Date: Sunday, March 17
Start Time: 2 a.m. ET
Site: Albert Park Circuit (1996) -- Melbourne, Australia
Track: 5.303 km (3.3 miles), 16-turn temporary street circuit
Laps: 58
Miles: 191.110 (307.574 km)
Capacity: 80,000
Total purse:
Payouts:
Year: 29th
On TV: NBC Sports Network
Announcers:
On Radio:
Race record: Michael Schumacher, 2004 (1 hr., 24 mins., 15.757 secs.)
Qualifying record: Sebastian Vettel, 2011 (1 min., 23.529 secs.)
2012 Finish
Defending champion: Jenson Button
Runner up: Sebastian Vettel
Pole winner: Lewis Hamilton (1:24.922)
Top 10:
1. Jenson Button (Start: 2)
2. Sebastian Vettel (6)
3. Lewis Hamilton (1)
4. Mark Webber (5)
5. Fernando Alonso (12)
6. Kamui Kobayashi (13)
7. Kimi Raikkonen (17)
8. Sergio Perez (22)
9. Daniel Ricciardo (10)
10. Paul di Resta (15)
Average speed: 195.991 kph
Time of race: 1 hr., 34 mins., 9.565 secs.
Margin of victory: 2.139 secs.
Caution flags:
Lead changes:
Past winners
2012 Jenson Button, McLaren Mercedes, 195.991 kph/1:34:9.565
2011 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Renault, 206.184 kph/1:29:30.259
2010 Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, 197.144 kph/1:33:36.531
2009 Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes, 195.775 kph/1:34:15.784
2008 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 194.577 kph/1:34:50.616
2007 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 215.893 kph/1:25.28.770
2006 Fernando Alonso, Renault, 191.990 kph/1:34:27.870
2005 Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, 215.167 kph/1:24:17.336
2004 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 219.010 kph/1:24:15.757 (record)
2003 David Coulthard, McLaren, 194.868 kph/1:34:42.124
2002 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1.35.36.792
2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:38:26.533
2000 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1.34:01.987
1999 Eddie Irvine, Ferrari, 1:35:01.659
1998 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren, 1:31:45.996
1997 David Coulthard, McLaren, 1:30:28.718
1996 Damon Hill, Williams, 1:32:50.491
1995 Damon Hill, Williams, 1:49:15.936
1994 Nigel Mansell, Williams, 1:47:51.480
1993 Ayrton Senna, McLaren, 1:43:27.476
1992 Gerhard Berger, McLaren, 1:46:54.786
1991 Ayrton Senna, McLaren, 24:34.899 (rain-shortened)
1990 Nelson Piquet, Benetton, 1:49:44.570
1989 Thierry Boutsen, Williams, 2:00:17.421
1988 Alain Prost, McLaren, 1:53:14.676
1987 Gerhard Berger, Ferrari, 1:52:56.144
1986 Alain Prost, McLaren, 1:54:20.388
1985 Keke Rosberg, Williams, 2:00:40.473
Last race
Race: Brazilian Grand Prix (Nov. 25, 2012)
Site: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Interlagos -- Sao Paulo, Brazil
Miles: 190.067 (305.909 km)
Laps: 71
Finish line order: Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Mark Webber, Nico Hulkenberg
Time of Race: 1 hr., 45 mins., 22.656 secs.
Average speed: 174.178 kph
Margin of victory: 2.754 secs.
Caution flags:
Lead changes:
Lap leaders:
Entry list
#1 Sebastian Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) Renault/Red Bull
#2 Mark Webber (Queanbeyan, Australia) Renault/Red Bull
#3 Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) Ferrari/Scuderia
#4 Felipe Massa (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Ferrari/Scuderia
#5 * Jenson Button (Frome, England) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone
#6 Sergio Perez (Guadalajara, Mexico) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone
#7 Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) Renault/Lotus
#8 Romain Grosjean (Geneva,Switzerland) Renault/Lotus
#9 Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) Mercedes/AMG Petronas
#10 Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) Mercedes/AMG Petronas
#11 Nico Hulkenberg (Emmerich, Germany) Ferrari/Sauber
#12 Esteban Gutierrez (Monterrey, Mexico Ferrari/Sauber
#14 Paul di Resta (Livingston, Scotland) Mercedes/Sahara Force India
#15 Adrian Sutil (Starnberg, Germany) Mercedes/Sahara Force India
#16 Pastor Maldonado (Maracay,Venezuela) Renault/Williams
#17 Valtteri Bottas (Nastola, Finland) Renault/Williams
#18 Jean-Eric Vergne (Pontoise, France) Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso
#19 Daniel Ricciardo (Perth, Australia) Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso
#20 Charles Pic (Montelimar, France) Renault/Caterham
#21 Giedo van der Garde (Rhenen, Nether. Renault/Caterham
#22 Jules Bianchi (Nice, France) Cosworth/Marussia
#23 Max Chilton (Reigate, England) Cosworth/Marussia
Leading contenders
| Name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenson Button | 6 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 18 | Won | Won | 6 | Won |
| Sebastian Vettel | 20 | 13 | 17 | Won | 2 | ||||
| Lewis Hamilton | 3 | Won | DSQ | 6 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Mark Webber | 18 | 5 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Fernando Alonso | 3 | 3 | Won | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 20 | 8 | 2 | Won | 8 | 15 | 7 | ||
| Sergio Perez | 16 | 8 | |||||||
| Nico Rosberg | 21 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 12 | ||
| Felipe Massa | 15 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
Notes
This will be the 29th F1 world championship running of the Australian GP. It's the 18th consecutive year this race has been held at Albert Park. It's also the 16th time the F1 season opener takes place in Australia.
Albert Park is a temporary circuit with parts of the track used for road traffic for the majority of the year. This circuit features unusually high grip-evolution, which leads to falling lap times over the course of the weekend, as the track "rubbers-in."
Before the Australian GP was moved to Albert Park in 1996, this race was held on the street circuit in Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide hosted the F1 season finale from 1985-95.
Michael Schumacher, who retired from F1 for good at the conclusion of the 2012 season, holds the record for most victories in the Australian GP with four (2000, '01, '02 and '04). Jenson Button has won this race in three of the last four years. Button finished sixth in 2011.
In last year's Australian GP, Button started second but grabbed the lead from pole sitter and then McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton in the first turn of the opening lap. Button only relinquished the top position during his two pit stops during the 58-lap race. Hamilton is now driving for Mercedes.
The race winner at Albert Park has started on the pole position eight times, including four in the past six years. Sebastian Vettel most recently did it in 2011.
Round 2 in the 2013 Formula One world championship is the March 24 Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur. Fernando Alonso won last year's race there.
