Australian Grand Prix: F1 safety car deployed after HUGE crash in Melbourne

Australian Grand Prix

Safety car deployed after HUGE F1 crash in Melbourne

The Australian Grand Prix got the season underway

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 16 March 2025 05:31 Updated: 07:43

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An early safety car was called at the Australian Grand Prix, after home F1 star Jack Doohan suffered a huge crash on the first lap of the race.

The original start was aborted, following a crash for Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar on the formation lap, delaying the start of the race for 15 minutes.

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Following the wait, Lando Norris got away well from team-mate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, but it was further back where eyes were fixated as Doohan became the second rookie to crash out in the wet conditions.

That brought out a safety car, but it wasn't able to stop Williams' Carlos Sainz from also suffering a huge moment in the wet and crashing out of his debut with the Grove outfit.

Jack Doohan crashed out on his grand prix debut

A safety car was called early on in Melbourne

Australian GP carnage strikes again

It meant that the race didn't properly get underway until lap eight, as the always eventful Australian GP struck again.

Doohan had qualified up in 14th on his grand prix debut, and was set to mount a challenge for points at his home race.

The 22-year-old is said to be under immediate pressure to keep hold of his seat at Alpine, with the team having hired four reserve drivers for the 2025 season.

One of those is talented youngster Franco Colapinto, who is on a long-term contract with the Enstone outfit having starred at Williams in the 2024 season.

Doohan's retirement on the opening weekend is unlikely to do his chances of staying in the seat any good, but both rookie drivers that crashed out were okay and will now start their preparations for race two.

Sainz, meanwhile, will be ruing his mistake under the safety car having been in a great position to score points on his Williams debut, particularly having won the 2024 edition of the race.