McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia. (AP )

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 16, (AP): McLaren’s Lando Norris won a chaotic rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, his first victory at Albert Park, with the British driver just managing to stay ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a third safety car late in Sunday's season-opening Formula 1 race.

Lewis Hamilton had a miserable Ferrari debut. The seven-time champion finished 10th and was annoyed by constant radio messages from his pit team.

Norris started Melbourne’s first wet race since 2010 from pole position and initially came under increasing pressure from his teammate Oscar Piastri, who set a series of fastest laps until his team told him to hold position. Later, the Australian driver spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 as the rain intensified and dropped down the order.

A late-race fightback helped Piastri recover to take ninth place - including passing Hamilton on the final lap - and two championship points.

Verstappen finished 0.895 behind Norris after starting from third on the grid and took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune and the final safety car and tire stops. Mercedes’ George Russell closed out the top three.

"I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six and he (Verstappen) got me in the DRS and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something so that allowed it to keep staying within that second,” said Norris, who scored McLaren’s 12th win in Australia to take the outright record from Ferrari.