F1 Team Form: Australian Grand Prix

Mercedes took pole at every Australian Grand Prix between 2014 and 2019, while Ferrari have won three of the last four Melbourne races. Here’s everything you need to know about each team’s history at Albert Park!

RED BULL

WINS: 1, POLES: 3, PODIUMS: 5 | 2022 RESULT: PEREZ 2nd, VERSTAPPEN DNF

Sebastian Vettel’s victory at Albert Park in 2011 remains Red Bull’s only win at the Australian Grand Prix. Until 2019, Vettel had also scored the team’s only podium finishes at the Albert Park circuit, with second place in 2012 and third in 2013. Max Verstappen recorded Red Bull’s first podium at the circuit in six years in 2019, with a third place finish, while Sergio Perez bettered that result with second place in 2022.

Daniel Ricciardo had finished second on track for the team in 2014, but was later disqualified. As a result of that disqualification, 2014 is one of only two times when neither Red Bull was classified in the final result – the other time being in 2008. 2014 is the team’s only point-less Melbourne visit from the last 11 Albert Park races. That being said, in the last two races at the track, one driver has finished on the podium while the other has failed to finish.

Red Bull team pit stop practice at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix. Image © Andrew Balfour.
Image © Andrew Balfour

Red Bull have taken three pole positions here, all courtesy of Sebastian Vettel, and have locked out the front row twice, in 2010 and 2013. In 2022, both of the team’s drivers qualified in the top three for the first time since 2013. Max Verstappen’s second place was their first front row qualification since Daniel Ricciardo made the front row on his Red Bull debut in 2014.

From the past 12 races at the circuit, there have been only four occasions on which a Red Bull driver has failed to reach the final part of qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix. Vettel and Daniil Kvyat were eliminated in Q2 in 2014 and 2015 respectively, while Kvyat and Pierre Gasly were out in Q1 in 2016 and 2019.

FERRARI

WINS: 9, POLES: 6, PODIUMS: 20 | 2022 RESULT: LECLERC 1st, SAINZ DNF

Ferrari have won three of the last four Australian Grands Prix, with Charles Leclerc securing the team’s most recent Albert Park win in 2022. Since 2015, 2019 is the only time that neither Ferrari driver finished on the podium at Australian Grand Prix.

With nine wins in total, Ferrari have taken more victories at Albert Park than any other team. With there being just one occasion in the past 13 Albert Park races where the team have failed to pick up a point, it’s perhaps no surprise that Ferrari are the most prolific points scorers in Melbourne. In fact, in addition to their non-score in 2009, Ferrari’s 2006 double-DNF at the track is the only other time they’ve failed to score at the circuit.

Sebastian Vettel at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix. Image © Andrew Balfour.
Image © Andrew Balfour

In 2022, Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first pole at the Australian Grand Prix since 2007. It was the team’s sixth pole in total at the circuit. For four seasons between 2001 and 2004, Ferrari locked out the front row. Since then however, there have been just four occasions on which a Ferrari car has qualified on the front row.

2005, 2006 and 2012 are the only years in which neither Ferrari car has qualified in the top in Melbourne. Since the knockout system was introduced in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2014 are the only years where just one Ferrari has reached Q3.

MERCEDES

WINS: 4, POLES: 6, PODIUMS: 11 | 2022 RESULT: RUSSELL 3rd, HAMILTON 4th

Mercedes took three consecutive Australian Grand Prix wins in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and won their fourth Australian Grand Prix in 2019.Both Mercedes cars have reached the end of the Australian Grand Prix in every year since 2014; with 2018 and 2022 being the only times from those six seasons where only one of their drivers finished on the podium.

2022 was the first time since 2013 that neither Mercedes driver finished in the top two, though George Russell secured a podium finish in third place. Mercedes have recorded just one double DNF here, in 2011, while 2012 is the only other year in which they’ve failed to pick up a point at Albert Park.

Mercedes have started from pole six times at the Australian Grand Prix – all six times being between 2014 and 2019. The team also locked out the front row in 2015, 2016 and 2019. Their fifth and sixth places in 2022 marked the first time since 2011 that neither Mercedes driver qualified in the top four at the Australian Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher’s Q2 elimination here in 2011 is the only time a Mercedes car has failed to reach Q3 since the team re-entered F1 in 2010 – though Valtteri Bottas was unable to set a lap in Q3 in 2018 after crashing out.

