Presentation – Australian GP: The long-awaited event of the season

« The start of each new season brings a mix of emotions, the excitement of racing again and the feeling of the unknown due to the new regulations introduced in the discipline for this season. We already know that driving will be much more physical and that the single-seaters will be a real challenge in terms of driving. »

Determining factor that would make Fernando Alonso, author of these remarks, stay in Formula 1, having less easy-to-drive cars was something expected by many drivers. The veterans – affectionately – such as Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa, and Fernando Alonso are returning this season to cars that resemble those they drove in the previous decade, much to their liking. The younger drivers, on the other hand, face a new challenge. Lewis Hamilton thus stated about Lance Stroll: “It’s the worst year to arrive in F1.”

Another important element is the physical constraint for the drivers. With single-seaters announced to be four to five seconds faster than the previous season, drivers had less than three months to prepare for this new challenge. Fatigue will be a crucial factor at the end of each Grand Prix, and it is not excluded that victory may elude a driver due to this factor.

Grand Prix debut since 1996

On the Formula 1 calendar since 1985, the Australian Grand Prix has seen two circuits. The more seasoned among you remember the Adelaide street circuit, while the younger ones only know the current semi-urban circuit at Albert Park. Since the Grand Prix moved to the streets of Melbourne, the Australian Grand Prix has been the opening round of the world championship, except for 2006 and 2010 when Bahrain had that honor. Since 2009, the race has started at 5 PM (local time) to ensure it is broadcast at a less early hour in Europe.

The record holder for victories on the streets of Melbourne is Michael Schumacher with 4 wins, followed by Jenson Button with his 3 victories. Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton are the most successful active drivers, each with 2 wins. Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have also each claimed one victory.

What should we expect?

The possibility of an upheaval in the hierarchy for the 2017 season was dismissed during the Barcelona tests in late February, but each team has not yet revealed its full potential. Melbourne will be the meeting point to establish a hierarchy of the pure performance of the cars and drivers, in relation to the increased physical constraints brought about by the new regulations.

To observe the change in tire size this season, here are the 2016 and 2017 versions side by side.

For now, Ferrari’s return to business seems to be taking shape, having demonstrated its performance by setting the absolute best time in winter testing and, above all, its reliability by being the second team to cover the most laps. As a solid world champion, the Mercedes team should once again give its direct competitors a run for their money.

On the other hand, the lack of reliability and performance have highlighted McLaren and Sauber. For the Woking team, the biggest concern is its engine block. Thus, the new version of the Honda engine did not bring much satisfaction when it didn’t stop abruptly on the track. The MCL32 received five engine transplants in eight days of testing, so the preparation work has been significantly delayed for the start of this season. Across the Alps, the Hinwil team primarily struggles with its engine. The 2016 version of the Ferrari engine block is a handicap in terms of power, but the chassis also seems to pose a problem. The Sauber C35 recorded the slowest times in Barcelona, three-tenths behind an asthmatic McLaren.

This lack of performance from certain teams allows us to recall the 107% rule applied in qualifications. To be able to start the race, a driver must achieve a time in Q1 that is less than 107% of the best time of the session. It is important to note, however, that despite this rule, race direction is generally relatively lenient and allows drivers who have exceeded these 107% to start on Sunday.

Still on the stopwatch side, circuit time records might well be broken this season. This was proven at the Circuit de Catalunya during testing. Concerning the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, the pole position record is held by Sebastian Vettel (1’23″529), set in 2011 driving the RB7; the lap record is also German, with Michael Schumacher in 2004 driving the F2004, completing the lap in 1’24″215.

To (truly) know everything…

The specificity of this championship’s start lies in the choice of tires. Pirelli is evolving its tires this season, and to avoid any issues with teams that have not yet been able to test them, the Italian manufacturer will provide each team with two sets of the hardest compound, four sets of the medium compound, and seven sets of the softest compound. Note that this season the “ultra-soft” tire makes its appearance in Melbourne.

Meet the #AusGP circuit the first challenge #F1 2017! https://t.co/11ThlYnk67 pic.twitter.com/ObrWdjB6B8

— Pirelli Motorsport (@Pirellisport) March 20, 2017

Regarding the DRS, the circuit has two activation zones: the start/finish straight and the second straight section between turns 2 and 3. Activation is conditioned by the detection zone positioned at the braking of turn 14, before the chicane (turns 15-16) which leads to the pit straight.

On the weather side, no rain is expected throughout the sessions. However, it should be noted that showers might soak the track on Saturday morning and cool it down for the third free practice session. Ambient temperatures around 20-25°C will help heat the asphalt to ensure good track conditions.

Don’t forget the TV schedule!