2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Alonso on top as rain scuppers Australian GP second practice plans.
The Spaniard finished 0.445secs faster than Charles Leclerc's Ferrari with a best effort of a one minute, 18.887s set on medium tyres.
Friday 31 March 2023
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Fernando Alonso emerged on top in a rain-affected second practice for the Australian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen ended third, a further two-tenths down as drivers missed out on representative qualifying simulations with the rain coming down.

Drivers rushed to hit the track early with rain predicted, causing traffic issues despite a fix to the GPS problems that brought FP1 to a stop earlier in the day. The Red Bull drivers were at the heart of the traffic jams - Sergio Perez held up by Lance Stroll and then Zhou Guanyu with the Mexican labelling the issues as "horrendous".

Team-mate Verstappen found himself in the way of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz at turn 11, though the Dutchman was finding his way past two other cars. But with only Perez and Williams driver Alex Albon fitting soft tyres and each driver tackling long run plans before the rain fell 13 minutes into the session, ending any chance for representative running.

‘Rain scuppers Australian GP second practice plans’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...esults-report/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2023 Australian Grand Prix
31st March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin -1:18.887
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.445
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.615
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.785
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.808
6. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.838
7. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.196
8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.289
9. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +1.307
10. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.319

‘Australian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second free practice ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Melbourne’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-81773


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from second practice for the Australian Grand Prix
31 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘Follow all the action’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...I9Sobo8mq.html


All you need to know about Alonso-led F1 Australian GP FP2
Mar 31 2023
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Fernando Alonso headed the second Formula 1 practice session of the Australian Grand Prix weekend as rain meant limited running was completed beyond the 20-minute mark.

Key moments:
> Alonso fastest after early rush of laps
> Perez faster on softs before hitting traffic
> Intermediate tyres needed for second half of session
> No-show for Sargeant after FP1 electrical issue

The majority of the field headed straight out at the start of FP2 with the threat of rain looming over the Albert Park circuit, albeit on a variety of different compounds.

‘All you need to know’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/all-y...ralian-gp-fp2/


Alonso fastest in FP2 before rain hits Melbourne
31st March 2023, 07:08
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso led the way before rain influenced proceedings in second practice for Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix. The second one-hour session began under gloomy skies and the threat of rain at Albert Park.

Alonso posted a time of 1:18.887 on Medium tyres to sit 0.445s clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc before rain started to fall just over 10 minutes into the session.

Runaway title leaders Red Bull wound up with Max Verstappen third and Sergio Perez seventh. Verstappen ran wide through the Turn 1 grass while Perez was on course to topple Alonso atop the timesheets before being baulked in the final sector.

‘Alonso fastest’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...its-melbourne/

[Fortitude]

5 key talking points from Friday's running at the Australian Grand Prix.
Conditions catch out drivers even before the rain. GPS issue causes havoc. Representative qualifying data limited. Long run data also limited. Drivers get first wet running in 2023 cars.
31st March 2023, 08:50
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport

An intriguing Friday at the Australian Grand Prix has added importance to Saturday's practice session with a GPS issue in FP1 and wet weather in FP2 impacting running.

Round three of the F1 world championship is taking place at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, Australia, and the forecast mixed weather conditions hit on Friday, with FP2 in particular affected.

Before that, though, dry running in FP1 was hampered by a GPS issue, causing a number of traffic jams out on circuit as drivers could not be warned who was coming up behind them on a fast lap.

‘5 key talking points’;

https://www.givemesport.com/5-key-ta...an-grand-prix/


Perez concedes Red Bull could be left 'a bit blind' after 'mental' Australian GP practice
Friday 31 March 2023 10:40
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Sergio Perez believes Red Bull will enter the Australian Grand Prix "a bit blind" after a "mental" day of practice at Albert Park.

"It was a bit mental," said Perez. "Especially going into P2, it felt like a lot of people were still having issues with the GPS so it was just a mess. I couldn't get a lap in in the afternoon."

"We made some changes that seemed to be working well in sector one and sector two but not much to say really," added Perez. "Tomorrow, there is plenty to do, too much to do in FP3 so we will be going a bit blind into the race which should be interesting."

‘Bit mental’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...n-gp-practice/


Australian GP is 'FUNDAMENTAL' for Ferrari, insists former Scuderia driver
Friday 31 March 2023 10:00
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

A top Italian TV pundit has claimed this weekend is "fundamental" in terms of Ferrari's season. According to Marc Gene, a former Ferrari test driver who also drove in F1 for Williams and Minardi, this weekend is pivotal for the Maranello-based outfit.

"The team in Maranello has been working very hard since Jeddah," said Gene. "There has been a lot of set-up work, and this weekend is going to be fundamental." The Ferrari finished fifth and sixth in the first free practice session before the second was effectively washed out by rain.

"Already from the first free practice session, we should understand if the changes are working," added Gene. "The car has so much potential, but we struggle to balance the power between qualifying and the race."

'FUNDAMENTAL';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...e-fundamental/


Button claims F1 drivers too reliant on technology after Australian GP practice 'close calls'
Friday 31 March 2023 12:03
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Former F1 world champion Jenson Button believes drivers have become too reliant on technology after a number of near-misses in Australian Grand Prix practice. "I think we rely too much on technology," Button told Sky Sports. "The mirrors are there for a reason – it is not hard to look in the mirrors.”

"I remember when I was racing when you were doing a slow lap, you would be pulling off line and checking your mirrors the whole time for what's coming. I don't think anything has really changed, the mirrors are actually bigger for this year.”

"I think just because we do have someone there the whole time telling us we have someone coming, he is five, four, three behind you, we just focus on that more. But I think the drivers should be paying attention to their mirrors a bit more because there are some real close calls out there with these high-speed corners. Some of them are blind as well."

