The 2015 Formula One season begins with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia.
Too young?
This will be the 31st F1 world championship running of the Australian GP. It’s the 20th consecutive year this race has been held at Albert Park. It’s also the 18th time the F1 season opener takes place in Australia.
Albert Park is a temporary circuit with parts of the track used for road traffic for the majority of the year. This circuit features unusually high grip-evolution, which leads to falling lap times over the course of the weekend, as the track “rubbers-in.”
Before the Australian GP was moved to Albert Park in 1996, this race was held on the street circuit in Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide hosted the F1 season finale from 1985-95.
Michael Schumacher holds the record for most victories in the Australian GP with four (2000, ’01, ’02 and ’04). Jenson Button from McLaren has won this race in three of the last six years. Button finished sixth in 2011, ninth in 2013 and third last year.
Fernando Alonso, driving for McLaren this year after spending the past five seasons with Ferrari, will not compete in this weekend’s Australian GP due to a concussion he suffered during an accident in testing last month in Barcelona, Spain. Kevin Magnussen, now a test and reserve driver for McLaren, is scheduled to fill-in for Alonso in Melbourne. Alonso is expected to return for the Malaysian Grand Prix the last weekend in March.
The race winner at Albert Park has started on the pole position eight times. Vettel most recently did it in 2011.
Round 2 in the 2015 F1 world championship is the March 29 Malaysian GP in Kuala Lumpur. Lewis Hamilton won last year’s race there.