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Norris ended Verstappen's long run in F1

By winning the opening round of the 2025 season in Australia, Lando Norris took the lead of the world championship and ended a record-breaking run for Max Verstappen.

Published 16/03/2025 à 13:07

Dorian Grangier

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Norris ended Verstappen's long run in F1

© Joao Filipe / DPPI

For the first time in almost three years, it is not Max Verstappen who is leading the world championship Formula 1. This Sunday, Lando Norris won the opening round of the 2025 F1 season, by winning the Australian Grand Prix. Logically, with this victory and the 25 points scored, the Briton took the lead in the Drivers' standings ahead of the Dutchman, who came second in Melbourne. An order far from insignificant since the driver never Red Bull had not relinquished control of the world championship in the last two seasons.

To find a record of a championship led by a driver other than Max Verstappen, we have to go back to the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. At the time, in May 2022, it was Charles Leclerc who was in the lead thanks to a great start to the season and thanks to Max Verstappen's double retirement in the first three rounds. The Monegasque then lost the championship lead at the following Grand Prix, in Spain where he retired, on May 22, 2022. Since that day, and until today, Max Verstappen has always led the world championship. In 2023 and 2024, he won the opening round in Bahrain to maintain this streak.

1029 consecutive days in the lead for Verstappen

In total, Max Verstappen will have spent 1029 days (and 63 Grands Prix) without ever relinquishing control of a world championship, between the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix and therefore the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. A record in the discipline: previously, it was Michael Schumacher who held the record by having spent 896 days (and 37 Grands Prix) leading the championship, between the 2000 United States Grand Prix and the 2003 Australian Grand Prix, won at the time by a Briton on a McLaren : David Coulthard. Coincidence?

Conversely, this is the first time Lando Norris has led the Formula 1 world championship in his career. In fact, it is the first time a McLaren driver has led the Drivers' standings since Lewis Hamilton and the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix. "That's fine. It doesn't mean anything. I didn't win it, so yeah, I don't really care right now.", replied the main interested party when asked what it feels like to be leading the championship, in a press conference. Hoping for him that he does not live the same fate as David Coulthard in 2003: after his victory in Australia, the Scot had never won another Grand Prix in his career and had finished the 2003 season in 7th place in the championship.

ALSO READ > Max Verstappen settles for 2nd place in Australia: "We are where I expected"

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Dorian Grangier

A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.

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F1 Australian Grand Prix Lando Norris Max Verstappen
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Comments

3 Comment (s)

Yves-Henri RANDIER

16/03/2025 at 03:16 a.m.

Aren't records made to be broken, are they? A "Fast Start" for Norris and McLaren... just like in the car business where the market share gained at the beginning of the year helps the sales performance for the year, what's taken is no longer to be taken!

DANIEL MEYERS

16/03/2025 at 02:35 a.m.

Another stat to look up: Since when has Ferrari been ranked 7th in the constructors' standings? Never?

V

vincent moyet

16/03/2025 at 01:43 a.m.

A championship isn't won in the first race, but an old statistic says that whoever wins the first GP often has a chance of winning the title. It's certainly the best way to start.

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