The countdown to a much-anticipated 2025 Formula 1 season has begun. For the first time since 2019, the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne will host the season opener, the Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix, on Sunday.
The engines are ready to roar at Albert Park this weekend, opening for the 23rd time and the first since 2019, a new FIA Formula One World Championship season, racing across five continents, featuring a record-equaling 24-race calendar.
Australia will have two representatives on the F1 grid in 2025. Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren F1 Team and rookie Jack Doohan, who will debut as a full-time Formula One driver with BWT Alpine.
Piastri is heading to home soil with a multi-year contract extension agreed with McLaren on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old joined the squad in 2023, quickly showcasing his talent and helping the team return to fight at the top.
Last year, he became a two-time Grand Prix winner (Hungary and Azerbaijan). He also captured his maiden Sprint race win in Qatar, finishing fourth in the driver’s championship with 292 points.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that Im part of McLaren’s long-term vision. The team had belief in me when we signed in 2022, and the journey we’ve gone on over the past two seasons to help return McLaren to the very top of the sport has been incredible,” Piastri outlined.
“I’m excited to fight for the big prizes as a McLaren driver, and after last year’s fantastic achievements, it has made me even hungrier to stay at the sharp end.”
The Woking-based outfit won the fierce battle for the constructor’s championship, finishing runner-up to four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen with the Australian teammate, Lando Norris.
Meanwhile, Doohan, 22, is eager to hit the track in front of his fans, starting a new chapter in his professional career at the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Starting my full-time rookie season in Albert Park is a dream come true, and the support from the fans will be incredible; I will be soaking up every moment,” he said.
“I have worked so hard for this opportunity; now it is about working closely with the team and ensuring I extract the absolute maximum from the car.”
Assessing the challenge ahead, he added: “Albert Park is a tricky circuit, a part street track, part permanent circuit, which makes it unique. The surface can be slippery, and getting into a rhythm early is key.”
The Circuit
The street circuit is a fast track by essence, spanning 5.278 km (3.280 miles), and boasts a range of high-speed curves, 14 turns overall, over 58 laps.
The layout makes overtaking difficult, and the low grip is an extra challenge to the drivers and the cars in its first Grand Prix “test” on board the new challengers.
According to Formula One official tire manufacturer Pirelli, the season opener will follow the same three compounds selection as last year’s with the trio: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft.
Pirelli further remarks that the tires have evolved in terms of the characteristics of both construction and compound.
When addressing the C3, the tire manufacturer explains that it is the most versatile in terms of balance and degradation, “substantially the same as the version used for the previous two seasons.”
During pre-season testing, the compound completed over two-thirds of the total mileage, allowing the teams to collect valuable data.
In 2022, Albert Park underwent its most significant change since the race moved to Melbourne in 1996.
A series of upgrades helped shape the new circuit layout. Seven corners underwent substantial modifications, two removed entirely, bidding to deliver a new on-track spectacle, promoting wheel-to-wheel racing.
The widening of the pit lane area by 2 meters (2.2yd) as off-track upgrades eased to align the circuit with the changes in specifications of the new F1 cars.
In 2024, the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc set the fastest race lap (1:19.813) while former teammate Carlos Sainz surged to victory.
When the lights go green in Melbourne, the question marks will vanish, and true pace will give a first glimpse of which team made the most of the off-season.
