Highlights of the 2023 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen took residence Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as he battled Mercedes drivers, a number of Security Vehicles and three pink flags on the frenetic and action-packed 2023 Formulation 1 Australian Grand Prix.

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Verstappen misplaced to George Russell and Hamilton on the authentic race begin earlier than the Security Automotive rapidly appeared twice as Charles Leclerc pulled out of his collision with Lance Stroll and Alex Albon.

A subsequent pink flag on Albon’s incident introduced the sphere again into the pits. Hamilton led Verstappen and Alonso and took benefit of the misfortune of the 2 leaders, Russell and Carlos Sainz, to purchase new tires simply earlier than stopping.

With a free tire choice for the restart, Hamilton retained Verstappen’s lead at the beginning. Nonetheless, the Purple Bull driver quickly entered DRS vary and returned to P1 earlier than Russell’s distress was exacerbated by an apparent engine failure.

Verstappen ditched the early drama to maneuver into a cushty lead because the race developed. On the similar time, Hamilton retained P2 and commenced to rule the hole with Alonso, the place recovering Sainz and Pierre Gasly joined the struggle for podium positions.

However simply as command appeared locked, one other Security Automotive after which one other pink flag had been triggered when Kevin Magnussen crashed into the wall on his manner out of Flip 2, misplaced his rear proper wheel and scattered particles from his Haas over the race. liner.

This meant a 3rd foot begin and the opportunity of a two-lap shootout on the mushy tyres, however Sainz beat his Spanish buddy Alonso in 1.

On the again, Gasly dodges and, as he rejoins the observe, Alp collides with teammate Esteban Ocon, leaving each drivers on the scene. On the similar time, Logan Sargeant slammed behind Nyck de Vries and Sergio Perez rising from the pit lane, and Stroll made particular person off-track journeys.

After some confusion as to how the race would proceed and the outcomes decided, the proceedings had been continued behind the Security Automotive within the order of the earlier begin, with the eradicated vehicles eliminated – and at last the choice was made.

A bumpy begin took the sphere to the checkered flag as Verstappen crossed the road for his first victory in Australia. Hamilton and Alonso completed the rostrum forward of Sainz, Stroll, Perez and Lando Norris.

Sainz, nonetheless, was hit with a five-second time penalty for his conflict with Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg promoted everybody behind him whereas taking seventh from residence favourite Oscar Piastri, Zhou Guanyu, takeovers Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas.

De Vries, Sargeant, Magnussen, Russell, Albon and Leclerc watched the ultimate lap from the sidelines because the solar set on a really dramatic day on the Albert Park Circuit.

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director, Pirelli:

This was a really eventful Australian Grand Prix, with three pink flag durations, one security automobile and one digital security automobile. All of those occasions successfully described how the methods had been shaken, whereas by way of tire conduct, the compounds carried out as we anticipated and the onerous C2 tire performed the main function. When the primary security automobile got here out after Albon hit the observe on lap seven, some drivers beginning in mid gear shifted into onerous gear – adopted by others when the pink flag got here out to permit the observe to be cleared.

Regardless of not figuring out a lot about lengthy distances – only a few riders put collectively tracks longer than ten laps in free observe – the C2 proved to be a really constant tire by way of distortion and never removed from the velocity of the opposite nominated tires. fulfills all of the calls for positioned on it. The truth that we noticed all three compounds on the beginning line underlines how good it was to deliver it to Melbourne this 12 months, because the C4 tire is a sound race tire and is the hero of the ultimate run to the flag. , thanks to 2 virtually consecutive pink flag durations. This compound and medium carried out effectively at the moment with increased temperatures and a extra rubbery floor, albeit for a comparatively brief time period.

How the race was gained:

Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen wins the Australian Grand Prix for the primary time. In an action-packed race, the reigning world champion handed the checkered flag to 2 different world champions: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. All podium finishers completed the race on the P Zero Purple mushy after altering tires one lap after the end…

The Australian Grand Prix was interrupted by three security automobile durations and three pink flag durations, together with a pink flag with only one lap to complete, leading to a two-footed and remaining brisk begin. The digital security automobile additionally appeared on account of a automobile stopping on the exit of the pit space.

