The Australian Grand Prix is oldest surviving motor racing competition held annually in Australia, having been held 79 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928.
Since 1985, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship and is currently held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Prior to its inclusion in the World Championship, it was held at a multitude of venues in every state of Australia.
After it became a part of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1985, it was held at the Adelaide Street Circuit in (South Australia) from that year to 1995, before moving to Melbourne in 1996 and the latter circuit is currently under contract to host Formula 1 until 2023.
Australian driver Lex Davison and German driver Michael Schumacher are the most successful drivers in the 86-year history of the event taking four wins each; while McLaren has been the most successful constructor with twelve victories, its success stretching back into the pre-Formula One history of the race as is scored its first win in 1970.
Frenchman Alain Prost is the only driver to win the Australian Grand Prix in both non-championship and World Championship formats, having won the race in 1982, 1986, and again in 1988.
Australian Grand Prix, Round 1 of the 2019 Formula 1 season
Circuit Name: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
Race Laps: 58
Circuit Length: 5.303 km (3.295 mi)
Race Length: 307.574 km (191.071 mi)
Number of corners: 16 (10 R / 6 L)
Circuit Direction: Clockwise
Distance from pole to T1 apex: 248.5m
Pole position 2018: Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes 1:21.164
Pole position side: Left
Pit lane length under speed limit control: 280.7m
Drive-through time at 60 km/h: 16.8s
Lap time at full throttle: 69%
Lap distance at full throttle: 77%
Gear changes per lap: 46
Braking events (>2g): 6
Heavy braking events (4g): 4
Fuel consumption: High
Maximum lateral G-force: 4.4 (T11)
Maximum speed: 321.1 km/h
Track evolution (P1 – Qualifying): High
DRS zones: T2-3 / T12-13 / T16-1
Key overtaking opportunities: T1 / T3 / T13
Race lap record: 1:24.125 (Michael Schumacher 2004 – Ferrari)
Absolute lap record: 1:21.164 (Lewis Hamilton, Q3, 2018 – Mercedes)
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
Pirelli used compounds
Tyres that must be available (one of them to be used) at some point in the race:
One set of Hard C2
One set of Medium C3
Tyres assigned for Q3 in qualifying:
One set of Soft C4
Teams/Drivers compounds choice
|
Driver |
Super Soft |
Ultra Soft |
Hyper Soft |
|
Lewis Hamilton |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
Valtteri Bottas |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
Sebastian Vettel |
3 |
2 |
8 |
|
Kimi Raikkonen |
3 |
2 |
8 |
|
Daniel Ricciardo |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
Max Verstappen |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
Sergio Perez |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
Esteban Ocon |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
Lance Stroll |
1 |
2 |
10 |
|
Sergey Sirotkin |
2 |
1 |
10 |
|
Nico Hulkenberg |
1 |
5 |
7 |
|
Carlos Sainz |
2 |
4 |
7 |
|
Pierre Gasly |
1 |
2 |
10 |
|
Brendon Hartley |
2 |
1 |
10 |
|
Romain Grosjean |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
Kevin Magnussen |
1 |
4 |
8 |
|
Stoffel Vandoorne |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
Fernando Alonso |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
Marcus Ericsson |
1 |
4 |
8 |
|
Charles Leclrec |
2 |
3 |
8 |
THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW:
- Being a street circuit, the track is particularly green and slippery at the start of the weekend, with bumps adding to the lack of grip.
- There aren’t that many long corners, which means that it’s not always easy to bring tyres up to temperature.
- A one-stop strategy was the winning choice last year – used by the majority of drivers – and although we need to see degradation rates from free practice, this is likely to be the case again.
- There’s a high likelihood of a safety car in Melbourne, which affects strategy: one of the reasons why pole position isn’t as crucial in Australia as it can be at other races. The pole position driver has only won once in the last five years…
- Weather is often a mixed bag, helping to make Melbourne one of the more unpredictable races of the year. Forecasts so far suggest it will be cloudy but dry.
- Good traction is key to a quick time, in order to get a good drive out of the corners onto the many short straights that characterise the track.
MARIO ISOLA – HEAD OF CAR RACING
“Our C2, C3, and C4 hard, medium and soft nominations this year are roughly equivalent to the 2018 medium, soft and ultrasoft compounds. This should allow drivers to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint. After a very productive test in Barcelona, we feel satisfied that the 2019 tyre range is on course to meet our objectives of combining performance with durability. Of course, there are still a number of aspects – such as degradation over the length of a stint – that will only be revealed after free practice in Australia. One other important consideration in Australia will be seeing how the new aero rules work, and if this leads to more overtaking – which is difficult to establish during testing.”
