Max Verstappen had been leading the world championship since the inception of the current ground effect era in 2022.

When the lights go out Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix to begin the 2025 Formula 1 season, defending F1 Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen will start third, behind perhaps two of his biggest challengers in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Lando Norris kept his cool in a rain-hit and incident-packed season-opening Australian Grand Prix Sunday to edge world champion Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton 10th on his Ferrari debut.With the safety car repeatedly forced into action after a slew of accidents on the wet Albert Park circuit,