Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2024: Preview, Predictions, Circuit Information and Race Schedule

• The Formula 1 grid rolls on to Melbourne for the third race of 2024
• Red Bull Racing are poised to continue their early-season dominance
• Sports Brief highlights a preview of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix

The 2024 Formula 1 season is in full swing, with the Australian Grand Prix on the horizon.

The first two races have been revealing, offering a glimpse of what lies ahead for the rest of the season.

Red Bull Racing has continued its dominant form, which began in the 2022 season. The team has secured maximum points in the first two races, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finishing first and second on the podium, respectively.

As we look ahead to the race in Albert Park, the other nine teams on the grid will be aiming to narrow the gap to Red Bull Racing. They are expected to bring a flurry of upgrades to the Grand Prix, but whether these will be enough to close the ever-widening gap to Red Bull remains to be seen.

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In anticipation of the upcoming 2024 Australian GP, Sports Brief provides a comprehensive preview, insightful predictions, and the race schedule.

Australian Grand Prix schedule

The 2024 Australian Grand Prix is set to unfold from March 22nd to March 24th, offering a thrilling lineup of sessions and events spread across three action-packed days:

March 22nd:

- Practice 1 kicks off at 12:30 (GMT +11).

- Practice 2 follows at 16:00 (GMT +11).

March 23rd:

- Practice 3 begins at 12:30 (GMT +11).

- Qualifying takes place at 16:00 (GMT +11).

March 24th:

- The Grand Prix culminates at 15:00 (GMT +11).

Australian Prix preview

Much has been made of Verstappen's dominant performance over his teammate, Perez, following his exceptional 2023 season. This trend continued as the Dutch driver secured a 22-second lead over the Mexican at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

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However, the second race in Saudi Arabia revealed a notable reduction in the gap between the two Red Bull drivers. Both Verstappen and Perez surged ahead of the pack; however, they finished the race with just an eight-second difference.

Perez's significant improvement in performance in the first two races has sparked discussions about a potential title rivalry between the two drivers. This conversation has been fueled by Perez's seamless adjustment to the RB20 car, as acknowledged by both Perez and his team. Their performance in Melbourne will be closely watched to see if this trend continues.

For the rest of the grid, the focus is on becoming the best of the rest. Ferrari has claimed this position so far, finishing third in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. While challenging Red Bull may seem like a daunting task, Ferrari is expected to continue closing the gap to their rivals.

Mercedes AMG is another team to watch closely. Since the rule changes and the start of the ground effect era three seasons ago, the Brackley team has yet to regain its former glory from the turbo hybrid era. The 2024 season is shaping up similarly to the past two seasons for the German team.

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In the high-speed corners of the Jeddah circuit, Mercedes was the slowest among the 10 teams, even trailing behind Haas F1 and Alpine Racing, as captured by RacingNews365. However, Mercedes finds hope in the fact that they secured their first podium of the 2023 season at this same circuit.

Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) will also be aiming to improve their performance in Melbourne. There was much anticipation regarding the pace of Red Bull's sister team during the preseason, but they have yet to deliver promising results. The upcoming race in Melbourne presents an opportunity for both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo to demonstrate their speed behind the wheel of the RB car.

Australian Grand Prix prediction

Verstappen seems poised to be the frontrunner again this weekend, and his teammate is expected to close the gap even further. We also anticipate a significant improvement from one of the McLarens, similar to what we saw at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. With this being Oscar Piastri's home race, we're expecting the young driver to deliver a stunning performance throughout the race weekend.

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Australian GP Circuit Information

Circuit: Albert Park Circuit

Debut Grand Prix: 1996

Total Laps: 58

Track Length: 5.278 kilometres

Race Distance: 306.124 kilometres

Lap Record: 1:20.235 - Sergio Perez (2023)

Australian Grand Prix Previous winner

2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull

2022: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2021: Cancelled

2020: Cancelled

2019: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes

2018: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

2017: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

Highest-Paid Formula 1 Drivers of 2024

Sports Brief previously highlighted the highest-earning Formula 1 drivers of the 2024 season.

The list included Red Bull's Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, among others on the current grid.

Hamilton is poised to lead this log from the 2025 season.