Spherical three of the 2024 Method 1 World Championship will get underway this weekend in Melbourne, Australia.

The Australian Grand Prix, which for years has served because the opening spherical of the season, stays a preferred occasion on the calendar, and this yr there has already been some motion forward of the race.

After crashing his automotive throughout a follow session on Friday, Williams’ Alex Albon will now use the automotive of his teammate Logan Sargeant for the rest of the weekend. Sargeant must sit out because the group would not have a spare automotive and the harm to Albon’s automotive is just too extreme to restore.

Whereas Sargeant sits out, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz makes a return in Melbourne after lacking out the earlier Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as a result of surgical procedure for an appendicitis. Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman sat in for Sainz and managed to attain some factors after ending a decent seventh.

Albert Park Circuit, residence of the Method 1 Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix takes place at Albert Park Circuit, a avenue circuit that has been on the F1 calendar since 1996. The present structure measures 3.28 miles and options 14 turns.

With 72% of the lap time, and 79% of lap distance, spent at full throttle, the Albert Park Circuit ranks third highest of any circuit on the calendar judged on each these metrics. The circuit additionally has the shortest pit lane on the calendar, at simply over 900 toes, that means automobiles spend solely about 13 seconds at pit lane velocity.

Climate is usually a blended bag in Melbourne, however the present forecast requires delicate temperatures and largely sunny circumstances for each Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. In a change from final yr, Pirelli has nominated its softest tires within the vary: the C3 because the white exhausting, the C4 because the yellow medium, and the C5 because the pink smooth.

Going into the weekend, Pink Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship with 51 factors. Fellow Pink Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 36 factors and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 28 factors. Within the Constructors’ Championship, Pink Bull leads with 87 factors, versus the 49 of Ferrari and 28 of McLaren. Final yr’s winner in Melbourne was Verstappen, driving for Pink Bull.