The 2025 season of Formula 1 begins this weekend at Melbourne’s Albert Park with the Australian Grand Prix. Here’s what you need to know.
Aussies in Formula One
No Australian has ever finished on the podium at the Australian Grand Prix. 23-year-old Oscar Piastri looks to be a genuine contender among this year’s top drivers, however.
Piastri won two races last year and finished fourth overall. Could his third season bring home a first-place finish for Australia?
Another Aussie, Jack Doohan, will begin his first season as a full-time driver this weekend with Alpine. Doohan, the son of Australian motorcycle legend Mick Doohan, is under pressure to perform given Alpine’s reserve driver is Franco Colapinto, who scored two top-ten finishes last year.
Storylines
The central storyline heading into this weekend’s GP is Lewis Hamilton’s debut with Ferrari, Formula One’s most successful team. The seven-time world champion departed Mercedes last year after 11 seasons. Ferrari are the defending champions at the Australian GP after Carlos Sainz won last year’s race. Hamilton could extend their streak, having won twice in 2008 and 2015.
After testing in Bahrain last month, the strongest team looks to be McLaren, which won last year’s team prize (the Constructors’ Championship). Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff told reporters on Thursday: “There’s just a gap to the McLaren [cars] that everyone has experienced”.
Meanwhile, defending world champion Max Verstappen has said his team Red Bull is “not the quickest at the moment”. Even if it is a slow start to the season for Verstappen, who is partnered with Kiwi Liam Lawson, there is no ruling out the Dutchman for a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship.
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There is also some concern about the weather forecast. Qualifying on Saturday is set to be hot with temperatures reaching 36°C, while rain is forecast for Sunday.
VCARB rookie Isack Hadjar told The Daily Aus the possibility of “tricky conditions” on race day means there “will be a lot of opportunities for sure”.
Details
The drivers will complete 58 laps of the 5.3-km course, racing a total of 306km. Four drivers on the grid have won here before, with Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz and Charles Leclerc all having found success in Melbourne.
Melbourne has hosted the Australian GP since 1996.
How to watch
Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 4:00pm.
The main race starts at 3:00pm on Sunday (AEDT). You can watch the Australian GP on Channel 10, Foxtel, and Kayo.