MELBOURNE MINIMUM STARTING PRESSURES AND EOS CAMBER LIMIT (SLICKS)
Australian Grand Prix Winners 1985 – 2018
|
Year |
Driver |
Constructor |
Circuit |
|
2018 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
|
|
2017 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
Albert Park |
|
2016 |
Nico Rosberg |
Mercedes |
|
|
2015 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
|
|
2014 |
Nico Rosberg |
Mercedes |
|
|
2013 |
Kimi Räikkönen |
Lotus-Renault |
|
|
2012 |
Jenson Button |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
2011 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Red Bull-Renault |
|
|
2010 |
Jenson Button |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
2009 |
Jenson Button |
Brawn-Mercedes |
|
|
2008 |
Lewis Hamilton |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
2007 |
Kimi Räikkönen |
Ferrari |
|
|
2006 |
Fernando Alonso |
Renault |
|
|
2005 |
Giancarlo Fisichella |
Renault |
|
|
2004 |
Michael Schumacher |
Ferrari |
|
|
2003 |
David Coulthard |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
2002 |
Michael Schumacher |
Ferrari |
|
|
2001 |
Michael Schumacher |
Ferrari |
|
|
2000 |
Michael Schumacher |
Ferrari |
|
|
1999 |
Eddie Irvine |
Ferrari |
|
|
1998 |
Mika Häkkinen |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
1997 |
David Coulthard |
McLaren-Mercedes |
|
|
1996 |
Damon Hill |
Williams-Renault |
|
|
1995 |
Damon Hill |
Williams-Renault |
Adelaide |
|
1994 |
Nigel Mansell |
Williams-Renault |
|
|
1993 |
Ayrton Senna |
McLaren-Ford |
|
|
1992 |
Gerhard Berger |
McLaren-Honda |
|
|
1991 |
Ayrton Senna |
McLaren-Honda |
|
|
1990 |
Nelson Piquet |
Benetton-Ford |
|
|
1989 |
Thierry Boutsen |
Williams-Renault |
|
|
1988 |
Alain Prost |
McLaren-Honda |
|
|
1987 |
Gerhard Berger |
Ferrari |
|
|
1986 |
Alain Prost |
McLaren-TAG |
|
|
1985 |
Keke Rosberg |
Williams-Honda |
Multiple Winners (Drivers)
|
# of wins |
Driver |
Years Won |
|
4 |
Michael Schumacher |
2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 |
|
3 |
Jenson Button |
2009, 2010, 2012 |
|
Sebastian Vettel |
2011, 2017, 2018 |
|
|
2 |
Alain Prost |
1986, 1988 |
|
Gerhard Berger |
1987, 1992 |
|
|
Ayrton Senna |
1991, 1993 |
|
|
Damon Hill |
1995, 1996 |
|
|
David Coulthard |
1997, 2003 |
|
|
Kimi Räikkönen |
2007, 2013 |
|
|
Lewis Hamilton |
2008, 2015 |
|
|
Nico Rosberg |
2014, 2016 |
Multiple Winners (Constructors)
|
Wins |
Constructor |
Years Won |
|
11 |
McLaren |
1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003, |
|
9 |
Ferrari |
1987, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2017, 2018 |
|
5 |
Williams |
1985, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996 |
|
3 |
Mercedes |
2014, 2015, 2016 |
|
2 |
Renault |
2005, 2006 |
Numbers and Facts
Most wins (driver) 4 / Michael Schumacher (2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2004)
Most wins (constructor) 11 / McLaren (1986 – 1988 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1997 – 1998 – 2003 – 2008 – 2010 – 2012)
Wins from pole position 14 / Most recent 2015 (Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes)
Lowest grid for past winner 11 / David Coulthard 2003
Most recent 1-2 finish 2016 / Nico Rosberg – Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes
Most emphatic win (here) 38.020 / 1996 between Damon Hill – Jacques Villeneuve
Closest winning margin 0.702 / 1997 between Mika Hakkinen – David Coulthard
Safety Car-affected races 13 / 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2006 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2018
Rain affected races 3 / 1989 – 1991 – 2010
Red Flag (and result declared) races 1 1991 race stopped and result declared after 14 laps (race Red Flagged in 2016 but restarted)
Most podiums (constructor) 26 / McLaren
Most podiums (driver) 8 / Lewis Hamilton
Most pole positions (driver) 7 Lewis Hamilton (2008 – 12 – 14 – 15 – 16 –17 – 18)
Most pole positions (constructor) 10 / McLaren (1988 – 1989 – 1991 – 1993 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2008 – 2012)
What Happened last race here?
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was the defending race winner.
Lewis Hamilton started the race from pole—his seventh pole position in Australia, a record for the event—while Vettel successfully defended his race win, the forty-eighth of his career.