‘Too reliant on technology’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...e-close-calls/


Why Aston Martin’s abysmal F1 low is now a ‘highlight’
Mar 31 2023
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Fernando Alonso’s topping of the times in Friday practice at the Australian Grand Prix was rain-assisted but still serves as a powerful symbol of Aston Martin’s transformation since its abysmal nadir 12 months ago.

“It was a very difficult moment,” he says. “But I think also it was the best moment for us as a team. Because we sat together, all of us after these…events! And it could have been easy to fall apart completely as a team.”

“But we really stuck together well there and decided, ‘OK, we are going to work ourselves out of this’. So, for me, it’s actually the highlight of last year.”

‘Powerful symbol of Aston Martin’s transformation’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-a...w-a-highlight/


Mixed feelings at Mercedes after Australian GP practice
31 March 2023
Ben Issatt
Inside Racing

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had opposite feelings after Friday's Practice at the Australian Grand Prix.

"This morning was good, this afternoon wasn't so good,” the seven-time world champion said. “The car is similar [to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia]. It felt a bit better this morning. We made some changes, didn't work, so we will revise them tonight. Then it rained so it wasn't the greatest of sessions."

As for Russell, he went the other way finishing ninth in the morning before managing the fourth best time in the brief dry spell in the second session. "FP2 was a little bit frustrating with the weather coming in but it was a reasonable session for us,” he explained.

‘Mixed feelings at Mercedes’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...an-gp-practice


Sainz fears another Ferrari letdown in Australian GP
31 March 12:32PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz thinks Ferrari are still "one step behind" their Formula 1 rivals after experimenting with car setups in the Australian Grand Prix practice.

"I think it's fair to assume that in qualifying we will play with them, but then in the race we should assume also that we should be one step behind like in Jeddah," said Sainz.

Ferrari spent most of interrupted Friday practice running focusing on car setup, which should help them find more performance according to Sainz.

‘Another Ferrari letdown fears’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-st...ams-says-sainz

[Fortitude]

Verstappen leads Alonso in final Australian Grand Prix practice.
Max Verstappen posted the fastest time in third and final Formula 1 practice for the Australian Grand Prix, edging out Fernando Alonso.
01 April 4:35AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

The World Champion's late 1:17.565s effort was enough to take him to the top of the time sheets on the Soft tyres, having focused his running on the Mediums throughout the 60-minute session.

He pipped Alonso by 0.162s, with the Aston Martin fast but scrappy around the Albert Park circuit, with Esteban Ocon third for Alpine in a strong session for the team which had Pierre Gasly fifth. The session was brought to an effective early end by the arrival of rain in the closing stages.

‘Verstappen leads Alonso’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...-prix-practice


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2023 Australian Grand Prix
1st April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:17.565
2. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.162
3. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.373
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.390
5. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.529
6. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.558
7. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.562
8. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.573
9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.633
10. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +0.765

‘Australian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final free practice ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Melbourne’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-81780


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from final practice for the Australian Grand Prix
01 April 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...8PUdq7jW6.html


What happened in final F1 practice at the Australian GP
1st April 2023, 03:57
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen led Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in final practice for the Australian Grand Prix, as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez struggled to string together a lap in his RB19.

Key moments:
> Verstappen 0.162s clear on late performance runs
> Perez misses first 20 minutes, later struggles for laptime
> Red flag for debris in “very dangerous” place before Turn 9
> McLaren inspects clutch issue on Norris’s car

Verstappen was fourth early on and later bumped down onto the fringes of the top 10 having set his best initial time on medium compound tyres – which he also used for his long-run simulation midway through the session.

‘What happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...australian-gp/


Verstappen quickest again as Perez runs off-track four times in final practice
2023 Australian Grand Prix third practice
Posted on 1st April 2023, 3:521st April 2023, 4:07
Written by Will Wood
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen heads into qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix as the fastest driver in final practice as his Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez suffered multiple offs in a frustrating session.

The world champion’s 1’17.565 was a tenth of a second faster than Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, while Esteban Ocon took third for Alpine. Perez was sixth quickest, but ran off the track on no fewer than four occasions while struggling with the handling of his Red Bull.

After rain affected the second practice session, teams were greeted with overcast skies and relatively cool temperatures as the third and final hour of practice began. Despite a 30% risk of rain hanging over the last session of running before qualifying, there was not an immediate rush of drivers heading out onto the circuit as the pit lane opened.

‘Verstappen quickest’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/01/...inal-practice/


2023 Australian GP FP3: Russell and Perez blocked as traffic problems hit again at Albert Park.
01 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

The drivers were finding it tough to get a clear lap on Friday, with plenty of runs ruined by coming across a slow car on the racing line – and in FP3 it was George Russell and Sergio Perez who suffered from traffic in Melbourne.

‘Russell and Perez blocked’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1.../Australian+GP

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen plays down Red Bull fears for Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes eye upset.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull continue to dominate in F1 after another success at the Australian Grand Prix.
07:24, Sat, Apr 1, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Max Verstappen has played down Red Bull’s reliability fears despite raising concerns over team radio during qualifying. It comes as the Dutchman faces a stern challenge from Mercedes for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. The Silver Arrows bounced back to seal P2 and P3 for the start of the race.

When pushed on whether he was worried about the team’s reliability, Verstappen reassured his fans it was nothing to be worried about despite moaning over team radio during qualifying about his car. He added: “I think the last run was very good. The whole weekend has been very tough to get the tyres ready to push straightaway but it worked out in Q3 and am very happy to be on pole position.”

"I think we always try to fine-tune and we will continue to do that. I think we will have a good race car but it is tricky to keep the tyres alive so it will be an interesting race for sure. I have been on the podium once here but I want to be on a different step."

