Following the long winter break and 12 days of testing, the F1 circus will reconvene in Melbourne, Australia, this weekend for the start of the 2015 season.
Despite few changes to the regulations, plenty of uncertainty surrounds the sport’s 66th year, as Mercedes looks to repeat last year’s domination and the rest of the pack hopes to close the gap.
The Albert Park Circuit once again hosts the season opener. The popular venue is situated right in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, surrounded by stunning parkland and the city skyline.
Winter testing has given us a glimpse of what the pecking order could be, but it always takes a few races for it to really settle down. Mercedes looks set to remain at the front of the field, with Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull battling it out for the final podium position.
The midfield fight should be a close one, with Lotus leading the way and Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber in the mix close behind. Meanwhile big question marks loom over McLaren and Manor Marussia.
Reliability problems plagued the former’s pre-season running and we have yet to see what the MP4-30 can really do, while an investment boost has seen the latter remarkably move out of administration. However, it will likely be a tough start to the year, with Manor Marussia running a revised version of its 2014 car.
The layout of the Albert Park Circuit is relatively straight-forward. It features a mix of medium-speed chicanes, high-speed kinks and short straights and has one of the lowest turn-angles of the year. It is also surrounded by unforgiving barriers and the unpredictable weather can often cause chaos.
The temporary 3.295-mile track is constructed between January and March, taking around 290,000 man hours to build. As it takes place on public roads, grip levels are low and its bumpy, stop-start nature means it isn’t the most reliable barometer of the competitive order.
The lap kicks off on the relatively short start/finish straight, with the pit lane and exit to the right. This is where the first of two DRS zones will be positioned. The opening corner is one of the tightest on the track and often causes contact in the opening laps. It is also one of the best overtaking spots.
Turn 2 is a flat-out left-hander that leads onto a long straight, where the second DRS zone will be. The third bend is a slow right-hand hairpin that makes up the best overtaking opportunity of the lap, due to the heavy braking zone.
Turn 4 is a medium-speed left and is followed by the flat-out right of Turn 5. It leads onto a short, gently curving straight, which is where the first sector ends. The sixth and seventh corners make up a right-left chicane that is followed by a fast kink. A right-left chicane is then proceeded by a long and curving flat-out section, meaning a good exit is very important.
The second sector ends as drivers brake for the fast, sweeping Turn 11 and 12 complex. The high-speed left-right chicane is arguably the most difficult part of the track, particularly in wet conditions.
Another long straight follows before the heavy braking zone for Turn 13, a 90-degree right-hander that is another good overtaking spot. The final sector is quite narrow, with the mid-speed right of Turn 14 leading to the slow Turn 15 hairpin. The final corner is a long and tricky right-hander that leads onto the pit straight, with the pit entry on the inside.
Due to the low grip levels and varied demands of the Albert Park Circuit, Pirelli will take the white-marked medium and yellow-striped soft compound tyres to the first race of the new season.
Due to the number of mid-speed chicanes and lack of particularly long straights, the track favours a high downforce set-up. The likelihood of a Safety Car is high and with plenty of unanswered questions, it should be an exciting and intriguing Australian Grand Prix.
Last year’s race kicked off F1’s new V6 turbo era, with Nico Rosberg taking victory for Mercedes. The Brackley-based outfit quickly stamped its authority on the 2014 season, but it was a far from perfect Australian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton retiring thanks to a power unit issue.
Daniel Ricciardo surprised many by finishing second in his first race for Red Bull, but a fuel flow infringement caused him to be excluded, elevating rookie Kevin Magnussen and his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button to second and third. Fernando Alonso was fourth for Ferrari. The Spaniard will not be racing in Melbourne, as he recovers from a crash in testing. Magnussen will replace him at McLaren.
Four F1 drivers will make their debuts in Australia – Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, Felipe Nasr and Roberto Merhi. The former will become the sport’s youngest ever driver when he takes to the track, at the age of just 17. The race will also be Sebastian Vettel’s first for Ferrari and Daniil Kvyat’s first for Red Bull.
