Australian Grand Prix 2023 — Weekend Preview

Round 3 of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Melbourne, Australia. Australian Grand Prix — Where the Season Begins. Max Verstappen leads the championship with 44 points, 1 points ahead of Sergio Perez.

Driver Championship (entering R3):
P1: Max Verstappen — 44 pts (1W, 2P)
P2: Sergio Perez — 43 pts (1W, 2P)
P3: Fernando Alonso — 30 pts (0W, 2P)
P4: Lewis Hamilton — 20 pts (0W, 0P)
P5: Carlos Sainz — 20 pts (0W, 0P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Red Bull Racing — 87 pts
P2: Aston Martin — 38 pts
P3: Mercedes — 38 pts
P4: Ferrari — 26 pts
P5: Alpine — 8 pts

Melbourne is steeped in motorsport history.

Recent winners at Melbourne:
- 2026: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 2025: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2024: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2022: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5 different winners in the last 5 years — no driver has dominated this circuit recently.

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Max Verstappen vs Sergio Perez — 1 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Fernando Alonso (30) vs Lewis Hamilton (20) — just 10 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Lewis Hamilton (20) vs Carlos Sainz (20) — just 0 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Carlos Sainz (20) vs George Russell (18) — just 2 points apart.