The F1 circus heads down under to a Grand Prix which always seems exciting. Talking of exciting, our 2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview is hardly that but will do as a quick look at the upcoming big weekend.
The Gurgler’s 2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview brings some thoughts on the race itself, a few bold predictions here and there, a more than a few barely interesting stats.
Essentially a quick summary of what a casual F1 fan needs in the shortest possible time for your convenience.
READ MORE: 2024 Bold F1 Season Predictions
The track map looks like a reasonably lame rocking horse, which we guess given the horsepower on offer over the weekend is relevant.
2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview – Race Rating
The Gurgler does like to use some obscure drivers in our Race previews and report, so who better to use than Teo Fabi to determine a race rating system.
So before each race we give a rating out of ten for four key category that are loosely based on each letter of Teo Fabi’s surname. Don’t know who Teo Fabi is, you should.
FAST? 7/10 – It’s fast enough for a park circuit, an extra point or two for the sweeping back straight section now they removed the annoying chicane.
ACTION? 9/10 – It is a track where stuff usually happens. Mostly in the past it was because it was the first race of the season and drivers had yet to get up to speed, but since Albert Park was bumped from the first race there’s still plenty of action. Look at last year’s race which was a 10/10 for action.
BIG HISTORY? – 7/10 Excluding Covid the Australian Grand Prix has been on the Calendar since 1985. Some big moments in modern F1 history have been at the Australian Grand Prix. Nigel Mansell’s tyre blowout, Schumacher v Hill crash in 1994, and some wild multi car crashes.
INCLEMENT WEATHER? – 8/10 Although the Weather Channel says only a 15% chance for rain on the Sunday, it is Melbourne, a city where there can be four seasons in one day. So anything is possible on any day.
RACE RATING 78% – As Murray Walker said “anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does”. That and “That’s Mansell!!!!”.
2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview – Stats
Want to know if your favourite driver for this weekend is a master of the track or the track is a master of them? Here then are some barely interesting facts and stats.
- Nico Hulkenberg has finished the Australian Grand Prix seventh five times in his last six races here.
- Daniel Ricciardo has DNF’d here four times in nine races.
- Lewis Hamilton has only qualified lower than fifth once.
- David Coulthard’s win in 2003 from 11th on the grid is the lowest grid slot to win the Australian Grand Prix.
- The most popular Grid slot to finish combination is 20th place on the grid to DNF, followed by 17th on the grid to DNF.
- Logan Sargeant is the only current driver not to score a point in the Australian Grand Prix.
DRIVER GRID POSITION vs RACE RESULT – CURRENT DRIVERS
TEAM GRID POSITION vs RACE RESULT
HISTORIC DRIVER RESULTS
99 = a DNF. Grid position 20 is overstated as that was also used for cars starting in pitlane.
HISTORIC TEAM RESULTS
GRID POSITION INTO RACE RESULT
99 = a DNF. Grid position 20 is overstated as that was also used for cars starting in pitlane.
- Lando Norris to Win from Pole position.
- This Australian Grand Prix to be Christian Horner’s last GPO in charge of Red Bull.
- One Ferrari to be wiped out on the first lap.
- Daniel Ricciardo to qualify in top ten and finish sixth. Yuki Tsunoda to be unhappy with that result.
- Neither Alpine to finish.
- Logan Sargeant will end up in a gravel trap twice over the weekend.
- Lance Stroll won’t finish the GP.
2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview – Stats Extra
We had a thought whilst doing our stats…the Australian Grand Prix feels like it has plenty of retirements. And it does. In fact the most of the current tracks. Even more than Monaco.
Here are the stats…
ALL RACE RESULTS – AUSTRALIAN F1 GRAND PRIX
ALL TIME RESULTS
