forecast?
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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on all the big talking points from qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown speaking to Sky Sports News:
“It’s getting less likely but is still very likely. I’m in the mindset of bring your raincoat tomorrow!
“It’s gone from 90 per cent to 60 per cent. It looks like it’s more in the morning.
“Maybe it will be a partial wet race, not a torrential rain, red flag-type thing.”
Drivers to take step into unknown with new 2025 cars
Outright wet weather, or changeable conditions that require drivers to use both wet and dry tyres during a race, can often act as a leveller in F1 and shake up the pecking order, compared to the running in normal conditions.
The challenge of driving in the rain in Melbourne for this Sunday’s 58-lap race would also be heightened by the fact none of this year’s grid have yet driven their new-for-2025 challengers in true wet conditions.
Although there was some rain on the second day of testing in Bahrain last month, most teams did not have wet tyres with them so did not run on track.
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified eighth for his Ferrari debut after a surprisingly disappointing Saturday for the Scuderia, admitted: “[Sunday’s] going to be a challenge. I’ve never driven this car in the rain.
“I don’t even know the rain settings so I’ve got to go and study that tonight, and it’ll be a learning experience again tomorrow.”
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Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc reflect on finishing P7 and P8 in Qualifying ahead of the Australian Grand Prix
He later added: “I’m going actually for the first time in the wet in an uncomfortable position because I’ve never driven this car [in those conditions]. So, it’s going to be a shock to the system when I get out there but I’m going to be learning on the fly and just give it everything.”
When asked if the rain could still provide him with unexpected opportunities, seven-time champion Hamilton – one of the sport’s greatest wet-weather drivers – agreed: “Definitely.
“When you qualify eighth, you kind of hope for it to be wet. But for me, I’ve got three laps to learn the car in the wet and then get out to the race.”
Like Hamilton, Verstappen is considered a wet-weather specialist and won in sensational style from 17th on the grid the last time a Grand Prix was hit by rain, in Brazil last November.
“For me, it’s fine, dry or wet,” said the Dutchman, who qualified 0.3s away from Norris’ pole time in third.
“In the wet, some crazy things can happen and around here it can be slippery, but it’s the same for everyone.”
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Lando Norris takes pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri just missing out in front of his home crowd
Verstappen’s prowess in the wet is something Norris is certainly aware of too.
“I’m confident the car is in a great position but we have also never run in the wet,” said the McLaren driver.
“But we know how quick Max and Red Bull is in the rain. Let’s see. Many opportunities for everyone but also a lot of new things to learn along the way.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Australian GP schedule
Sunday March 16
- 12.25am: F2 Feature Race*
- 2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
- 6am: Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
- 7am: Ted’s Notebook*
- 7.55am: Australian GP race replay
- 10am: Australian GP highlights (also on Sky Showcase)
- 7pm: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Untold Tragedy
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
