F1 2025 Australian Grand Prix weather: Melbourne braces for rain CHAOS ahead of season opener

Formula 1 returns this weekend in Melbourne, Australia after a near 100-day absence since last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A whole host of drivers have shifted teams since that race, with three completely new drivers on the grid and three more who have never competed in a full season.

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Last season produced a title fight to the wire in the constructors' championship with McLaren stealing their first team victory since 1998, Ferrari coming in a close second and Red Bull falling to P3.

Christian Horner's F1 outfit have dominated both standings in recent years thanks to the dominant force of their star driver Max Verstappen, who claimed his fourth consecutive drivers' title in 2024.

Now however, only two teams have retained the same driver lineup as last season, McLaren and Aston Martin, and with the papaya team looking to assert dominance off the back of their constructors' win in Abu Dhabi, the season opener is hotting up to be an exciting one,

As the Australian Grand Prix returns to its role of the season opener for the first time since 2019, here's how the weather currently looks for this weekend's grand prix.

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Australian Grand Prix weather forecast

Friday, March 14: FP1 & FP2

The stars of F1 will return to the track on Friday for the first time since pre-season testing concluded in Bahrain last month. The first practice session is set to take place at 12:30pm local time (AEDT), and currently, the weather looks foggy with a zero per cent chance of rain for the session and highs of 25 degrees Celsius, with light winds throughout.

FP2 will kick off at 4pm local time (AEDT) and is set to run under similar conditions, with no chance of rain and a slightly hotter climate with highs of 27 degrees Celsius.

Saturday, March 15: FP3 & Qualifying

Saturday's sessions at Albert Park will see teams return to their competitive run plans following the final practice session at 12:30pm local time (AEDT). FP3 will start with temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius, but still no chance of rain.

Qualifying will begin at 4pm local time (AEDT) and is expected to be the warmest session of the weekend with highs of 35 degrees Celsius. Light winds will persist despite the continued absence of rain.

Sunday, March 16: Race

Sunday's grand prix will see all 20 drivers line up for the first lights out of 2025 at 3pm local time (AEDT), but an unpredictable weather forecast threatens to throw F1 teams into chaos after a dry track on Friday and Saturday.

Heavy showers are forecast for Sunday with a 70 per cent chance of rain for the duration of this year's first grand prix and wind gusts of around 37mph after warnings of a major thunderstorm continue to loom over the race.

Be sure to keep an eye on this article throughout the Australian Grand Prix race weekend as we keep the above information updated.

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