24: Melbourne: From Hadjar’s Tears To Domenicali’s Deals

James Allen On F1

Lando Norris tamed the chaos in Melbourne to win the opening round of the F1 season. In doing so, he put down a marker for his teammate Oscar Piastri, his rival Max Verstappen, and anyone else who wants a say in this year’s world championship.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut didn’t quite go to plan, while F1’s five-and-a-half rookies (Liam Lawson being a semi) had a torrid time. From Hadjar’s tears to Antonelli’s vindication, we’ll analyse the debuts of the class of ‘25.
Meanwhile, as dozens of new sponsors pour into F1, Stefano Domenicali signed a new 5-year contract to remain F1 CEO. He promptly signed the teams up to the commercial part of a new Concorde Agreement. But there is no sign yet of a governance agreement from the FIA, so what does it all mean for the sport?
With James to discuss these and other talking points are Global Editorial director Rebecca Clancy and fresh-ish off the plane from Melbourne, Motorsport Editor in Chief, Ben Hunt.
Remember to take part in the Global F1 Fan Survey, which we are running together with F1. Make your voice heard about F1, what you like and what you’d like to change and who your favourite teams and drivers are. Go to https://fansurvey2025-formula1.motorsportnetwork.com/
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Producers: Dre Harrison and Ben Holmes
Executive Producer: Jason Swales
A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport