When Formula One came to Australia in 1985 it set up home in Adelaide. However, ex-racer-turned-entrepreneur Bob Jane wanted a race in Melbourne. He created a huge 'thunderdome' and invented the AUSCAR series, bringing NASCAR action to Australia.
The desire to have a race in Melbourne did not wane. Despite the popular end of season slot for the Adelaide race, pressure was growing from the Melbourne motor sport community, and in 1992 Jeff Kennett was elected the new premier of the State of Victoria. He immediately set about improving Melbourne's profile. First on his list was the Australian Grand Prix.
An agreement was reached with Formula One in 1993, but the contract with Adelaide did not expire until 1995, so Kennett had plenty of time to prepare.
A track was developed in Melbourne's beautiful Albert Park, part of it using closed-off public roads, and in 1996 the city held the first round of the world championship.
Since then the race has become very popular with drivers and fans alike, and the party atmosphere of Melbourne keeps them coming back year after year. (Source: Official F1 Website)
- Lap distance: 5.303km. Total distance: 307.574km (58 laps)
- Race lap record: Michael Schumacher (Germany) 1:24.125 (Ferrari, 2004)
- 2015 pole: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:26.327
- 2015 winner: Hamilton
- Start time: 0500 GMT (1600 local)
- Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races last season, with a record 12 one-two finishes. Ferrari won the other three.
- Hamilton, now a triple world champion, has won at least 10 races in each of the last two seasons. He won 11 in 2014 and 10 in 2015. His German team mate Nico Rosberg ended the year with three wins in a row.
- Hamilton has 43 career victories, putting him third in the all-time lists and pushing Ferrari’s four times world champion Sebastian Vettel down to fourth with 42.
- Schumacher holds the record of 91, with Alain Prost on 51.
- McLaren’s Fernando Alonso has 32 wins, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen 20, McLaren’s Jenson Button 15 and Rosberg 14.
- Ferrari have won 224 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 50. Mercedes have won 45. McLaren have not won for 57 races, a run that dates back to Brazil 2012.
- Rosberg has been on pole for the last six races.
- Hamilton was on pole 11 times last season, Rosberg seven, Vettel once.
- Hamilton has 49 career poles, Rosberg 22. Vettel has 46. Only two drivers in F1 history have had 50 poles or more: Schumacher (68) and the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna (65).
- Ten drivers from six teams were on the podium in 2015: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa (both Williams), Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo (both Red Bull), Romain Grosjean (Lotus) and Sergio Perez (Force India).
- Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel shared the podium in nine races. Vettel had 13 podium finishes in 2015, more than in his title-winning 2010 and 2013 seasons.
- Three drivers are making their F1 race debuts in Australia: Britain’s Jolyon Palmer (Renault), Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein (Manor) and Indonesian Rio Haryanto (Manor).
- No Australian has ever won his home race. There have been 13 Australian F1 drivers since 1950 and two world champions – Jack Brabham and Alan Jones. Daniel Ricciardo is the only Australian in Sunday’s race.
- All five of the sport’s active champions (Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Button, Raikkonen) have won in Australia. Button has won it three times, Hamilton and Raikkonen twice each.
- Melbourne has been the season-opener 18 times. This year’s race is the 21st to be held at Albert Park.
- Since 2002, the winner in Australia has ended the season as champion on eight occasions. In total, the winner in Melbourne has gone on to be world champion 12 out of 20 times.
- The race winner at Albert Park has started on pole on nine occasions. The lowest starter to win was Britain’s Eddie Irvine from 11th in 1999 for Ferrari.
- Seven of the last eight races in Australia have seen the safety car deployed.
- Just 15 cars started last year’s race – the lowest number for a season-opener since 1963. Neither of the Manor drivers qualified, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas injured his back in qualifying while the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat and McLaren of kevin Magnussen broke down on the way to the grid.
- McLaren’s last podium finish was in Australia in 2014 (Magnussen). The team still have the best record in Australia with 11 wins and 26 podiums.
- Haas F1 are making their debut as the first U.S.-owned team in 30 years.
- Renault are making their return as a full constructor after buying the Lotus team.
- Haryanto will be the first Indonesian to race in F1.
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