‘Continue to dominate’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-grand-prix


Qualifying Results – 2023 Australian Grand Prix
1st April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:16.732
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.236
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.372
4. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.407
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.538
6. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.576
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.637
8. Alex Albon Williams Racing +0.877
9. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.943
10. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +1.003

‘Australian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s 2023 F1 World Championship race from Albert Park’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-81789


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix
01 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...vgiCPXW5X.html


Verstappen claims first ever Melbourne pole as Russell bags front row start
01 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Max Verstappen drew level with Fernando Alonso by taking his 22nd career pole position in qualifying for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix – while Mercedes’ George Russell qualified second and Sergio Perez ended up 20th after a Q1 crash.

Verstappen set a time of 1m 16.732s to take his first Australian Grand Prix pole position ahead of Russell, who was 0.236s off in Q3. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ended up third on the grid, 0.372s off the pace, while Fernando Alonso was 0.407s off the pace in P4.

Carlos Sainz qualified fifth for Ferrari in front of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, while Charles Leclerc struggled on the way to P7. Alex Albon managed a stellar P8 for Williams to leave Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ninth and Nico Hulkenberg 10th for Haas.

‘First ever Melbourne pole’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...W95o5C1sE.html


2023 Australian GP Qualifying: Max Verstappen crosses the line to seal pole position in Melbourne
01 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Max Verstappen put in a superb lap at Albert Park to seal his second pole position of the year at the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix.

‘To seal pole position’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...468221031.html


Perez crashes OUT of Australian GP qualifying
Saturday 1 April 2023 07:12
Sam Hall
GPFans

Sergio Perez has crashed out of Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix and will line up at the back of the grid for Sunday's race. The Mexican endured a horrifically bad final practice session on Saturday morning as the team was seen fixing what appeared to be a left-rear suspension problem before he ran off the track on four occasions.

But his pain has now been magnified after he again ran off the track at turn three on his first hot lap. But his pain has now been magnified after he again ran off the track at turn three on his first hot lap.

During the day's earlier session, Perez reported that he believed there was a problem with his car. Reiterating this, Perez said via team radio: "We need to sort that issue man. It was the same f*****g issue again!"

‘Perez crashes OUT’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...gp-qualifying/


Lewis Hamilton puts target on Max Verstappen after Mercedes cause Australian GP surprise
Mercedes could challenge Red Bull after making a major step forward at the Australian Grand Prix.
07:40, Sat, Apr 1, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton has his sights set on beating Max Verstappen in the Australian Grand Prix after Mercedes stunned the field. The Silver Arrows had struggled for space throughout free practice but turned on the style in qualifying. Hamilton was quick enough for P3 while team-mate George Russell just pipped him to second place. However, Hamilton was not concerned about losing out to Russell as he sniffed a chance of victory on Sunday.

He said: "This is a totally unexpected. Really proud of the team. George did an amazing job there today so for us to be up on the front two rows in honestly a dream for us. We are all working as hard as we can to get right back up to the front so to be this close to Red Bull is incredible. Hopefully tomorrow we can give them a run for their money and we hope the weather is good.”

‘Target on Max’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rix-qualifying

[Fortitude]

Sergio Perez fails to qualify for Australian GP as F1 stewards release statement.
His entry was agreed after officials determined he had set quick enough times during the weekend’s practice sessions.
12:42, Sat, Apr 1, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Sergio Perez had a Saturday afternoon to forget at the Australian Grand Prix.

A statement from the governing body read: "The Stewards have received a request from Oracle Red Bull Racing to allow car 11 to start the race despite failing to set a qualifying time within 107 per cent of the fastest time set in Q1.

"In accordance with Article 39.3 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, the Stewards grant permission for car 11, Sergio Perez, to start the race, as the driver has set satisfactory times in practice at this event."

‘Entry was agreed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-grand-prix


Stewards confirm Perez will race in Australian Grand Prix after Q1 crash
Saturday 1 April 2023 12:05
Lauren Sneath
GPFans

Stewards had to manually approve Sergio Perez as a race contestant for the Australian Grand Prix after he failed to set a qualifying time – and they have now done so, as was expected.

The Red Bull driver lost control of his car in his first attempt at a flying lap, beaching it in the gravel and causing the session to be red-flagged. After his early elimination, Red Bull had to apply to the FIA for special dispensation to allow the Mexican driver to race, because he had broken the FIA’s '107 per cent rule'.

‘Manually approve Sergio Perez’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...nsation-crash/


Christian Horner: ‘Nothing went right’ on ‘horrible day’ for Sergio Perez
01 Apr 2023 12:45 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull boss Christian Horner admits “nothing went right” on a “horrible day” for Sergio Perez at the Australian Grand Prix.

With Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok branding that showing from Perez “one of the worst days of his F1 career”, Horner replied: “He’s had a horrible day today. It started this morning, the car was late off the weighbridge and there were no major issues. And the plan in FP3 was always to run differently to Max [Verstappen], not do a long run, he’s just doing two short runs.”

“He never really recovered from FP3 and then this lap which was never going to be really a consequential lap, to unfortunately lock-up and go off. We’re just checking all the data to see if there’s something within the engine management that has maybe contributed to that. So, we’re just going through all that data as we speak.”

‘Nothing went right’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...le-day-aus-gp/


Formula 1: Red Bull to investigate after Sergio Perez's 'terrible day' sees him start last for Australian GP
1st April 2023, 09:27
Sky Sports.

Sergio Perez lamented a "terrible day" as he prepares to start dead last at the Australian Grand Prix after crashing out in Q1, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner confirming reliability checks would be carried out.

