What a start to the 2025 Formula 1 season! We weren’t exactly hoping for rain to have an idea of the grid’s pace in race trim. But rain did spice things up, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Lots of interesting things looming here—strategies, mistakes, and even luck.

1. Torque is instantaneous on these hybrid race cars. The electric motor provides instant torque for quick acceleration. And in damp or wet conditions, that could spell disaster. It not only caught rookies Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Jack Doohan (Alpine) on the formation lap and at the start, respectively, but Carlos Sainz (Williams) as well under the safety car. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) also spun out in similar fashion as Hadjar.

2. McLaren is quick, and Max is entertaining. McLaren proved to be the car to beat by securing 1-2 for the grid, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) directly behind in third. Sunday was wet, however, and the champ and slippery conditions are like butter and toast. They’re simply lovely together.

With the order changing, Max just got on with it. After another safety car, he hounded Lando Norris (McLaren) for seven laps with the McLaren driver winning by less than a second.

3. There is life after Lewis Hamilton. You can say Mercedes has its fair share of attention with George Russell now taking the role of team leader with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli in the second seat.

Russell had a clean and consistent race, and finished on the podium. Antonelli, meanwhile, suffered floor damage during qualifying, and could only manage P16. But he showed what he could do in the race, finishing a solid fourth, just behind his teammate.

Sure, this was merely the first race. But if this is the kind of entertainment we’re going to get from Antonelli, then bring it on.

4. Williams and Racing Bulls have genuine pace. Williams showing it had a good car in Bahrain preseason testing was followed up by good form at the Australian Grand Prix free practice sessions.

Meanwhile, Racing Bulls was a lesser known quantity, the free practice sessions likewise reflected that the team had a handy car.

Both Williams drivers qualified in the top 10 (Alex Albon in sixth and Sainz in 10th), while Yuki Tsunoda qualified in fifth and Hadjar in 11th.

Ultimately, Albon finished the race in fifth.

5. The weather plays a big role in a race. This is an obvious reminder. From the start, this was going to be a tough race—from wet to drying conditions, then “Class 3” rain hitting right after most of the grid had changed to hard or medium tires. Timing and fortune are never easy to get right.

This shook up the order inside the top 10, particularly after both McLarens had their own incidents sliding off—briefly for Norris but a much longer period for Oscar Piastri as he had to reverse his way out of the grass, dropping to the back of the field and eventually finishing in ninth after what could have been a victory.

The next race is the Chinese Grand Prix happening this weekend (March 23). Can a disconsolate Piastri bounce back? Let’s see.