ALPINE

WINS: 3*, POLES: 1*, PODIUMS: 7* | 2022 RESULT: OCON 7th, ALONSO 17th

The Enstone team has not finished above seventh place at the Australian Grand Prix since Kimi Raikkonen took victory at the venue in 2013. One of the team’s drivers has finished seventh in each of the last three Albert Park races. Nico Hulkenberg finished seventh with the Enstone-based team in 2018 and 2019, while Esteban Ocon finished seventh last year.

Raikkonen’s victory, when the team was under its Lotus guise, was the Enstone team’s third Australian Grand Prix win. Renault won the Australian Grand Prix in their championship-winning seasons of 2005 and 2006. Their 2013 win was followed by a four year pointless streak at the track, including double DNFs in both 2014 and 2015.In 2018, Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz made it the first occasion since 2013 that both of Team Enstone’s drivers picked up points at Albert Park.

2020 Australian Grand Prix. Image © Andrew Balfour.
Image © Andrew Balfour

Giancarlo Fisichella took the Enstone team’s only pole at Albert Park, under its Renault guise, in 2005. He also secured the team’s only other front row start the following year. In the last 14 races at the circuit, there have been only four occasions on which both of the team’s drivers. Romain Grosjean’s third place in 2012 marks the last time that the team qualified in the top six here.

McLAREN

WINS: 6, POLES: 5, PODIUMS: 18 | 2022 RESULT: NORRIS 5th, RICCIARDO 6th

McLaren last finished on the Australian Grand Prix podium in 2014, when Kevin Magnussen finished an impressive second on début and Jenson Button was bumped up to third in the final result. The team enjoyed their best result since then in 2022, with both Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finishing in the top six. That’s one of only two times in the past six Australian Grands Prix that McLaren have picked up points at the track.

McLaren’s impressive tally of 18 podiums at the track leaves them behind only Ferrari’s total, while the team are also second in the all-time win list in Melbourne, having taken six victories. Button remains McLaren’s most recent winner at the circuit, having won for the team in both 2010 and 2012.

The 1998 Australian Grand Prix marks the team’s only 1-2 finish at Albert Park, though they’ve also had 1-3 finishes in 1997, 2003 and 2012. The team have recorded double non-finishes in three years here, in 1999, 2000 and most recently in 2009, when Heikki Kovalainen failed to finish and Lewis Hamilton was disqualified.

McLaren have taken five poles at Albert Park, most recently in 2012, and have locked-out the front row on four occasions. Since their last front-row lockout in 2012, however, there have been only four years in which a McLaren driver has reached Q3 at the Australian Grand Prix. 2022 was the first time since 2012 that both drivers reached the final part of qualifying in Melbourne.

2015 was a particularly low point – 17th and 18th places in qualifying marked the team’s only double Q1 elimination in Australia.

ALFA ROMEO

WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 1* | 2022 RESULT: BOTTAS 8th, ZHOU 11th

The team formerly known as Sauber scored their only podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix in 2008, when Nick Heidfeld finished as runner-up. After failing to score in all but one year between 2013 and 2018, the team has scored with eighth place finishes in the last two races at the circuit. Kimi Raikkonen finished eighth in 2019, while Valtteri Bottas finished eighth in 2022.

The team saw one of their drivers retire from the race in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and has one of the highest non-finish rates at the circuit overall of any current team. Aside from 2015, when both Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson finished the race in the top eight, 2001, 2006 and 2012 are the only other occasions on which both Sauber drivers scored in the race here. Both drivers finished in the top ten in 2011 but were disqualified after the event for technical infringements.

The best qualifying result for a Sauber car in Melbourne is second on the grid, again achieved by Nick Heidfeld in 2008. Kimi Raikkonen finally ended a seven-year drought of no Q3 appearances for the team by qualifying ninth in 2019. With Antonio Giovinazzi being eliminated in Q2, it was the first season since 2012 that neither of the team’s drivers had a Q1 exit at the Australian Grand Prix. The team recorded a double Q2 exit in 2022. 2008 is the last time both of their cars reached Q3, while both drivers were out in Q1 for three successive years between 2016 and 2018.

ASTON MARTIN

WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 1* | 2022 RESULT: STROLL 12th, VETTEL DNF

Aston Martin failed to pick up any points on their first visit to the Australian Grand Prix in 2022. While that was Aston Martin’s first appearance here, the Silverstone-based team has competed here in one form or another in every running of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

The Silverstone-based team have recently enjoyed a good finish rate at the Australian Grand Prix, though Sergio Perez recorded their first DNF since 2012 at the circuit in 2019 and Sebastian Vettel failed to finish in 2022. Between 1996 and 2012, there were only three occasions on which Team Silverstone’s cars reached the chequered flag.