Frequent security automobile durations and different race interruptions significantly influenced racing methods. The highest three began with P Zero Yellow medium after which moved onerous to P Zero White on the primary neutralization. As a substitute, the final three laps had been completed with two units of soppy tires.

A complete of 10 riders have accomplished the longest distance on a tough tire, overlaying 47 laps on this observe, together with three podium contenders. Esteban Ocon of Alpine stored his onerous tires on lap one unchanged in the course of the first pink flag interval and accomplished 54 laps on the identical tyres. Alfa Romeo drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyou Zhou additionally drove the identical set of onerous tires over 50 laps.

AlphaTauri’s Nyck De Vries was the motive force to finish essentially the most consecutive laps on the opposite two tyres: 37 on the medium tyre, and 9 on the mushy tyre.

Purple Bull’s Sergio Perez set the quickest lap of the race utilizing the onerous tire (1:20.235 seconds), and was additionally one of many drivers to finish the longest time on this circuit. Alonso and De Vries had been the quickest on the medium and mushy tyres, with 1:22,603 and 1:21,183 respectively.

What’s subsequent?

After a really busy begin with three races in a single month, a brief break is taken for the FIA Formulation 1 World Championship. Subsequent is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which can also be supported by Formulation 2 from April 28-30. Only a week from now comes the primary of three American races this 12 months, with Miami holding its Grand Prix across the Laborious Rock stadium for the second 12 months. .

2023 Formulation 1 Australian Grand Prix Race Outcomes

Location	NO	driver	Nation	Set	Time	Factors	Complete
one.	one	Max Verstappen	Holland	Purple Bull Racing Honda	2:32:38,371	25	69
2.	44	Lewis Hamilton	Nice Britain	Mercedes-AMG Petronas	+0.179s	18	38
3.	14	Fernando Alonso	Spain	Alpine F1 Staff	+0.769s	15	45
4.	18	Spear Stroll	Canada	Aston Martin F1 Staff	+3.082s	12	20
5.	eleventh	Sergio Perez	Mexican	Purple Bull Racing Honda	+3.320s	eleventh	54
6.	4	Lando Norris	Nice Britain	McLaren Racing	+3.701s	8	8
7.	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Germany	Haas F1 Staff	+4.939s	6	6
8.	81	Oscar Piastri	Australia	McLaren Racing	+5.382s	4	4
9.	24	Zhou Guanyu	Chinese language	Alfa Romeo F1 Staff	+5.713s	2	2
10.	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Japan	Scuderia AlphaTauri	+6.052s	one	one
eleventh.	77	Valteri Bottas	Finland	Alfa Romeo F1 Staff	+6.513s	0	4
12.	55	Carlos Sainz	Spain	Scuderia Ferrari	+6.594s	0	20
13.	10	Pierre Gasly	France	Alpine F1 Staff	DNF	0	2
14.	31	Esteban Ocon	France	Alpine F1 Staff	DNF	0	4
15.	21	Nyck DeVries	Holland	Scuderia AlphaTauri	DNF	0	0
16.	2	Logan Sergeant	United States of America	Williams Race	DNF	0	0
17.	20	Kevin Magnussen	Denmark	Haas F1 Staff	DNF	0	one
18.	63	George Russell	Nice Britain	Mercedes-AMG Petronas	DNF	0	18
19.	45	Alexander Albon	Thailand	Williams Race	DNF	0	one
20.	16	Charles Leclerc	Monaco	Scuderia Ferrari	DNF	0	6

2023 Builder Standings

Location	Set	Factors
one.	Red Bull Racing	123
2.	Aston Martin F1 Team	65
3.	Mercedes-AMG F1 Team	56
4.	Scuderia Ferrari	26
5.	McLaren Racing	12
6.	Alpine F1 Team	8
7.	Haas F1 Team	7
8.	Alfa Romeo Racing	6
9.	Williams Race	one
10.	Scuderia AlphaTauri	one