Perez - the winner of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah two weeks ago - also went off the track three times in final practice earlier on Saturday at Albert Park.

‘Red Bull to investigate’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...-australian-gp


Sergio Perez laments ‘terrible’ day after qualifying shocker
April 1, 2023 13:54 IST
By: Reuters

The Mexican, one point shy of team mate Max Verstappen in the Formula One title race, locked up at turn three at Albert Park and beached himself in the gravel on his first out lap in the opening session of qualifying.

“It was really bad, it was a terrible day. Already in FP3 we had this issue,” Perez told reporters. “We thought we fixed it but obviously we didn’t so I really hope that come tomorrow (on) race day we are able to fix it because otherwise it will be really difficult to race like this.”

It was a huge come-down for Perez, who won from pole at the last race in Jeddah and came to Albert Park declaring he could challenge Verstappen for the championship.

‘Really bad’;

https://indianexpress.com/article/sp...ocker-8532116/


Perez ‘a passenger’ as brake issues wreck AGP qualifying
Saturday 1st April, 2023 - 7:20pm
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Sergio Perez claims he became “a passenger” after brake issues on his Red Bull saw him end up in the gravel in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

“I’m confident we will be able to fix it as a team, and hopefully minimise the damage tomorrow but it’s going to be difficult to overtake,” added Perez. “I totally trust my team that we will be able to overcome this problem and be able to have a strong race pace.”

Perez recognises Red Bull is vulnerable if it is unable to implement its planning. “The margin in quali shows how close everyone is,” added Perez. “If we’re not able to put it all together every single Saturday and Sunday, the competition is very strong.”

‘Confident we will be able to fix it as a team’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/01...-brake-issues/


Sergio Perez just looking to ‘minimise the damage’ after ‘terrible’ qualy day
01 Apr 2023 8:50 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was understandably frustrated and downbeat after a nightmare Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix.

Perez fumed over the radio as he said a repeat of the FP3 issue had caused this qualifying-ending incident, and now predicts that a “really difficult” race awaits too if Red Bull cannot get on top of this problem.

‘Minimise the damage’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...gp-qualifying/


PEREZ AHEAD OF THE AUSTRALIAN GP: ‘IMPORTANT TO MINIMISE THE DAMAGE’
The Red Bull driver will start the race from the end of the grid due to a crash in Q1
April 1, 2023
Dalila Zanardo
FormulaNerds

The first surprise from the Australian weekend came during Q1 when Red Bull driver Sergio Perez ended up in the gravel causing a red flag. The 33-year-old will hence be forced to start from last on the grid tomorrow and follow in his teammate’s footsteps from the Saudi Arabian GP to score an important comeback.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez will start the Australian GP from the end of the grid due to an accident in qualifying. The Mexican, looking to rival teammate Max Verstappen for the title, admitted it would be crucial to do damage control during the race.

‘Damage control’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/pe.../?nowprocket=1


Perez in damage limitation mode after 'terrible day' ends in qualifying crash
Saturday 1 April 2023 09:45
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Sergio Perez has conceded he is in damage limitation mode after a "terrible day" left him last on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

On his prospects for the race, Perez conceded: "Minimise the damage. It will be really important to minimise it."

‘Damage limitation’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ends-in-crash/

[Fortitude]

Alonso: Australian GP qualifying Aston Martin's best this season.
Fernando Alonso has labelled Australian Grand Prix qualifying as Aston Martin's best of the season so far despite falling behind Mercedes.
Saturday 1 April 2023 13:37
Ewan Gale
GPFans

But a resurgent display from Mercedes saw George Russell and Lewis Hamilton end Saturday second and third quickest, demoting Alonso from the front row he occupied in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.

Yet the Spaniard has insisted that this was Aston Martin's best effort of the season when looking at the bigger picture. "It was very tight," said Alonso. "There were a lot of cars within one or two-tenths and we were in the upper part of that group in Q1 and Q2 – I think I was P2.”

"And then in Q3, with a couple of hundredths, we miss the first row of the grid. The Mercedes did a very good job in Q3, so still I think the best qualifying of the three for us. We were 0.6s [down] in Bahrain, 0.5s in Jeddah and 0.4s here from pole position, so we have to be happy."

‘Aston Martin's best of the season’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...t-this-season/


Verstappen dismisses Red Bull reliability concerns for Australian GP
Saturday 1 April 2023 10:31
Sam Hall
GPFans

Max Verstappen has denied feeling concerned over Red Bull's reliability after reporting various issues during qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix. Asked if reliability is a concern for Sunday's race, he said: "No, normally not. I think we just always try to fine-tune and we'll continue to do that."

"I think the last run was very good," added the Red Bull driver. "The whole weekend, it has been very tough to get the tyres in the right window to push straightaway but it all worked out in Q3.”

"I'm very happy with the lap and of course, very happy to be on pole position. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow really. I've been on the podium once but I want to be on a different step this time."

‘Try to fine-tune’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...lity-concerns/


Hamilton eyes Verstappen fight, Alonso calls out Mercedes, Perez explains issue: Australian GP qualifying key quotes
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport

Max Verstappen will have to fend off two hard-charging Mercedes cars into turn one at tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix. The Red Bull ace earned his first pole position in Australia with a fine performance in what was an intriguing and, at times, dramatic qualifying session.

Indeed, his team-mate Sergio Perez provided one of the early talking points and not in a positive sense for the Mexican as he slid off of the circuit with an issue at turn three in Q1, with him beached and out of the session moments later - he'll start from the back of the grid.