2018 and 2022 are the only times since 2010 that the team have left the circuit without scoring a point. Nico Hulkenberg’s sixth place finish here in 2014 is the best result for the team since becoming Force India – and a result that was bettered only twice by Jordan: with Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s second and fifth places in 1999 and 2001.

The Silverstone team have a low Q3 appearance rate at the Australian Grand Prix. From their last 36 entries, they have qualified in the top ten only seven times. Nico Hulkenberg’s seventh place for Force India in 2014 was the team’s best qualifying result at the circuit since Heinz-Harald Frentzen qualified fourth for Jordan in 2001. In 2019, Sergio Perez recorded the team’s first top ten qualification since 2016. 2016 is the only season since 2001 in which both of the team’s cars qualified in the top ten. Both drivers were out in Q1 last year – the team’s first double Q1 elimination at the track since 2009.

HAAS

WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: SCHUMACER 13th, MAGNUSSEN 14th

2022 marked the first time that both Haas drivers reached the chequered flag in race at Albert Park. Before that, the team had recorded only two finishes from eight entries. Both of those finishes were sixth places, for Romain Grosjean on the team’s debut in 2016, and for Kevin Magnussen in 2019. Neither Mick Schumacher nor Magnussen finished in the points in 2022.

The team have been unlucky at the Australian Grand Prix. Most notably, Grosjean and Magnussen were running in fourth and fifth in 2018 when they retired following wheelnut issues in their pit stops. That was their second consecutive double DNF at the circuit.

In each Australian Grand Prix between 2017 and 2019, Romain Grosjean qualified in sixth place with Haas. He started within the top five in 2018 thanks to Daniel Ricciardo’s grid penalty. Kevin Magnussen qualified seventh in both 2018 and 2019, making those seasons the only ones that Haas have reached Q3 with both cars at Albert Park. The team suffered a double Q1 elimination in 2016, and Magnussen was eliminated in Q1 in 2017. In 2022, Mick Schumacher reached Q2, while Magnussen was eliminated in Q1.

ALPHATAURI

WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: GASLY 9th, TSUNODA 15th

The Red Bull junior team has picked up points in all but one of the last seven Australian Grands Prix. Toro Rosso’s best result at the Australian Grand Prix is seventh, which Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi both achieved in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The team have a healthy finish rate at the event, and there is yet to be an Australian Grand Prix at which both cars have failed to finish.

There have been four occasions on which both cars have scored points in Melbourne, including three times in the past seven races at Albert Park. There have been only five seasons in which the team have failed to score at the circuit, most recently in 2018.

Max Verstappen’s fifth on the grid for Toro Rosso in 2015 is the team’s best qualifying result so far at this circuit. The team have reached Q3 with both cars three times, in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the latter being the last time that either of their cars has reached the final part of qualifying at Albert Park.

In 2018, Toro Rosso recorded their first double Q1 exit in Melbourne since 2009. 2007 is the only other year that both cars were eliminated in the first part of qualifying. In both 2019 and 2022, both drivers were eliminated in Q2.

WILLIAMS

WINS: 1, POLES: 2, PODIUMS: 8 | 2022 RESULT: ALBON 10th, LATIFI 16th

Williams were the first ever winners at the Albert Park circuit in the modern era of Formula 1, as Damon Hill took victory at the 1996 event. It’s the only time so far that the team have taken a win in Melbourne. The 1996 race weekend is also memorable for Jacques Villeneuve’s debut with the team, in which he took pole and led the majority of the race. The Canadian once again took pole in the following season for Williams, marking their second, and so far final, front row lock-out at Albert Park.

In total, Williams have taken eight podium finishes at this circuit, their most recent being Nico Rosberg’s third place in 2008. The team have recorded three double DNFs here, and there have been eight races at the track in which they’ve failed to score. That tally includes both 2018 and 2019. Alex Albon picked up a point for the team in 2022, finishing tenth with the effective use of an alternate strategy.

After a four year streak of Q3 appearances at the Australian Grand Prix, in each of the last three races at the circuit, neither Williams driver has reached Q3. 2019 marked the first time that both Williams cars have been eliminated in Q1 at the Albert Park circuit and both Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi were out in Q1 in 2022.

Double Q3 appearances for the team at Albert Park have been rare, with both cars reaching the final part of qualifying in only 2014 and 2015. That being said, until 2019, the team had only three Q1 exits at the track – Pastor Maldonado in 2013, Lance Stroll in 2017 and Sergey Sirotkin in 2018. From the past 15 races at Albert Park, the team have qualified in the top four only once, with Felipe Massa qualifying third in 2015.

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