Australian GP

• No Australian driver has ever won, taken pole position, or reached the podium of the Australian GP (35 Grand Prixes).They have only recorded three fastest laps ever: Mark Webber in 2010 & Daniel Ricciardo in 2016 & 2018.
• A F1 World Championship has started away from Australia for the first time since 2020 with this GP in the F1 calendar (Jenson Button won that edition). Australian GP has been the opening race in 22 seasons, more than any other GP ever. Australia has hosted 35 years in a row until the Pandemy appeared the F1 here in 2020, 14th-15th March’s weekend
• Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (25/1) has taken eight pole positions at Albert Park, the most for a F1 driver ever. The Brit is one away from becoming the driver to have taken most pole position in a single circuit in F1 ever surpassing Michael Schumacher at Suzuka, Ayrton Senna at Imolay then owner Lewis Hamilton at Hungaroring (eight for each one).
• Despite taking eight pole positions, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has won only two wins at Albert Park (2008 & 2015). In fact, only one of the last eight winners in Australia was poleman (Lewis Hamilton in 2015).
• Mercedes AMG F1 have recorded last six pole positions in Australia, the best streak for a team in this GP ever. The Germans could fail to win & take the pole position both in their opening three GPs in a single season for the first time since 2011 (Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg).
• Thanks Sebastian Vettel’s (1000/1) wins in 2017 & 2018, Australia is one of the three tracks where Ferrari have recorded more than one victory since 2016, alongside Bahrein (3) & Belgium (2).
• Two Ferrari’s drivers could reach the podium in each one of the opening three GPs in a single season for the first time since 1961, when several drivers raced for each team. With Charles Leclerc as the joint favourite @ (6/4)
• Red Bull has won only one time in 15 races in Australia, more than any other circuit to record a victory for them (Sebastian Vettel in 2011). The Austrian team have the chance to surpass Lotus as the fifth constructor to have set fastest lap most often in F1 ever (both 76)
• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (6/4) has only one podium in five appearances in Australia (3rd in 2019) failing to take a pole position & set fastest lap both also. The Dutch could win two races in the opening three GPs in a single season for the first time in his F1 career.
• Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez (7/2) comes to this contest after becoming the first Mexican driver to be poleman in F1 ever & he is looking for surpassing Pedro Rodríguez as the Mexican driver to have recorded the most victories in F1 ever (both two).
• Charles Leclerc is copying the Sebastian Vettel’s starting for Ferrari in 2017 when the German won the first race being 2nd in the second GP. In that year, the current Aston Martin’s driver won the third race & recorded the Top2 in each one of the first six GPs of the 2017 season.
• Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (7/2) has reached the podium last three GPs, the best streak in his F1 career (3rd in Abu Dhabi, 2ndin Bahrain & 3rd in Saudi Arabia). The Spanish are currently achieving the best fifth run finishing in F1 ever (31 GPs without retiring).
• In Australia, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton will become the driver to have appeared the most races for a single team in F1 ever (181, surpassing the Michael Schumacher’s 180 for Ferrari). Besides, the Brit could surpass “Kaiser” (15, 1992-2006) as the F1 driver ever to have recorded most consecutive seasons winning a race (it would 16 in a row since 2007).
• George Russell (50/1) has become the second Mercedes’ driver to not reach the podium in his first three races after Michael Schumacher in 2010. However, the Brit has collected in each one of these races (9th at 2020 Sakhir, 4th at 2022 Bahrain & 5th at 2022 Saudí Arabian) & he could equal Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas (100/1) & Nico Rosberg as the second Mercedes’s driver with the best starting earning points (opening four GPs each one), only after Juan Manuel Fangio (six).
• Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (50/1) is 18 points (1st or 2nd place) away from earning 2000 points to be the third driver to reach this milestone after Lewis Hamilton & Sebastian Vettel. If collecting, Australian (115 points) would equal Hungary (137) as the GPs where the Asturian has earned more times in his F1 career.
• Daniel Ricciardo (125/1) have never failed to be out of the points’ places in the opening three races of a single season since 2012. The Aussie has collected only one of his last seven GPs (5th in Saudí Arabia) while his teammate LandoNorris has been in the Top 5 only one in the last 14 GPs (2nd in 2021 Italy) being out of the Top 5 only one in his previous 11 (8th in 2021 Spain).
• Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas (100/1) is looking for equaling Rubens Barrichello as the non-World Champions to have reached the most podiums in F1 ever (68). However, the Finnish could to retire back-to-back GPs for the second time in his F1 career, the first one was in 2015 for Williams: Russia & US).
• After being 5th in Bahrain & 9th in Saudí Arabia, Kevin Magnussen (250/1) could be the first HAAS driver to record three GPs collecting since…. Kevin Magnussen between 2018 & 2019. Not only Australia is the GP where the Danish have earned most points (26) if the GP where he raced his maiden race reaching the podium for the first & only time in his F1 career (2014).
• (Daily, Sunday). On this day 93 years ago, Mike Hawthorn was born in Yorkshire (England), the first F1 World Champions from UK in F1 ever & one of the two British F1 World Champions for Ferrari in 1958, alongside John Surtees in 1964.