‘Hamilton eyes Verstappen fight’;

https://www.givemesport.com/hamilton...ng-key-quotes/


Sainz and Leclerc in INTENSE Ferrari exchange after Australian GP qualifying
Saturday 1 April 2023 15:25
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

"S**t lap, I had no prep this time," he said. "Big thanks to Carlos for the tow. Got a bit of speed there, always nice."

"It was a difficult qualifying," he told French broadcaster Canal+ afterwards. "I knew I had to line up everything in my last lap of Q3. Unfortunately we were waiting for the rain so we didn't do a warm-up lap, which made things more difficult.”

"Carlos gave me a nice tow as well in turn 3 and 4... we didn't manage the qualification well. It's a bit frustrating, but you can't deny it, I was still in trouble today. I think tomorrow will be a bit better."

‘INTENSE Ferrari exchange’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ix-qualifying/


2023 Australian Grand Prix: The weekend so far
01 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)1

From the return of Daniel Ricciardo to the Formula 1 paddock to behind-the-scenes snippets of Ferrari drivers sporting some new spectacles for a brand new challenge, witness the action from 2023 Australian Grand Prix weekend so far.

‘The weekend so far’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...566453307.html


Norris says he needs to drive the McLaren at “95%” after missing Q3 again
2023 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on 1st April 2023, 13:19
Written by Ed Hardy
RaceFans

Lando Norris is “a bit disappointed” with himself because he isn’t performing to the level he should be after another poor qualifying result for McLaren. The 22-year-old will start 13th in tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix. He made it as far as Q3 but was unable to claim a place in the top 10 after making a few errors.

“I’m just pushing too hard,” he said. “I needed to put a pretty magical lap together to get into Q3, so I guess I was trying for that but just a bit too much over the limit. So it’s tough. I thought I’d do a little bit better than where we were today. I think a little bit better was possible. But I’m just not driving as well as I need to, or should, to be honest. So I’m a bit disappointed with myself.”

“95%”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/01/...sing-q3-again/


How Williams’s best F1 performance in two years was achieved
Apr 1 2023
By Edd Straw
The Race

Williams reached Q3 for the first time in the 2023 Formula 1 season in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, leading the midfield pack thanks to a performance founded on Alex Albon’s excellence and getting the best from the tricky Pirelli rubber.

Williams was already something of a surprise package in Bahrain, where Albon finished 10th, and Saudi Arabia, where the FW45 showed potential points-scoring pace. But Australia qualifying was comfortably its best performance of the year in terms of its deficit to the front, leaving it behind only Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari.

Strategically, a one-stopper is expected, so if Albon can consolidate his place in the points at the start then he has every chance of staying there to the end even if Williams’s ‘natural’ pace will likely be shown to be lower down the order once everyone is circulating consistently on long stints.

‘Q3 for the first time in the 2023’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-w...-was-achieved/

[Fortitude]

Australian GP ends in five-man crash carnage as team-mates take each other out.
Five different cars went off the track in the final few laps of the Australian Grand Prix as the race was restarted, prompting carnage as they all went into the first few corners.
08:09, 2 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror

Kevin Magnussen lost a wheel and left debris across the track, prompting a late red flag. That meant two racing laps to go with a standing restart on the grid, leaving all to play for in the race with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battling for victory. But the real action would come further back.

Verstappen held off the challenge of Hamilton into the first corner, but then carnage ensued. Fernando Alonso was on track for third place again, but was spun around by Carlos Sainz and left furious, worried that his podium had been snatched away. But that wasn't the end of it. There was also a disaster for Alpine as their two drivers took each other out.

With limited space on the track, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were unable to avoid hitting each other and they both smashed into the wall and out of the race. Further back, there was also contact between Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries which left the two of them stranded in the gravel. Sergio Perez had also gone off the track to avoid being caught up in the carnage, but that proved to be wise as he came through unscathed.

‘Five-man crash’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...crash-29609476


Race Results – 2023 Australian Grand Prix
2nd April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -58 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.179
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.769
4. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +3.082
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +3.320
6. Lando Norris McLaren +3.701
7. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +4.939
8. Oscar Piastri McLaren +5.382
9. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +5.713
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +6.052

‘Australian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2023 F1 World Championship race from Albert Park’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-81800


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2023 Australian Grand Prix
02 April 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘As it Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ne0XK8Smk.html


Verstappen wins in a chaotic end to the Australian race
2nd April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

After the overcast, rainy sessions of the past few days Albert Park was bathed in sunshine for the start of the Grand Prix. Max Verstappen will be starting on pole ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. It had been pretty close between them all in the final part of qualifying with the hold on provisional pole constantly swapping hands until the Red Bull racer’s last run which sealed the position and his first Australian pole start.

With the rolling restart despite the Safety Car ducking into the pits at the end of the out lap, cars aren’t permitted to overtake until they cross the start/finish line but the will be greeted at the line by the chequered flag so there won’t be any overtaking.

Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonso will share the podium while Stoll took P4 as, despite his best efforts, Sainz couldn’t pull enough gap and his penalty dropped him to P12 and last. Perez took P5 after starting the race from the pitlane and it was a double points finish for McLaren, also their first points of the season, with Norris in P6 and Oscar Piastri, in his first home race, in P8.

‘Chaotic end’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...ian-race-81807


Verstappen wins messy F1 Australian GP with three red flags
2nd April 2023, 08:46
By Matt Beer
The Race

Max Verstappen took a third Red Bull victory of the 2023 Formula 1 season in bizarre circumstances as a third red flag created a confusing end to the Australian Grand Prix. After an early stoppage for Alex Albon heavily crashing his Williams from sixth place, the race ran relatively uneventfully with Verstappen overcoming Mercedes’ initial 1-2 formation to dominate.

