Wikipedia

2024 Australian Grand Prix

The 2024 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024) was a Formula One motor race held on 24 March 2024 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Victoria. It was the third round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship.

2024 Australian Grand Prix
Race 3 of 24 in the 2024 Formula One World Championship
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Layout of the Albert Park Circuit
Layout of the Albert Park Circuit
Race details[1][2]
Date 24 March 2024
Official name Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024
Location Albert Park Circuit
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Course Street Circuit
Course length 5.278 km (3.280 miles)
Distance 58 laps, 306.124 km (190.217 miles)
Weather Sunny
Attendance 452,055[3]
Pole position
Driver
Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
Time 1:15.915
Fastest lap
Driver Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari
Time 1:19.813 on lap 56 (lap record)
Podium
First
Ferrari
Second
Ferrari
Third
McLaren-Mercedes
Lap leaders

After qualifying second, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. won the race, two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy that caused him to miss the preceding Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Pole-sitter Max Verstappen retired on lap four, breaking his streak of nine consecutive wins. Sainz's teammate, Charles Leclerc, followed in second for Ferrari's first 1–2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished third, surpassing Nick Heidfeld's record for the most podiums without a win in Formula One at fourteen; Norris would hold this record until he won his first race three Grands Prix later, at the Miami Grand Prix, thereby handing the record back to Heidfeld. The event sold out for the first time in its history and set a new attendance record at the circuit for the weekend.

Background

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The event was held at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne for the 27th time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 22–24 March.[4] The Grand Prix was the third round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship and the 87th running of the Australian Grand Prix.[5][6]

Championship standings before the race

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Ahead of the weekend race, Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship with 51 points, 15 points from his teammate Sergio Pérez in second, and 23 from Charles Leclerc in third.[4] Red Bull Racing led the Constructors' Championship on 87 points, separated from Ferrari by 38 points and McLaren by 59, in second and third, respectively.[7]

Entrants

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See also: 2024 Formula One World Championship § Entries

The drivers and teams were initially the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race.[8] However, as Williams was unable to repair damage to Alexander Albon's chassis following a crash during the first free practice session,[9] he was swapped into Logan Sargeant's car, with Sargeant missing the remainder of the Grand Prix weekend.[10][11] Daniel Ricciardo of RB and Oscar Piastri of McLaren were the first pair of Australian drivers competing at their home Grand Prix since Ricciardo and Mark Webber in 2013.[12][13]

Tyre choices

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Further information: Formula One tyres

Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C3, C4, and C5 tyre compounds (the softest three in their range) designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively, for teams to use at the event.[14][15] The tyre compounds selected were one set softer than the previous edition of the race.[16][17]

Safety changes

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After the Australian Grand Prix Corporation was held responsible for safety breaches in the 2023 edition of the race, spectators were banned from going on the track at any stage of the event, overruling a previous tradition that allowed patrons access after a race.[18][19] Fines of more than $AUD17,000, eviction from the event, and bans in future races could be imposed if fans enter the track.[20][21]

Practice

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Three free practice sessions were held for the event.[22] The first free practice session was held on 22 March 2024, at 12:30 local time (UTC 11), and was topped by Lando Norris of McLaren ahead of Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and George Russell of Mercedes. The session was red-flagged after Alexander Albon of Williams crashed at turn 6.[23][24]

The second free practice session was held on the same day, at 16:00 local time, and was topped by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari ahead of Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.[24][25] Albon's crash in the first free practice session forced him to miss the second, as Williams had no spare chassis available.[9] Albon's damaged chassis was ultimately deemed unrepairable, and he swapped to his teammate Logan Sargeant's car. As a result, Sargeant sat out for the remainder of the weekend.[10][11] The third free practice session was held on 23 March 2024, at 12:30 local time, and was again topped by Leclerc, ahead of Verstappen and Sainz.[26][27]

Qualifying

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Qualifying was held on 23 March 2024, at 16:00 local time (UTC 11).[22]

