2018 Australian Grand Prix

Entrants

Charles Leclerc, the reigning Formula 2 and 2016 GP3 champion, makes his Formula One competitive debut with Sauber, replacing Pascal Wehrlein. Sergey Sirotkin, former Renault test and SMP Racing driver, debuts at Williams in place of the retired Felipe Massa. Toro Rosso field 2016 GP2 champion Pierre Gasly and two-time World Endurance co-champion Brendon Hartley as full-time drivers; both made their F1 debuts with the team in the latter stages of 2017. This is the first Grand Prix without a Brazilian driver since the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix.

The race marks the competitive debut of the halo cockpit protection device after 18 months of rigorous testing. Starting gantries have been lowered to improve starting light visibility, and drivers were permitted to practise standing starts after Friday sessions to familiarise themselves with the change.

Championship context

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel enter the season as the only two drivers in Formula One history to simultaneously hold four world championships. Each has the opportunity to equal Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of five titles. Hamilton said the prospect excited him: “In my mind I want to break barriers, push the envelope and see how far I can take the ability I have and reach my full potential. I hope that I haven’t reached my peak yet.” Vettel was more measured: “That’s a long way ahead, and we all know how many things need to come together to fight for the championship to the end of the season. Times are also very different to when Fangio achieved his five titles.”

Track notes

A third DRS zone has been added for this event. The detection point is on the approach to the turns 11–12 chicane, with activation on the exit of turn 12. The two existing zones — on the main straight and the straight between turns 2 and 3 — are unchanged.

Penalties

Ricciardo was given a three-place grid penalty and two superlicence penalty points after FP2 for failing to maintain the minimum time required under red flag conditions.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the ultrasoft (purple), supersoft (red), and soft (yellow) compounds.

Practice

Hamilton topped FP1 on the supersoft compound, 0.551 seconds clear of Bottas, with Verstappen third. Alonso spent the first hour in the garage with an exhaust problem. FP2 also went to Hamilton, who set the day’s fastest time of 1:23.931 after switching to the ultrasoft. A miscommunication between Räikkönen and Bottas sent Bottas into the gravel trap under braking; Ocon also ran into the turn 3 gravel early in the session. The session was briefly stopped when a timing cable fell onto the start/finish straight. Force India chose not to run in wet FP3, citing a lack of spare parts. Saturday’s session ran on a wet track: Vettel led at 1:26.067, Räikkönen second, Ericsson third. Hamilton’s steering wheel was replaced in the pits mid-session after developing a fault.