After a long winter break and eight days of testing, the F1 circus will reconvene in Melbourne, Australia, this weekend for the start of the new 2016 season.
Despite only minor changes to the regulations for the second consecutive year, there are still plenty of unanswered questions ahead of the opening round at the Albert Park Circuit.
The temporary street track hosts the season opener once again and is a popular venue, situated right in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. It is surrounded by beautiful parkland and boasts a stunning city skyline backdrop.
The Albert Park Circuit layout features a mix of medium-speed chicanes, high-speed kinks and short straights. It has one of the lowest turn-angles of the year and is also surrounded by unforgiving barriers. Unpredictable weather can often cause chaos too.
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 the surface is bumpy, while its stop/start nature means it is not the most reliable barometer of the competitive order.
A lap of the Australian Grand Prix venue 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.
Turn 2 is a flat-out left-hander, leading onto a long straight, where the second DRS zone will be. The third bend is a slow right-hand hairpin and is one of the best overtaking opportunities 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. 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 narrow, with the mid-speed right of Turn 14 leading to the slow Turn 15 hairpin. The last corner is a long and tricky right-hander. It leads onto the pit straight, with the pit lane entry on the inside of Turn 16.
The low grip levels and mixed demands means Pirelli will take the medium, soft and super-soft tyres to Australia, with three nominated compounds in the new tyre regulations.
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 uncertainty and added pressure, it should be an exciting weekend.
Mercedes may not have set the headline times in testing but the W07 looks bulletproof and both drivers got very little running on softer tyre compounds. Ferrari looks set to be second best once again but it is tough to see how close the Prancing Horse will be to the Silver Arrows.
Williams and Red Bull enjoyed productive but low-key tests, while Toro Rosso impressed, Renault got on with the job ahead of what could be a tough 2016 and Force India showed flashes of positive pace.
Sauber struggled after the C35 only debuted at the second test, while McLaren got plenty of laps under their belts. Manor looked slightly off the pace but far quicker than 2015 and finally Haas F1 impressed ahead of the team’s debut season, surprising many.
Australian Grand Prix Fact File:
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| © Octane Photographic |
The temporary street track hosts the season opener once again and is a popular venue, situated right in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. It is surrounded by beautiful parkland and boasts a stunning city skyline backdrop.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The Albert Park Circuit layout features a mix of medium-speed chicanes, high-speed kinks and short straights. It has one of the lowest turn-angles of the year and is also surrounded by unforgiving barriers. Unpredictable weather can often cause chaos too.
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 the surface is bumpy, while its stop/start nature means it is not the most reliable barometer of the competitive order.
A lap of the Australian Grand Prix venue 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.
Turn 2 is a flat-out left-hander, leading onto a long straight, where the second DRS zone will be. The third bend is a slow right-hand hairpin and is one of the best overtaking opportunities of the lap, due to the heavy braking zone.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
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. 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 narrow, with the mid-speed right of Turn 14 leading to the slow Turn 15 hairpin. The last corner is a long and tricky right-hander. It leads onto the pit straight, with the pit lane entry on the inside of Turn 16.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The low grip levels and mixed demands means Pirelli will take the medium, soft and super-soft tyres to Australia, with three nominated compounds in the new tyre regulations.
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 uncertainty and added pressure, it should be an exciting weekend.
Mercedes may not have set the headline times in testing but the W07 looks bulletproof and both drivers got very little running on softer tyre compounds. Ferrari looks set to be second best once again but it is tough to see how close the Prancing Horse will be to the Silver Arrows.
Williams and Red Bull enjoyed productive but low-key tests, while Toro Rosso impressed, Renault got on with the job ahead of what could be a tough 2016 and Force India showed flashes of positive pace.
Sauber struggled after the C35 only debuted at the second test, while McLaren got plenty of laps under their belts. Manor looked slightly off the pace but far quicker than 2015 and finally Haas F1 impressed ahead of the team’s debut season, surprising many.
 |
| © Formula 1 |
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, 1:24.125
- Tyre compounds: Medium, soft and super-soft
- 2015 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
- 2015 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:26.327
- 2015 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:30.945
- Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights on Channel 4)
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