The 2023 F1 Season continues in the delightful surrounds of the Albert Park circuit as the world’s best drivers fight it out for glory, and here to predict the winners and losers in advance is our 2023 Australian Grand Prix Preview.
The Gurgler’s 2023 Australian Grand Prix Preview brings some thoughts on the race itself, a few bold predictions here and there, a few barely interesting stats and best bets.
Essentially a quick summary of what a casual F1 fan needs in the shortest possible time.
With the handful of changes introduced for last year’s race, the Albert Park circuit has improved, but it remains a little difficult for racing. But smoothing out turns 9/10 has made the sweepers in turns 11/12 even more exciting.
There is going to be four DRS sections in this season’s race, so no excuses if it is dull this season.
Gone is the first race nerves and incidents that made this Grand Prix a little more interesting, but it is still an awkward track that will catch out a few.
Still, for us loyal F1 fans in Australia, it’s one of very few daytime Grands Prix, so let us enjoy it, and those in Europe can stop moaning about getting up early twice.
2023 Australian 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. Not ridiculous like the “street” circuit in Saudi Arabia, but still quick enough to challenge the drivers.
ACTION? 8/10 – Stuff usually happens in Albert Park, even when it is not the first race of the season, but that does help. It was the scene of a broken down Red Bull last season, so given how 2023 is shaping up, most fans will take a Red Bull DNF. But the closeness of the walls, the slippery nature of the temporary track means errors will be made and punished.
BIG HISTORY? – 9/10 There’s been Australian Grands Prix since 1985 at both Melbourne and Adelaide and both circuits have a rich history of great races, helped by the fact that the races were usually last (Adelaide) or first (Melbourne). Blown tyres in Adelaide 1986, or upside down, flying Martin Brundle in 1996 when Melbourne took over.
INCLEMENT WEATHER? – 10/10 Melbourne is famed in Australia for having four seasons in one day, and there’s plenty of history of wet weather at Albert Park.
RACE RATING 85% – As Murray Walker used to say – “Anything can happen in Formula 1, and usually does”. Which certainly applies to the Australian Grand Prix.
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.
It has been a Lewis Hamilton track in the past and is the clear front runner for the grid v finishing position visual below. But that’s when he wasn’t driving an underperforming Mercedes.
Max Verstappen hasn’t taken a pole at Albert Park. Yet.
McLaren drivers finished 5th and 6th at Albert Park last season. They’d probably take that right now.
Nico Hulkenberg has finished 7th four times at Albert Park in his last five starts.
- Jos Verstappen to be a jerk if Sergio Perez wins.
- A four car pile up at the first corner between a bunch of upper midfield cars. Maybe caused by Lance Stroll. Two Alpines to be involved somehow.
- Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to make Q3. Neither to score points.
- Fernando Alonso to split the Red Bulls in qualifying.
- Podium for Charles Leclerc.
- Three Safety Cars deployed.
- Rain to fall five laps into race.
- Top six finish for Valtteri Bottas.
- Nico Hulkenberg to finish 7th
As ever we like to reminisce about Formula 1 here at The Gurgler, with the fondest of memories of 1980’s / 1990’s Formula 1. Especially with the Voice of F1 Murray Walker providing the soundtrack.
So here are a few of our favourite pieces of F1 History at this weekend’s track to fill some time.
1986 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
One of the better title deciders, with a three way fight going to Alain Prost who lucked in a little while still driving a magnificent race.
Prost got a puncture lapping a backmarker and so had to change early. When tyr engineers saw how good his tyres were they told other Goodyear runners that they could stay out without stopping.
Then came the tyre blowouts, Mansell’s was particularly silly as he only had to finish third to seal the title and a quick pit stop would have seen him World Champion that year.
And of course enhanced by Murray Walker.
1990 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
An underrated, forgotten piece of Australian Grand Prix gold.
Plenty of action with a golden generation of F1 drivers in machinery that was reasonably equal for that race.
Always good when there’s a hard charging Nigel Mansell in top form too.
2022 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
A race that had plenty of action, but most memorable for Mark Webber hauling a back-of-the-grid Minardi into the points, when only 6th or better would get any.
A super prang at the start did give them a leg up, but Webber held off a Toyota F1 car that cost upwards of $1BN to get on the track compared with the much cheaper Minardi.
LISTEN – Paul Stoddart on F1 Beyond the Grid podcast