Australian Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Track Length: 3.295 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 58
First race: 1985 (Albert Part track 1996)
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1m24.125
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2014 race winner: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:44.231
2014 fastest lap: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:32.478
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights on BBC One)
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
The Albert Park Circuit once again hosts the season opener. The popular venue is situated right in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, surrounded by stunning parkland and the city skyline.
 |
| © McLaren Honda |
Winter testing has given us a glimpse of what the pecking order could be, but it always takes a few races for it to really settle down. Mercedes looks set to remain at the front of the field, with Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull battling it out for the final podium position.
The midfield fight should be a close one, with Lotus leading the way and Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber in the mix close behind. Meanwhile big question marks loom over McLaren and Manor Marussia.
Reliability problems plagued the former’s pre-season running and we have yet to see what the MP4-30 can really do, while an investment boost has seen the latter remarkably move out of administration. However, it will likely be a tough start to the year, with Manor Marussia running a revised version of its 2014 car.
The layout of the Albert Park Circuit is relatively straight-forward. It features a mix of medium-speed chicanes, high-speed kinks and short straights and has one of the lowest turn-angles of the year. It is also surrounded by unforgiving barriers and the unpredictable weather can often cause chaos.
The temporary 3.295-mile track is constructed between January and March, taking around 290,000 man hours to build. As it takes place on public roads, grip levels are low and its bumpy, stop-start nature means it isn’t the most reliable barometer of the competitive order.
 |
| © Williams F1 Team |
The lap kicks off on the relatively short start/finish straight, with the pit lane and exit to the right. This is where the first of two DRS zones will be positioned. The opening corner is one of the tightest on the track and often causes contact in the opening laps. It is also one of the best overtaking spots.
Turn 2 is a flat-out left-hander that leads onto a long straight, where the second DRS zone will be. The third bend is a slow right-hand hairpin that makes up the best overtaking opportunity of the lap, due to the heavy braking zone.
Turn 4 is a medium-speed left and is followed by the flat-out right of Turn 5. It leads onto a short, gently curving straight, which is where the first sector ends. The sixth and seventh corners make up a right-left chicane that is followed by a fast kink. A right-left chicane is then proceeded by a long and curving flat-out section, meaning a good exit is very important.
The second sector ends as drivers brake for the fast, sweeping Turn 11 and 12 complex. The high-speed left-right chicane is arguably the most difficult part of the track, particularly in wet conditions.
Another long straight follows before the heavy braking zone for Turn 13, a 90-degree right-hander that is another good overtaking spot. The final sector is quite narrow, with the mid-speed right of Turn 14 leading to the slow Turn 15 hairpin. The final corner is a long and tricky right-hander that leads onto the pit straight, with the pit entry on the inside.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Due to the low grip levels and varied demands of the Albert Park Circuit, Pirelli will take the white-marked medium and yellow-striped soft compound tyres to the first race of the new season.
Due to the number of mid-speed chicanes and lack of particularly long straights, the track favours a high downforce set-up. The likelihood of a Safety Car is high and with plenty of unanswered questions, it should be an exciting and intriguing Australian Grand Prix.
Last year’s race kicked off F1’s new V6 turbo era, with Nico Rosberg taking victory for Mercedes. The Brackley-based outfit quickly stamped its authority on the 2014 season, but it was a far from perfect Australian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton retiring thanks to a power unit issue.
Daniel Ricciardo surprised many by finishing second in his first race for Red Bull, but a fuel flow infringement caused him to be excluded, elevating rookie Kevin Magnussen and his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button to second and third. Fernando Alonso was fourth for Ferrari. The Spaniard will not be racing in Melbourne, as he recovers from a crash in testing. Magnussen will replace him at McLaren.
Four F1 drivers will make their debuts in Australia – Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, Felipe Nasr and Roberto Merhi. The former will become the sport’s youngest ever driver when he takes to the track, at the age of just 17. The race will also be Sebastian Vettel’s first for Ferrari and Daniil Kvyat’s first for Red Bull.
 |
| © Formula1.com |
Australian Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Track Length: 3.295 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 58
First race: 1985 (Albert Part track 1996)
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1m24.125
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2014 race winner: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:44.231
2014 fastest lap: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:32.478
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights on BBC One)
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