2018 Race Classification
|
Pos. |
Driver |
Constructor |
Time/Retired |
Grid |
|
1 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
1:29:33.283 |
3 |
|
2 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
+5.036 |
1 |
|
3 |
Kimi Räikkönen |
Ferrari |
+6.309 |
2 |
|
4 |
Daniel Ricciardo |
Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer |
+7.069 |
8 |
|
5 |
Fernando Alonso |
McLaren-Renault |
+27.886 |
10 |
|
6 |
Max Verstappen |
Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer |
+28.945 |
4 |
|
7 |
Nico Hülkenberg |
Renault |
+32.671 |
7 |
|
8 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Mercedes |
+34.339 |
15 |
|
9 |
Stoffel Vandoorne |
McLaren-Renault |
+34.921 |
11 |
|
10 |
Carlos Sainz Jr. |
Renault |
+45.722 |
9 |
|
11 |
Sergio Pérez |
Force India-Mercedes |
+46.817 |
12 |
|
12 |
Esteban Ocon |
Force India-Mercedes |
+1:00.278 |
14 |
|
13 |
Charles Leclerc |
Sauber-Ferrari |
+1:15.759 |
18 |
|
14 |
Lance Stroll |
Williams-Mercedes |
+1:18.288 |
13 |
|
15 |
Brendon Hartley |
Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda |
+1 lap |
16 |
|
Ret |
Romain Grosjean |
Haas-Ferrari |
Wheel |
6 |
|
Ret |
Kevin Magnussen |
Haas-Ferrari |
Wheel |
5 |
|
Ret |
Pierre Gasly |
Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda |
Engine |
20 |
|
Ret |
Marcus Ericsson |
Sauber-Ferrari |
Hydraulics |
17 |
|
Ret |
Sergey Sirotkin |
Williams-Mercedes |
Brakes |
19 |
Did you know?
DRIVERS
✪ Lewis Hamilton has won 31.9% of all GP he’s started (73 wins from 229 starts) and is in the top 10 drivers races to win ratio of all-time. Here’s how he compares:-
- Fangio 47.0%, 2. Ascari 40.6%, 3. Clark 34.7%, 4.L.Hamilton 31.9%, 5. M. Schumacher 29.7%, 6. Ja. Stewart 27.2%, 7. Prost 25.6%, 8. A. Senna 25.5%, Moss 24.2%, 10. Vettel 23.7% (52/219)
✪ Nobody has taken more pole positions for the Australian Grand Prix than Hamilton, 7 including the past 5
✪ Sebastian Vettel will have to wait until at least China to lead 100 Grand Prix. He has to date led 98 (Grand Prix)
✪ Victory on Sunday for Vettel will see him equal Michael Schumacher’s record 4 F1 World Championship Australian Grand Prix wins
✪ Max Verstappen has already beaten Ayrton Senna’s career F1 World Championship points total (Senna 614, Verstappen currently 655)
✪ Verstappen will be looking to continue his run of podium finishes (5 so far) that began in Japan last season
✪ Valtteri Bottas set fastest lap 7 times last season. It is the same number of set in 2018 by Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen combined
✪ Bottas has finished the same number of Grand Prix in the points as Mika Hakkinen (83)
✪ Just 10 drivers have won more GP than Daniel Ricciardo (7) and not won the World Championship at some point in their career
✪ Mark Webber’s 5th-place podium (!) from 2001 remains the only time an Australian driver has stood on the post race podium for their home Grand Prix
CONSTRUCTORS
✪ Mercedes scored their 101st F1 World Championship pole position in Abu Dhabi. The total is the 5th highest in the history of the championship. Mercedes’s next target is 4th-best Lotus with 107 pole positions. Top all-time is Ferrari with 219
✪ The next front row place for Mercedes will be their 180th in World Championship F1
✪ Mercedes aiming in 2019 to equal Ferrari’s all-time record of 6 Constructor World titles in a row (Ferrari 1999-2004)
✪ Ferrari was the only team to score championship points in all 21 races last season
✪ Ferrari has won the Australian Grand Prix for the past 2 years
✪ McLaren has won a record 11 Australian Grand Prix (next-best Ferrari 10) but this year’s race is likely to mark the team’s 100th race since they last scored even a podium (here in 2014, Jenson Button 2nd and Kevin Magnussen 3rd)
Driver’s penalty points:
|
Driver |
Penalty points |
|
Romain Grosjean |
7 |
|
Max Verstappen |
7 |
|
Lance Stroll |
7 |
|
Sergio Perez |
5 |
|
Sebastian Vettel |
5 |
|
Pierre Gasly |
4 |
|
Valtteri Bottas |
4 |
|
Nico Hulkenberg |
3 |
|
Carlos Sainz |
3 |
|
Kevin Magnussen |
2 |
|
Kimi Raikkonen |
2 |
|
Daniel Ricciardo |
2 |