Qualifying report

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The first session (Q1) saw Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari setting the fastest time ahead of Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing.[28] Daniel Ricciardo of RB, who had originally been in tenth, had his lap time deleted due to track limits, resulting in him being eighteenth.[29] He joined Nico Hülkenberg of Haas, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber in elimination.[28] The second session (Q2) was topped again by Sainz ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc and Verstappen.[28] Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes was eliminated in Q2, and was joined by Alexander Albon of Williams, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Kevin Magnussen of Haas, and Gasly's teammate Esteban Ocon, who had managed to get the Alpine to Q2 for the first time in the season.[28][30]

Verstappen set the fastest time in the third session to earn pole position, followed by Sainz, to join him in the front row of the grid. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez qualified third, ahead Lando Norris of McLaren who took fourth.[31] After an investigation by the stewards, Pérez was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Hülkenberg in Q1, moving Norris to third, Sainz's teammate Charles Leclerc to fourth, and Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri to fifth, leaving Pérez to start the race in sixth.[32] Gasly was also investigated for crossing the pit lane exit line in Q1 and was issued a reprimand.[33]

Qualifying classification

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Pos. No. Driver Constructor Qualifying times Final
grid
Q1 Q2 Q3
1 1   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:16.819 1:16.387 1:15.915 1
2 55   Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 1:16.731 1:16.189 1:16.185 2
3 11   Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:16.805 1:16.631 1:16.274 61
4 4   Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:17.430 1:16.750 1:16.315 3
5 16   Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.984 1:16.304 1:16.435 4
6 81   Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1:17.369 1:16.601 1:16.572 5
7 63   George Russell Mercedes 1:17.062 1:16.901 1:16.724 7
8 22   Yuki Tsunoda RB-Honda RBPT 1:17.356 1:16.791 1:16.788 8
9 18   Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:17.376 1:16.780 1:17.072 9
10 14   Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:16.991 1:16.710 1:17.552 10
11 44   Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:17.499 1:16.960 N/A 11
12 23   Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1:17.130 1:17.167 N/A 12
13 77   Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:17.543 1:17.340 N/A 13
14 20   Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 1:17.709 1:17.427 N/A 14
15 31   Esteban Ocon Alpine-Renault 1:17.617 1:17.697 N/A 15
16 27   Nico Hülkenberg Haas-Ferrari 1:17.976 N/A N/A 16
17 10   Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 1:17.982 N/A N/A 17
18 3   Daniel Ricciardo RB-Honda RBPT 1:18.085 N/A N/A 18
19 24   Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.188 N/A N/A PL2
107% time: 1:22.731
Source:[34][35]

Notes

  • ^1 – Sergio Pérez received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Nico Hülkenberg in Q1.[35][36]
  • ^2 – Zhou Guanyu qualified 19th, but was required to start the race from the pit lane for a spare front-wing change which did not match the original specifications.[37]

Race

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The race was held on 24 March 2024, at 15:00 local time (UTC 11), and was run for 58 laps.[22]

Race report

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Polesitter Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing led the opening lap before being overtaken by Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari on lap two, after Verstappen reported brake issues.[38] Verstappen soon retired from the race due to a brake failure, returning to the pit lane on the fourth lap. Sainz led for the majority of the race and won his first Grand Prix since the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, with teammate Charles Leclerc taking second after completing an undercut on Lando Norris of McLaren in the early stages of the race.[38] Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri took fourth, followed by the Red Bull Racing of Sergio Pérez in fifth.[38] During the closing stages of the race, George Russell of Mercedes fought for sixth place against Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. He crashed at turn 6 on the last lap, allowing Alonso and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll to finish in sixth and seventh, respectively. Russell joined his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who retired mid-race due to power unit issues.[38] Yuki Tsunoda earned points for RB, finishing eighth on track, for the first time in the season. Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen of Haas scored double points after finishing in ninth and tenth, respectively.[38] Following similar issues during the last two Grands Prix, both Sauber drivers experienced pit stop problems, including wheel nut issues for Bottas, during the race.[38]