But then the red flag was called for again when Kevin Magnussen crashed his Haas on the exit of Turn 2 near the end. Many drivers expressed surprise that the officials felt the level of debris merited a stoppage. The grid was reformed for what should’ve been a two-lap dash to the flag, but it immediately descended into destructive chaos.

The red flag instantly came out again, leaving uncertainty over whether the race would be declared over or another restart attempted, and whether the order used would be taken from prior to or after the crashes. The FIA announced that it would reset the order to what it had been prior to the disastrous restart, minus any cars now out, for a single lap behind the safety car and then a relatively redundant rolling restart at which the chequered flag would come out.

‘Destructive chaos’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/verst...ree-red-flags/


Piastri steals eighth in crazy Australian F1 debut
Sun, 2 April 2023 3:51PM
Oliver CaffreyAAP
The West Australian

Local youngster Oscar Piastri has marked his Australian Formula One Grand Prix debut by snatching eighth in one of the most chaotic conclusions at Albert Park.

In a race marred by crashes, fires and stoppages, Piastri survived the carnage to bank the first points, four, of his F1 career.

Piastri was 11th when the GP restarted with two laps remaining after a red flag was called following an incident with Haas' Kevin Magnussen.

‘Piastri steals eighth’;

https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsp...but-c-10230694


Leclerc calls 2023 his ‘worst start ever’, and he’s right
2nd April 2023, 07:25
By Matt Beer and Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Charles Leclerc declared the start to his 2023 Formula 1 season the “worst ever” after a tangle with Lance Stroll ended his Australian Grand Prix on lap one.

Asked by The Race to sum up his feelings, Leclerc replied: “Frustrated, obviously. It’s the worst ever start of the season. Only six points or eight points, I don’t know what it is in total. Frustrating.”

‘He’s right’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...and-hes-right/


George Russell in huge Australian Grand Prix fire as Mercedes car engulfed in flames
George Russell's Mercedes was ablaze during the Australian Grand Prix.
06:54, Sun, Apr 2, 2023
By Andrew McLean
Daily and Sunday Express

George Russell's Mercedes set alight in a big fire during the Australian Grand Prix after the British driver suffered an engine failure. The blaze forced the 25-year-old to retire from the race after a miserable afternoon which had also seen him badly lose out as a result of a red flag decision.

Russell took to Twitter to voice his disappointment shortly after returning to the garage, in a short message that summed up his situation. "When it’s not your day, it’s not your day," he wrote. Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz later confirmed that it had been a power unit issue that had ended Russell's race prematurely with Mercedes investigating what had gone wrong.

"When it’s not your day, it’s not your day";

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix


MUST-SEE: Williams' Alex Albon crashes out of promising sixth place in the 2023 Australian Grand Prix and brings out red flags
02 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site

‘MUST-SEE’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...vIm9m35Z1.html

[Fortitude]

Sainz ‘too angry to talk’ after ‘unfair’ penalty for clash with Alonso drops him out of the points from P4.
Asked for his thoughts post-race, Sainz commented: “Oh, sorry. Right now, I cannot talk. I’m too angry, too disappointed, too... I just cannot say anything.”
02 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Carlos Sainz was left in a frustrated mood after a penalty for clashing with Fernando Alonso during the Australian Grand Prix dropped him from fourth to 12th position when he took the chequered flag.

In a race full of Safety Cars and red flags, Sainz and Alonso went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 1 at what turned out to be the penultimate restart, with the Ferrari driver tipping his Aston Martin rival into a spin.

When informed about the penalty by his engineer ahead of the final restart and lap to the finish, Sainz was heard shouting over the radio and pleading with the stewards to hold back until he had visited them for a conversation.

‘Too angry to talk’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KnXuZlYUj.html


Raging Sainz HITS OUT at stewards: 'Most unfair penalty I've seen in my life'
Sunday 2 April 2023 11:27
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Carlos Sainz has labelled the five-second penalty handed to him for colliding with Fernando Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix as "the most unfair penalty I have seen in my life".

Sainz was alerted to his five-second time penalty whilst in the cockpit waiting to resume, leading to a passioned plea over team radio.
"No, it cannot be, Ricky," he said to race engineer Riccardo Adami.
"Do I deserve to be out of the points? No, no, it is unacceptable.
"Tell them, it is unacceptable, they need to wait until the race is finished and discuss with me.
"Please, please, please, please, please wait and discuss with me.
"Clearly, the penalty is not deserved, it is too severe."

‘No, no, it is unacceptable’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-gp-penalty/


Brundle delivers BLUNT verdict on Sainz penalty
Sunday 2 April 2023 13:22
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Martin Brundle has claimed Carlos Sainz's five-second penalty for colliding with Fernando Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix is an "inconsistent" punishment.

In a Tweet, Brundle said: That’s an inconsistent penalty for Sainz from a standing start in the early corners." The stewards found Sainz "wholly to blame" for the collision, a fact which cannot be disputed.

‘BLUNT verdict’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...sainz-penalty/


Carlos Sainz couldn't hide his rage at late penalty in Australian Grand Prix
2nd April 2023, 11:32
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport

Carlos Sainz could not hide his fury and upset at being handed a five-second time penalty at the end of the Australian Grand Prix, which saw the Ferrari man drop out of the points.

The Spaniard had an eventful race in Melbourne and looked on course to seal a fourth-place finish before a chaotic chain of events led to him eventually being classified outside of the top 10.

Kevin Magnussen's clash with the wall at the exit of turn two sent a shower of debris across the track and caused a late red flag which, in turn, triggered a restart ahead of the last two racing laps.

