The first Grand Prix of the Formula One season is almost upon us, and Australia is back to being the first circuit on the calendar (more about that later…). So, to gather some knowledge before race day, here’s ten facts about the Australian Grand Prix.
- An Aussie Driver has never Officially Classified on the Podium
- Ever since the Australian Grand Prix became a part of the official F1 Championship, no Australian has stood on the podium on home soil. Oscar Piastri did manage fourth in 2024, just one spot off, and Daniel Ricciardo almost touched victory when he came in second at the 2019 Grand Prix. However, later it was found that his car had exceeded max fuel flow limits, which caused him to be disqualified. This year, Piastri is in the best position possible to finally break the curse!
- The Grand Prix in 1991 was the Shortest F1 Race in History
- Back when the Australian Grand Prix was held in Adelaide, the 1991 race was only 16 laps and only lasted 24 minutes due to torrential rain. The points were awarded based on the results after the 14th lap, which meant Ayrton Senna, driving for McLaren, had won the race.
- In 2024, a Record 452,055 Fans Attended the Australian Grand Prix
- This was the most amount of spectators ever to attend the four day event of the Australian Grand Prix, and since it occurred last season, we can only assume the number will go even higher this year, especially with all the excitement surrounding the 2025 F1 season.
- Last Season, Max Verstappen Retired for the First Time in Two Years
- Coincidentally, before last year’s Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s last DNF was also in Australia, in 2022. However, come 2024, his streak broke after a right rear brake stuck, causing him to make his only retirement of the season.
- 400,000 Working Hours in Approx. 70 Days is Needed to Build the Circuit
- The Albert Park Circuit is one of the street circuits on the calendar, and so consequently needs a lot of time to be built. Infrastructure like the track build, grandstands, and trackside fencing, will start to be put up around two months before the race. The construction also requires around 9,000 tons of high-performance asphalt mix to create the optimal track for the Formula One cars.
- At the Grand Prix, the Cars can Reach a Speed of 205 mph
- For 2025, one of the major changed to the circuit was the removal of the chicane in turns 9 and 10. In doing this, the circuit now has a 1.3 km stretch of Lakeside Drive. On this straight, the cars will be able to reach speeds of around 330 km/h, or 205 mph. Last year, Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap on this circuit with a time of 1:19.813, but with the removal of the chicane, we might see faster times rolling in.
- For 2025, Two Australian Drivers are on the Grid
- Oscar Piastri, who just extended his contract with McLaren, will be hoping that he can pull out a win at his home race, or at the very least a podium. The Alpine rookie, Jack Doohan, will also be racing on home soil, but it’s very unlikely he’ll be vying for a podium. Instead Doohan will try to handle the home crowd’s expectations while proving himself to be a worthy Formula One racer.
- Around 15-17 Drivers are Expected to Finish this Grand Prix
- There is normally an abundance of DNFs in Australia, and last year saw three retire, including Max Verstappen. And in 2023 there was three red flags, which was the most red flags during a race in F1 history. This season, there is a 67% chance of a saftey car appearing.
- Rain will be Coming this Sunday
- Even though Friday and Saturday will be sunny and mostly dry, there is over an 80% chance of heavy rain on race day. So, keep a look out for those intermediate and wet tires in the teams’ garages!
- Australia has not held the Season Opener since 2019
- The race was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and this season will be Australia’s first time hosting the first Grand Prix of the season since 2019. However, it has been a race on the calendar for much longer. The race first became part of the F1 World Championship in 1985 and was held in Adelaide before the location was moved to Melbourne in 1996. Now, the race is back to being the opening race, and one we can all hardly wait for!