Ferrari completed the race with their first one-two finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.[39] Norris surpassed Nick Heidfeld for the most podiums by a driver without a win with his fourteenth podium finish.[40] Red Bull Racing's Verstappen missed his tenth consecutive win, having retired for the first time since the 2022 edition of the race.[41] Sainz's victory was the third of his Formula One career and first in Australia, and brought him to fourth in the Drivers' Championship behind Verstappen, Leclerc, and Pérez.[42][43]

Post-race

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After the race, Fernando Alonso, who finished sixth on track, was given a drive-through penalty, which was converted to a twenty-second time penalty, for "potentially dangerous driving" prior to Russell's last lap crash. He was dropped to eighth place, with Yuki Tsunoda being promoted to seventh and Lance Stroll sixth.[44][45]

The event sold out for the first time in its history,[46] and set a new attendance record at the circuit for the weekend with 452,055 spectators, making it the most attended sporting event ever in Melbourne,[3] and the third highest attended Formula One Grand Prix of all time, following the 1995 edition of the race, held in Adelaide, with 520,000, and the 2023 British Grand Prix, with 480,000.[47]

Race classification

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Pos. No. Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 55   Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 58 1:20:26.843 2 25
2 16   Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 2.366 4 191
3 4   Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 58 5.904 3 15
4 81   Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 58 35.770 5 12
5 11   Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 58 56.309 6 10
6 18   Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 58 1:33.222 9 8
7 22   Yuki Tsunoda RB-Honda RBPT 58 1:35.601 8 6
8 14   Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 58 1:40.9922 10 4
9 27   Nico Hülkenberg Haas-Ferrari 58 1:44.553 16 2
10 20   Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 57 1 lap 14 1
11 23   Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 57 1 lap 12
12 3   Daniel Ricciardo RB-Honda RBPT 57 1 lap 18
13 10   Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 57 1 lap3 17
14 77   Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber-Ferrari 57 1 lap 13
15 24   Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber-Ferrari 57 1 lap PL
16 31   Esteban Ocon Alpine-Renault 57 1 lap 15
174 63   George Russell Mercedes 56 Accident 7
Ret 44   Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 15 Power unit 11
Ret 1   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 3 Brakes 1
Fastest lap:   Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:19.813 (lap 56)
Source:[35][48][49][50]

Notes

  • ^1 – Includes one point for fastest lap.[49]
  • ^2 – Fernando Alonso finished sixth on track, but received a post-race drive-through penalty converted into a twenty-second time penalty for "potentially dangerous driving".[44][48]
  • ^3 – Pierre Gasly received a five-second time penalty for crossing the line at the pit exit. His final position was not affected by the penalty.[48]
  • ^4 – George Russell was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.[48]