‘Couldn't hide his rage’;

https://www.givemesport.com/carlos-s...an-grand-prix/


Carlos Sainz morphs into Jose Mourinho with 'prefer not to speak' post-race comments
Spanish ace Carlos Sainz had to hold his emotions back when he was collared after the race where he fell from fourth to 12th thanks to a penalty issued for clipping Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso
15:57, 2 APR 2023
BY Ben Haslam
Daily Star

Formula One fans are certain Carlos Sainz has morphed into Jose Mourinho after his limited comments after Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. Speaking after the race, Sainz had to bite his tongue when asked for his thoughts on the incident. Appearing on Sky Sports, he said: "I prefer not to talk right now.

"Honestly, Rachael, I'm disappointed. I'm going to say bad things. It's the most for a penalty I have seen in my life. I prefer to go to the stewards, have a conversation with them and come back to talk to you guys because now I cannot do it."

Following the raging Spaniard's chat, fans couldn't help but liken it to the famous Jose Mourinho interview where he similarly held his thoughts back from the TV cameras.

"Honestly, Rachael, I'm disappointed”;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...ralia-29611335

[Fortitude]

Ocon blasts 'suicidal' drivers on final restart.
Esteban Ocon called out the 'suicidal' behaviour of several drivers on the final restart of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but absolved Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly of any wrongdoing in the crash that eliminated both their cars.
02/04/2023 at 12:47
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

The two Frenchman immediately cleared the air, with Gasly apologizing to his teammate who admitted the incident could have happened to anyone. "Obviously a very chaotic restart then honestly, it could have been any cars that I collided with," commented Ocon.

"There were cars coming back on the track, obviously Pierre was one of them. But no hard feelings. He came and apologised and as I said, it could have been anyone."

However, Ocon wasn't inclined to let several other drivers off the hook for their frantic behavior on the restart, pointing the finger in particular at AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries, but mistakenly as it was in reality Yuki Tsunoda who had crept up the inside of the Alpine at Turn 1.

'Suicidal' behaviour’;

https://f1i.com/news/470832-ocon-bla...l-restart.html


Gasly apologises to Ocon over crash which eliminated both Alpines
2023 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on 2nd April 2023, 13:15
Written by Keith Collantine


Pierre Gasly offered his apologies to his team mate after triggering the collision which eliminated the pair of them at the end of the Australian Grand Prix. Alpine came away from the Australian Grand Prix pointless despite having both their drivers in the top 10 with two laps to go. Gasly was running fifth, five places ahead of Esteban Ocon when the race was red-flagged for the second time.

Gasly, who is only two penalty points away from reaching the 12 which would trigger an automatic race ban, spoke only briefly after the race. “I don’t have anything to say,” he told the official Formula 1 channel. “I’m just extremely disappointed and just want to remember the positive. We didn’t expect to be fighting one Ferrari and to have Alonso in my sights for most of the race. So that’s what we will remember.”

“The rest I just have no comment and I’m way too disappointed to be standing here and looking at these guys doing one lap.” Ocon said his team mate apologised for the collision. He feels he could have easily tangled with any other driver at the “chaotic” restart.

‘Pierre Gasly offered his apologies’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/02/...-both-alpines/


Ocon reveals his Alpine team mate Gasly has already apologised for their late crash in Melbourne
02 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

There was chaos on the second restart at Albert Park with multiple crashes – including one involving the two Alpine team mates, but Ocon insisted there were no hard feelings towards his compatriot Gasly.

‘Already apologised’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...905031545.html


Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly hold clear-the-air talks after Australian GP collision
02 Apr 2023 2:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Esteban Ocon says Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly apologised to him after their heavy collision that took them both out of the Australian Grand Prix. A huge frustration for Ocon then who had started the race from P11, but felt as high as P4 had become possible.

“Tricky weekend, I think nothing really clicked on our direction the whole weekend, the things that were out of our control really,” Ocon continued.

“And it’s extremely frustrating because we are in a good place, I think we’re similar to the Aston [Martins] and the Ferrari in front, so we could have been much further up.”

‘Clear-the-air talks’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...australian-gp/


Szafnauer: Not right to attribute blame in Ocon-Gasly incident
Sunday 2nd April, 2023
By Daniel Herrero
Speedcafe

Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer is refusing to attribute blame over his drivers’ crash in a chaotic conclusion to the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. Ocon said he had “no hard feelings” over the crash, and nor did Szafnauer, apparently.

“It’s a shame that they came together,” said the Anglo-French outfit’s Team Principal. “As far as trying to blame one or the other, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do; I think the right thing to do is learn from it. There’s so much chaos there and you’ve got to make quick decisions.”

“If you look at the onboard and the replay, [Yuki] Tsunoda gets through, Esteban tries to follow him, [and] you don’t know where Pierre’s going to go, and Pierre doesn’t know who’s there. He’s just trying to get onto the racing line, so it’s not like he’s looking in the mirror, seeing somebody, and saying, ‘Well, I’m going to block him. He’s looking the other way, getting on the racing line, thinking no one’s there.”

‘So much chaos there’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/02...asly-incident/

[Fortitude]

F1 slammed as ‘animator of chaos’ in Australian GP.
Formula 1 is facing near-unanimous backlash after “the show” overtook the sport at the Australian GP.
07:33, 3rd March 2023.
Grandpx.news

Formula 1 is facing widespread negative feedback after multiple red-flag periods and grid restarts – one of which with just two laps to go – turned the excitement into a farce.

“This is going to degenerate into big discussions,” predicted Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg. “From a fan’s point of view, an entertainment point of view, you can completely understand it,” said the F1 veteran. “From the driver’s point of view or from the team’s point of view, this American entertainment style is sometimes frustrating.”

And not just frustrating, but also potentially very dangerous. “The rights holders were rubbing their hands,” observed Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Andreas Haupt. “But the show turned into carnage. The question inevitably arises now as to whether the show was deliberately placed above the sport.”

