George Russell wins action packed season opener in Australia

George Russell took a comfortable victory in the Australian Grand Prix at the start of a new era of Formula 1 after a brief early scrap with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Russell and Leclerc staged a close fight for the first 10 laps with frequent lead changes before Ferrari’s decision to stay out during a virtual safety car (VSC) period took them out of contention for the win. The Briton led home Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli while Leclerc had to be satisfied with the final podium position ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari.

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Russell storms to pole as Mercedes lock-out front row in Melbourne

George Russell took an imposing pole position as Mercedes dominated the first qualifying session of a new era of Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix. The Briton led team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.363 seconds and was 0.785secs clear of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in third place. Max Verstappen crashed on his first lap to leave a degree of doubt as to the extent of Mercedes’ superiority, but it was an impressive start to a new period of regulations by the former champions. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest, with the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris separating him from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

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Dr Helmut Marko to leave role as Red Bull advisor

Red Bull motorsport adviser Dr Helmut Marko will leave the team after 20 years at the end of 2025. The 82-year-old has been an integral part of Red Bull’s success since the team formed in 2005, as they won six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles. Marko, who was the right-hand man of the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, has overseen the development of 20 drivers, most notably world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with whom the Austrian has a close relationship.

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Norris crowned World Champion as Verstappen wins in Abu Dhabi

McLaren’s Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship by finishing third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 26-year-old won the title by two points from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won the race to take his eighth victory of the year, one more than the Briton and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. Norris becomes the 11th British F1 world champion at the end of his seventh season in F1, it is McLaren’s first drivers’ and constructors’ title double since 1998.

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Verstappen on pole for season deciding Abu Dhabi GP

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat his McLaren title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to pole position with an imposing performance in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Both Verstappen’s laps in the final session were good enough for pole. He was 0.201 seconds ahead of Norris, who edged Piastri by 0.029secs. Norris heads Verstappen by 12 points going into the season finale, the Briton will be champion if he finishes on the podium regardless of anyone else’s result.

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