2019 Australian Grand Prix

Between-race developments

Race Director Charlie Whiting died suddenly in the week before the race. Deputy Race Director Michael Masi has been named as his temporary successor, with local officials filling Whiting’s additional roles until a permanent appointment is made ahead of Bahrain. Melbourne’s Federation Square hosted a season launch event in the days before the race — the first of its kind for Formula One.

Entrants

Several drivers make their Formula One debuts this weekend: Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso), Lando Norris (McLaren), and George Russell (Williams). Returning to the grid are Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo Racing), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), and Robert Kubica (Williams). Kubica’s return is the most remarkable — he has not started an F1 race since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having spent eight years recovering from a 2011 rallying accident that left him with a partially severed right hand.

Ferrari’s Mission Winnow branding is absent from the cars at this race, banned by local authorities for not complying with laws governing tobacco sponsorship.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the C2 compound as the hard, C3 as the medium, and C4 as the soft.

Practice

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in all three practice sessions. The sessions ran without major incident apart from Albon spinning at turn 2 and hitting the wall in FP1 — he returned to the pits for repairs. In FP3, McLaren released Norris into the path of Robert Kubica; the team was later fined for the unsafe release.