‘The show turned into carnage’;

https://grandpx.news/f1-slammed-as-a...australian-gp/


Australian GP Podcast: Does F1’s restart procedure need a rethink?
Apr 3 2023
The Race

Formula 1’s third race of 2023 was dominated by the red flag and restart controversies that led to a late finish for the stewards.

Edd Straw, Mark Hughes and Scott Mitchell-Malm gather to explain the controversy and assess whether F1’s current system is fit for purpose.

There’s also talk of how Mercedes suddenly became Red Bull’s closest challenger, Alpine’s intra-team implosion, Aston Martin’s brief-standing implosion and McLaren’s brightest weekend of the year so far.

‘Rethink?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/austr...eed-a-rethink/


Verstappen critical, Alonso unsure of Australian GP restart procedure
03 April 8:00AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

The World Champion couldn't understand why the Lap 57 restart was conducted how it was in Australia. Max Verstappen has blamed Formula 1 race control's decision to use a standing restart in the Australian Grand Prix for the multi-car incident on Lap 57.

Following Kevin Magnussen's wall strike and debris on the track, the race was suspended for a second time, with a two-lap shootout planned from a standing start on the grid, with Verstappen leading Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen and Hamilton escaped unscathed but Alonso was tagged out of third, while Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries all retired in incidents at Turns 1 and 2.

‘Verstappen critical’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...tart-procedure


Spectator hit by debris at F1 Australian GP
Monday 3rd April, 2023 - 9:16am
By Daniel Herrero
Speedcafe

A race fan has recounted how he was hit by debris sent flying over the fences when Kevin Magnussen crashed out of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

“I don’t really know [what happened],” Sweet told Melbourne’s 3AW radio station of his incident. “I was just sort of standing in the crowd at Turn 2 and all of a sudden there was a commotion on-track so I looked to my right and Magnussen goes flying down the track.”

“Then, all of a sudden, something hits me in the arm and a bunch of people are sort of running around, scrambling around me. Suddenly, someone holds up half of his rim, which has just flown over the fence and managed to hit me in the arm, so it was a bit weird.”

‘Spectator hit’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/03...australian-gp/


Record Melbourne crowds attend chaotic 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix
12:23, 03 April 2023
Alex Misoyannis
Drive

More than 440,000 fans attended the 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix weekend – a new record for the Melbourne running of the event – including a chaotic race on Sunday which saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen take victory, and Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri score his first F1 points.

Although the estimated attendance of 441,631 over four days is a record for Melbourne, the all-time Australian Grand Prix attendance record remains with the final running of the event in Adelaide, in 1995, when an estimated 520,000 fans attended.

‘New record for the Melbourne’;

https://www.drive.com.au/news/2023-f...d-prix-report/


Australian GP admits security lapses after fan invasion
1:58pm, Apr 3, 2023
Shayne Hope
The New Daily

Australian Grand Prix organisers admit they don’t know how fans invaded the track during the Formula One race at Albert Park but are committed to investigating the potentially “disastrous” incident.

Spectators broke through security barriers and accessed the track towards the end of Sunday’s race, with some reaching the car driven by Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg as it was parked at the exit of turn two.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) fronted stewards and admitted to the safety and security failures, agreeing it was an “unacceptable situation that could have had disastrous consequences”.

‘Security lapses’;

https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/mot...-fan-invasion/


Was Albon red flag the right call? Kravitz and Croft thrash it out on TV
Sunday 2 April 2023 08:13
Jack Walker
GPFans

It has been an action-packed start to the Australian Grand Prix, and not just on the race track! Ted Kravitz and David Croft had a tasty exchange after Alexander Albon lost the rear of his Williams into the wall of turn seven.

“Ted, I can give you some information on that. The red flag is because of the gravel that came back onto the track,” said Croft. “You can see actually that the gravel is coming onto the racing line, there was a lot of it with the Williams beached.”

“The red flag has basically so the track can be swept, the last thing you want at some of the high-speed, flat-out curved sections is someone picking up a puncture and going into the barrier.”

‘The right call?’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...d-flag-debate/


The moments that shaped an unforgettable Australian Grand Prix
April 3, 2023 — 5.00am
By Scott Spits
The Sydney Morning Herald

The chequered flag was waved at 5.35pm local time - well past the expected finishing time. Formula 1 star Max Verstappen was forced to show plenty of patience for his first triumph in Australia – hey, why not push it out for another hour or so?

It was probably the most entertaining and compelling grand prix at Albert Park since the race was snatched from South Australia’s grasp in the mid-1990s. Let’s take a look at the five key moments of the race:

Red Flag – The dramatic third restart.
Lap 54 – Magnussen’s tyre (what caused it all).
Lap one, turn three – Goodbye, champ.
Lap 19 – George Russell makes his exit.

‘Unforgettable Australian Grand Prix’;

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsp...d-refresh=true


Norris: Australian GP carnage not driver 'stupidity'
Sunday 2 April 2023 15:26
Jack Walker
GPFans

Lando Norris kickstarted his and McLaren's season with a sixth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix. “Even before the chaos, the performance in the race was pretty strong. I had a good start, stayed out of trouble, stayed away from damage,” said Norris.

“Half your job seems to be avoiding people who are out of control, mistaking a lot of mistakes and crashing into people." On the number of cars that found trouble during the chaotic restart, Norris explained: “It’s not out of stupidity, it’s tricky in such cold conditions.”

"You would think a hearted tyre to 60-70 degrees would give us some grip, but it doesn’t. You always want to break later than the guy next to you and sometimes you pay the price for that. It’s such a slow warm-up lap before the restarts so it’s hard to the get temperature."

‘Carnage not driver stupidity';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...prix-reaction/