Photo: Ferrari

Australian Grand Prix Preview

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor

The Australian Grand Prix kicks off the 2018 Formula 1 season this weekend. Last season featured the closest title fight the sport has seen since 2012, and the field is riding a wave of momentum at the moment, hoping for an even more competitive year.

Expectations are for a three way fight at the top between defending champions Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. If practice times this week from Albert Park are any indication that could very well be the case, at least for the first race of the season.

The midfield has also bunched up with Haas, McLaren and Renault vying for best of the rest. Towards the back, a rejuvenated Sauber, courtesy of Alfa Romeo is eager to move up the grid and bother the likes of Toro Rosso, Williams and Force India.

Rain is widely expected this weekend which will even further mask the true running order, but it sets up the premise for an exciting and unpredictable start to the season; just the kind of drama F1 thrives on.

We’ll bring you all the latest news and developments from what has the potential to be a classic season opener. Catch all the details below to stay in the know and get ready for action, Formula 1 is back at last.

By the Numbers

What: The Australian Grand Prix

Where: Temporary Street Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia. The circuit has hosted the Grand Prix every year since 1996.

When: March 25, 2018

TV: ESPN 2 from 12:00 – 2:00 am Eastern Standard Time. Pre-race coverage at 11:30 pm. Qualifying is Saturday, March 24th at 2:00 am.

Track Length: 3.296 miles

Lap Record: 1:24.125 Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari F2004

2017 Race Winner: Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari SF70H

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About

Associate Editor of Motorsports Tribune and jack of all trades, Adam is our resident Formula 1 expert. He has covered F1, IndyCar, WEC, IMSA, NASCAR, PWC and more. His work has been featured on multiple outlets including AutoWeek and Motorsport.com. A MT Co-founder, Adam has been with us since the beginning when he and Joey created Tribute Racing back in 2012. When not at the track or writing about cars, Adam can be found enjoying the Oregon back roads in his GTI.