Championship standings after the race

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For full season standings, see 2024 Formula One World Championship § Results and standings.
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Australian Grand Prix – F1 Race". Formula 1. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Australian Grand Prix – F1 Race – Circuit Details". Formula 1. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "New Attendance Record For Australian Grand Prix At Albert Park". Raceweek.com. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "2024 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix: All You Need to Know". Network 10. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Australia". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  6. ^ Mayne, Joshua (6 March 2024). "Melbourne F1 2024: Dates, tickets, calendar for Australian Grand Prix". Sporting News. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Saudi Arabia 2024 – Championship". Stats F1. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  8. ^ "2024 Australian Grand Prix – Entry List" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b Cooper, Adam (22 March 2024). "Albon could take over Sargeant's F1 car if crashed chassis is unrepairable". Autosport.
  10. ^ a b Cleeren, Filip (22 March 2024). "Albon takes over Sargeant's F1 chassis for remainder of Australian GP". Autosport.
  11. ^ a b "Williams Racing: 2024 Australian Grand Prix Update". Williams Racing. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  12. ^ "2024 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix: The Aussie Contingent". Network 10. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  13. ^ McKern, James (11 March 2024). "Channel 10's epic Daniel Ricciardo blunder in promo for Australian Grand Prix". Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  14. ^ "2024 Tyre Compound Choices – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia". Pirelli. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  15. ^ Noble, Jonathan (1 December 2023). "Pirelli goes softer for F1 2024 Australian Grand Prix". Motorsport. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  16. ^ "What tyres will the teams and drivers have for Australia?". Formula One. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  17. ^ Tomlinson, Sam (20 March 2024). "Pirelli confirm softer tyre selection for F1 Australian GP". Motorsport Week. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  18. ^ Valencich, Glenn (24 January 2024). "Australian F1 fans banned after 'unacceptable' post-race scenes". Seven News. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  19. ^ Ryan, Peter (25 January 2024). "Australian Grand Prix bans fans from F1 track after Albert Park invasion". The Age. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  20. ^ Rolfe, Peter; Buttler, Mark (11 March 2024). "Melbourne Grand Prix 2024: Huge penalty for fans who enter track". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  21. ^ Roulston, Amy (12 March 2024). "Massive penalty for Australian Grand Prix spectators who breach new rule". Sky News. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  22. ^ a b c "Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024 – Full Timetable". Formula1.com. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Norris fastest during first practice in Australia". Formula One. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  24. ^ a b "2024 F1 Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice Results | F1 | Crash". www.crash.net. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Leclerc sets the pace during second practice in Australia". Formula One. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Leclerc leads Verstappen during ultra-close FP3 in Australia". Formula One. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  27. ^ "2024 F1 Australian Grand Prix – Final Practice Results". www.crash.net. 23 March 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d "Verstappen surges to pole position for Australian GP". Formula One. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  29. ^ Caffrey, Oliver (23 March 2024). "Disaster for Daniel Ricciardo at Australian Grand Prix". Seven News. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  30. ^ Richards, Giles (23 March 2024). "Max Verstappen blitzes to Australian GP pole as Lewis Hamilton slumps". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  31. ^ McKenna, Lorraine (22 March 2024). "Verstappen takes Australian Grand Prix pole position - reaction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Perez handed three-place grid penalty for Australian GP". Formula One. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  33. ^ Walsh, Fergal (23 March 2024). "Stewards deliver Gasly investigation verdict". RacingNews365. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024 – Qualifying". Formula 1. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  35. ^ a b c "Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024 – Starting Grid". Formula 1. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  36. ^ "Infringement – Car 11 – Impeding of Car 27" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Zhou Guanyu forced to pit lane start due to bizarre front-wing damage in Australia". PlanetSportcom. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  38. ^ a b c d e f "Sainz storms to victory amid drama in Australia". Formula One. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  39. ^ Zachariah, Ben (24 March 2024). "Ferrari takes one-two in dramatic 2024 Australian Grand Prix, Piastri misses out on podium". Drive. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  40. ^ Doyle, Michael (24 March 2024). "Five quick hits — Oscar asked to move over for Norris, Carlos improves CV for future jobs, Verstappen drives with a 'handbrake'". ABC News. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  41. ^ Polychronis, Jacob (24 March 2024). "Piastri just misses podium as Aus GP rocked by Max retirement drama, horror late crash". Fox Sports. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  42. ^ Worthington, Sam (24 March 2024). "Sainz reigns supreme just two weeks after surgery". Nine News. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  43. ^ "Australia 2024 – Championship". Stats F1. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  44. ^ a b "Infringement – Car 14 – Potentially dangerous driving" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  45. ^ "Alonso hit with post-race time penalty in Australia over 'potentially dangerous' driving before Russell crash". Formula One. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  46. ^ Rolfe, Peter (15 March 2024). "Formula One Australian Grand Prix 2024 hits exciting attendance milestone". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  47. ^ "Ranked: The Highest Attended F1 Races of All Time". F1Destinations.com. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  48. ^ a b c d "Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024 – Race Result". Formula 1. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  49. ^ a b "Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024 – Fastest Laps". Formula 1. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  50. ^ "Australia 2024". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  51. ^ a b "Australia 2024 – Championship". Stats F1. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
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