The Australian Grand Prix is often a hot affair. The Formula One season opener comes through Melbourne at the tail end of tarmac-melting summer, the week before the nation’s first round of AFL fixtures, and a couple of months after the Australian Open. F1 fans worldwide are hungry for the first broadcast of the 2019 season and Albert Park is a fine place to start, with the picturesque lake and lush greenery a beautiful backdrop.
The Victorian capital has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, taking it from Adelaide shortly after Melbourne lost its bid for the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta. Rumour has it that the loss, combined with Sydney’s successful bid for the 2000 Olympics, fuelled the state government’s drive to secure the race. Bernie Ecclestone memorably said the negotiations took just 10 minutes – faster than a flat white at a Melbourne cafe. It wasn’t always popular: local residents lamented the lack of access to the park for three months of the year and said that the money could be better spent elsewhere. But the Melbourne contract was re-signed in 2015 and continues until 2023, so it’s not going anywhere any time soon.
A few days before the Australian GP, F1 fans are greeted by a slightly different scene to what they may expect. The race is preceded by a V8 Supercars round on the same circuit. F1 is to wine and cheese as V8s are to beer, fries and pies – and the combination of motorsport cultures is fantastic.
For days before the first Formula One free practice, a walk around the Albert Park grounds will treat you to revs of engines that growl a little deeper, racing that’s a little rougher and fans who barrack a little louder. The beauty is that no matter what chassis or engine fans are into, all are brought to the park by the love of motorsport.
The V8s also give Australian drivers a sense of glory on a track where success seems to elude their compatriots in F1. An Australian has never won in Melbourne; Daniel Ricciardo, the only Australian on the grid, has yet to clinch a podium place: his best result was fourth in 2016 and 2018, equalling Mark Webber’s 2012 result. This will be Ricciardo’s debut with Renault, and given the team’s performance at testing in Barcelona last month, it doesn’t look like 2019 is set for an Australian podium finish.
Although local fans might not be holding their breath for a record-changing moment, it will be a season opener to watch. There is so much going on: numerous technical rule changes introduced in a bid to increase overtaking and allow for higher top speeds and all round better racing.
There are fresh on-track marriages worth keeping an eye on, Red Bull with Honda being the most intriguing. There are a number of drivers making their debut: Britain’s George Russell and Lando Norris, and the half-Thai half-British Alex Albon. All of these ingredients, combined with an exciting number of driver pairings in Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen, Nico Hülkenberg and Ricciardo, are setting the scene for a delicious F1 feast.
