F1 | 2023 Australian Grand Prix Result, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary

The 2023 F1 season has continued down under with Max Verstappen winning an incident filled Australian Grand Prix and our summary covers the 2023 Australian Grand Prix Result and as much of the action from the race so you don’t have to. 

This 2023 Australian Grand Prix Result, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary gives you just enough to catch up with. With just a hint of cynicism, bias, opinion and colour. The perfect bite sized review for those who couldn’t be bothered, or don’t have enough time.

And to see how close our bold predictions were – look back on our 2023 Australian Grand Prix Preview.

READ MORE:
2023 Australian Grand Prix Preview
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Review
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Ratings
Our 2023 F1 Calendar & Results

2023 Australian Grand Prix Result Race Summary

Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Well here are the top laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.

Setting the scene – Max Verstappen still took pole, but it was a closer run thing more than we’ve seen so far in 2023 with the Mercedes getting close-ish. It was Perez’s turn this race to miss out in qualifying, and this one was his fault as he slid off the track in Q2. He starts from the pitlane too, to make his job even harder. Fernando Alonso looked to be the nearest challenger but fell short and started 4th, but is strong in the race. And for local hopes the McLaren looks slow again and Piastri starts from 15th.

GRID (Starting Order) – VER RUS HAM ALO SAI STR LEC ALB GAS HUL

Lap 1 – Max Verstappen gets away slow, George Russell gets away well and takes first place into the first corner. More misery for Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton gets by him into turn three. Mercedes 1-2. Behind them bad news for Charles Leclerc who is going backwards into the gravel trap – looks like he was tapped by Lance Stroll. Ferrari win the other battle as Alonso is overtaken by Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon was the other benefactor. Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez pit for new tyres which will have to last the race.

SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

Max Verstappen is complaining about Lewis Hamilton pushing him off on the first lap. Let’s hope he takes his revenge on track.

ORDER – RUS HAM VER SAI ALO ALB STR GAS HUL TSU

Lap 3 – SAFETY CAR LEAVES

No change among the front runners as the race resumes. Mercedes seem quick enough for now for keeping Verstappen behind.

Lap 7 – George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen all close together and the DRS keeping the battle alive. Alex Albon wastes his 6th position and bins in at turn six big time, into the barrier and half back on track. What a shame, he was looking at a big haul O points.

SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

Lap 8 – George Russell pits and so does Carlos Sainz, so strategy is now split and what a mixed up order we have.

ORDER – HAM VER ALO STR GAS HUL RUS TSU NOR PIA

RACE RED FLAGGED 

George Russell completely screwed by the Red Flag. Now he is 7th but all the cars in front get a free pit stop. What is it with a Williams driver stuffing up a Mercedes driver…..

Big winners are Lewis Hamilton (who spent the Safety Car lap moaning about being screwed over himself), Max Verstappen (2nd) and the McLarens who are now 9th and 10th.

RACE RESUMES – Drivers waste lap 9 to get back to the grid. Although, there was nearly a massive pile up at the back of the grid as cars slowed for the restart lap.

Lap 10 – Lewis Hamilton gets away well, Max Verstappen slowish again and Alonso threatens to steal second. Bit of argy-bargy further back involving an Alpha Tauri who falls off the track but resumes. He clipped Esteban Ocon.

ORDER – HAM VER ALO GAS RUS STR HUL TSU NOR SAI

Lap 12 – Max Verstappen breezes past Lewis Hamitlon with DRS and takes the lead. Too easy. This exhibit is closed now. Unless Red Bull have a reliability problem. Which they might. Over dramatic? Max Verstappen is 2.6 seconds ahead after just one tour.

Lap 13 – George Russell gets past Gasly with some ease for 4th. Replays show Perez gets past a Williams for 15th. Who cares. He gets past Magnussen two laps later 14th, and I still don’t care. He acquires 13th on Lap 16. Hmmmmmm, nope, still don’t care.

Lap 16 – Oscar Piastri is 1tth. That is all.

ORDER – VER HAM ALO RUS GAS SAI STR HUL NOR TSU

Lap 18 – Poor George Russell. He crosses the line with his car on fire. He parks it in the middle of the pitlane exit, which is probably dangerous.

VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED AND STOPS A LAP OR TWO LATER

Lap 21 – A check on the front now, Verstappen is three seconds in front of Lewis Hamilton with Alonso another few seconds behind.

Lap 22 – We may have been a little harsh on Sergio Perez, he is racing well and up to 10th. Good on him. But maybe he shouldn’t suck in qualifying. Or maybe we should shut up, he’s up to 9th a lap later. 

Lap 25 – Carlos Sainz finally gets past Pierre Gasly at turn three in a nice move. 

Lap 27 – Some solid midfield racing between Ocon and Piastri which sadly for local fans, and muppets living in rubbish bins, ends up in Ocon’s favour. Ocon breezes by Tsunoda for 10th at the same spot a lap later. 

ORDER – VER HAM ALO SAI GAS STR HUL NOR PER OCO

Lap 30 – Oscar Piastri takes Tsunoda for 11th, just a place away from a maiden point.

Lap 33 – Sergio Perez sets fatest lap as he charges through the field. Alonso closes in on Lewis Hamilton in within 1.5 seconds. 2023 killjoy Max Verstappen is nearly nine seconds ahead. Lewis Hamilton is moaning on the radio about the Aston Martin strategy.

Lap 40 – Everyone seems to be worried about tyres, which means the last five laps has been a mixture of drivers complaints on the radio, and theories being offered on strategy. Apparently they’ll make the end, which means probably little action for another ten laps.

ORDER – VER HAM ALO SAI GAS STR HUL NOR PER OCO

Lap 43 – At last, some action. Sergio Perez overtakes Lando Norris before the sweepers on the back straight. He’s now chasing Nico Hulkenberg for 7th. Which would be a shame as Hulkenberg has finished 7th in four of his last five Australian Grands Prix. It is a shame as Perez gets past the next lap. Lando Norris looks like spoiling that party further by stealing 8th.

Lap 47 – Max Verstappen drops three second to Lewis Hamilton as he runs off the track at the second last corner. There’s hope for this race yet.

Lap 49 – Disgraceful pun from F1 commentator David Croft after the TV coverage pans to Kylie Minogue.

Lap 51 – Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg providing the lat race entertainment with a fine scrap for 8th. Hulkenberg’s defending is quite robust, but effective. For a while. Lando Norris gets by on Lap 52 at the third last corner, which isn’t a usual place for overtaking. Probably the last of the action for the day, but good stuff.

Lap 53 – Bugger all movement at the front of the field. Max Verstappen maintains his post error eight seconds gap, and the other front running cars are maintaining big enough gaps.

Lap 54 – Kevin Magnussen’s tyre blows, or falls off the wheel and is lying in the middle of the track. Late race safety car? Revenge for Lewis Hamilton? Yessssssssssssssss. 

Replays show Magnussen running into the wall on the exit of turn two. Failure or because of the crash? Chicken or egg? So many things to think about.

SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

Will any of the front runners put? Probably not. Some of the midfield runners do. But………..

RED FLAG AGAIN………

Everyone gets to change their tyres again and we’ll have a two lap showcase for the win. 

Will there be a crash? Will we see hate between Verstappen and Hamilton? Can Alonso Bradbury his way to the win? Will Perez slide off the track? All those questions and more will be answered in the next five minutes.

Lap 56 – The cars make it around the lap.

Lap 57 – So a third start it is and Max Verstappen outdrags Lewis Hamitlon to the first corner, and then chaos.

Carlos Sainz tips Fernando Alonso into a spin which then causes chain reaction to absolute shenanigans. Gasly runs wide then rejoins just in time to smash his team mate into the wall. An Alpha Tauri is off. A Williams is off. Alonso and Stroll drop to 11th and 12th. Lance Stroll runs off the track.

RED FLAG AGAIN. SURELY THIS IS IT?

But the cars are still lined up with drivers in them. Are these idiots really going to start this race for one lap behind a safety car. Surely not. Although, this is the FIA.

