Third round of 2024 Formula 1 World Championship kicks off this weekend in Melbourne, Australia.
O Australian Grand Prixwhich for years served as the season-opening stage, remains a popular event on the calendar and this year there has already been some pre-race action.
After crashing his car during a practice session on Friday, Williams’ Alex Albon will now use his teammate Logan Sargeant’s car for the rest of the weekend. Sargeant will have to sit out because the team has no spare car and the damage to Albon’s car is too severe to repair.
While Sargeant misses out, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz returns in Melbourne after missing the previous one Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis surgery. Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman replaced Sainz and managed to score some points after finishing in a respectable seventh place.
Albert Park Circuit, home of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix takes place at the Albert Park Circuit, a street circuit that has been on the F1 calendar since 1996. The current layout measures 3.28 miles and has 14 corners.
With 72% of the lap time and 79% of the lap distance spent at full throttle, the Albert Park Circuit ranks third among all circuits on the calendar, measured by both metrics. The circuit also has the shortest pit lane on the calendar at just over 900 feet, meaning cars only spend around 13 seconds at pit lane speed.
The weather can be mixed in Melbourne, but the current forecast calls for mild temperatures and mostly sunny conditions for both Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. In a change from last year, Pirelli has named its softest tires in the range: the C3 as the hard white, the C4 as the medium yellow and the C5 as the soft red.
At the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship with 51 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 36 points and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 28 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 87 points, against 49 for Ferrari and 28 for McLaren. Last year’s winner in Melbourne was Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.
