Thrilling. Frenetic. The 2025 Formula One season opener duly delivered as Albert Park in Melbourne provided another classic Grand Prix to add to its showreel.

Facing heavy weather and a slippery track surface amplified by the rain, Fernando and Lance set off from P12 and P13, embarking on a race that provided a mixed result come the chequered flag.

Combining a strong drive with great strategy calls from our team, Lance secured a sixth place finish and eight points. Fernando, meanwhile, was unlucky to spin and touch the wall on the exit of Turn Six on lap 33, which brought his race to an end.

14 weeks doesn't sound so long, but the off-season can feel like a lifetime. Getting back into a race environment really gets the pulse racing – and there's no better place to do it than Melbourne's Albert Park. It’s a thrilling racetrack that always delivers drama, roared on by an enormous crowd, packed in to enjoy a four-day festival of motorsport.

Every season, the first race features tantalising unknowns – this year more than most. The super-short winter testing window doesn't provide any answers, but it strongly suggests the gaps between teams are miniscule. The first race of the year helps to establish a pecking order but it's never that straightforward.

Within the narrow, slippery confines of Albert Park there's always a sense that anything can happen. It's not a race at which teams can ease-into the season gently: everyone has to be absolutely on their game.