2025 Australian Grand prix predictions: No Max Verstappen in Podium, rise of Oscar Piastri

The 2025 Formula  1 season has officially started with the Australian Grand Prix. Day 1 of the weekend is complete with Free Practice 1 and Practice 2 sessions. The Albert Park in Australia is full to witness the first race of the year.

Most of the crowd came to support the two Australians, Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan. With the two sessions completed, we get a clear picture of what we can expect from the Melbourne Grand Prix. Here are our predictions for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix Predictions

Oscar Piastri will achieve Glory

This weekend, we predict that the Aussie driver will achieve glory in his home Grand Prix. It could either be a race win or a podium finish. The McLaren driver missed his pace against his teammate Lando Norris in the first session, but in the second, he was the fastest driver in his team. He outpaced his teammate and ended up behind Charles Leclerc in P2. 

No Aussie driver has ever won an Australian Grand Prix in the last 25 years or since it has become a Grand Prix. Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo tried their best but could only finish in P2. Let us see whether Oscar Piastri can break the jinx and win his home Grand Prix. 

No Max Verstappen on Podium

It is very hard to see one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers struggling to put pace in his car. Max Verstappen was clearly out of sight in both the practice sessions as he was outpaced by his junior drivers Yuki Tsunoda, who made an impressive P4 and Isach Hadjar, who, in his debut GP, finished P6. 

Max Verstappen could only finish P7 despite changing more than 10+ spares in his cars. So, it is very clear that this weekend is not for Red Bull, and we have no hope of seeing the Dutchman on the podium this weekend. But he could surprise us with his driving skills.

Carlos Sainz Resurgence

Williams was very impressive in the first practice as their driver, Carlos Sainz, came as the fastest man on the grid with P1. For most of the session, he was the pole sitter, but a late surge from Lando Norris has pushed him to P2. 

In the second Practice session, he only managed to come P11. But it is not bad, as the practice session is all about experimenting, and we see him as a podium finisher this weekend. The Williams garage looks like they are gaining more knowledge and insights from the Spanish driver. They are listening to Carlos Sainz as he has experience working with a top team like Ferrari.

Isack and Gabriel to deliver results

The F2 championship rivals, Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto, are expected to deliver results for their respective teams this week in Australia. The rookie drivers looked very good during the practice session, and Isack Hadjar showed his capability by beating the reigning world champion Max Verstapen in FP2.

The French driver has the more chance of finishing inside the top 10 and is expected to come out as the best rookie this year. But at the same time, rookie drivers are always unpredictable, and many F1 legends came into F1 as rookies. So, every driver is expected to at least come on top of their teammates this season.

Crash Mania

The Sunday race has a bigger threat of rain, so we predict many crashes to happen in between the races that would change the course of the results. The Albert Park is a street circuit, and over the years, we have seen many unusual crashes, and many areas are vulnerable to crashes. With 5 rookies driving this year, we expect more crashes and red flags. 

Also Read: 2025 Australian GP FP2 results: Charles Leclerc edges out the McLarens duo in Melbourne