Do the Dagwood Dog salespeople have that much pull to keep the crowd there to sell excess stock they would normally have to throw out.

A Mexican wave breaks out, well the crowd have to do something.

So, the FIA say the race will restart. But the FIA says Alonso must move back to third, and cars are in the order for when the previous red flag came out. Well, except for the cars which crashed. To drive one lap behind the safety car. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz gets a five second penalty he can’t defend behind the safety car.

What a joke.

We preferred a scenario which saw the results stand and Sainz penalised and Hulkenberg promoted to third. Love the Hulk.

RACE RESTARTS

Last lap – The cars drive behind the safety car for one lap. Nice one.

Here we go through the field and highlight the very best (Great) of the race, and the plodders, the over-ambitious, the out of luck, and simply hopeless (Grape).

These points get added to our Driver of the Season scores. Five points for a great nomination, and -5 for the worst or grapest driver in the pack. Then it is +2 /-2 for honourable or dishonourable mentions.

THE GREAT-EST – MAX VERSTAPPEN

Takes pole, wins the race amid chaos behind. That’s after missing the start and dropping back early. Luck on his side today. Team mate well behind. Championship lead extended.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

LEWIS HAMILTON – Looked like a bad weekend coming up for Lewis. Outqualified by his tea mate. Seemingly on the wrong strategy to after the Safety Car. But then came the Red Flag, which left him second, and then his team mate retired with an engine failure. Solid result.

FERNANDO ALONSO – Another high quality weekend for Alonso and Aston Martin. Got lucky with the FIA ruling after the final Red Flag. Could have been in the Grape category if not for that after being punted off by Carlos Sainz.

LANDO NORRIS / OSCAR PIASTRI – Points for the McLaren drivers against the odds. First ever points for Piastri, and a good drive from Norris as ever.

NICO HULKENBERG – Proves he has still got it with a solid weekend of Q3 qualification and ran 7th for most of the race before dropping during the race. Ended up 4th after the last restart, which could have seen him secure a first podium if Carlos Sainz was penalised (which he should).

YUKI TSUNODA – The race’s Steven Bradbury with points from nowhere. 

THE GRAPE-EST – GEORGE RUSSELL

Led the race on lap one after a great start, but it went down hill from there. Pit under the Alex Albon safety car, then trumped when a Safety Car became a Red Flag, meaning his pit stop was a complete waste except for lowering his position. Then after recovering from 7th to 4th after the resumption, his engine catches on fire.

DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS

CHARLES LECLERC – Ordinary qualifying, punted off on the first lap. Yeah, not a great race.

ALPINE – Not a bad weekend right up until the final restart when the two drivers ran into each other, costing them a massive amount of points.

FIA – Final safety car / red flag / restart was a joke. 

CARLOS SAINZ – Stuffed his race by running into Alonso at the final restart. Got a five second penalty whilst waiting for the last restart.

ALEX ALBON -Threw away a  huge result for him and Williams.

Was it a good race, loads of action, tense, or just a big, fat, snooze-fest.

We rate the big race itself so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.

SEASON IMPORTANCE –  6 / 10

Red Bull are fast, Mercedes and Aston Martin next best. Perhaps Mercedes being quicker than before has season importance. But Max did it easy really.

ON TRACK ACTION – 8/10

Plenty of action early. A few Red Flag restarts. The last of which causing complete chaos. Only scores an eight for the boring laps later in the mid to late stages of the race where tyres were being saved. Like when Manchester City stop playing when they go 2 goals up.

ENDING 9 / 10

Nothing like a two lap showcase and mega pile up to finish a race. Again would have scored higher if not for the FIA shenanigans in delaying the end.

OVERALL RATING 23 / 30

A race full of incidents and too many red flags. It would have rated higher if not for the farcical end to the race.

2023 SEASON RATINGS SO FAR

Want to know what we thought of previous races? Or which ones to to back and watch? 

R1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – 
R2 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – 10/30

2023 F1 Season Power Rankings

Stay tuned for our Power Rankings from the race soon as it is currently being calculated and will be ready on Monday.

Who not check out last season: Our 2022 F1 Season Driver Ratings

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