What time the Australian Grand Prix starts and how to follow the race

The primary grand prix of the Method 1 season has arrived, with 11 groups and 22 drivers poised to battle in Melbourne. 

The primary of 24 scheduled grand prix can be held at Albert Park, with Oscar Piastri making an attempt to develop into the primary Australian since 1980 to win the race.

However the Mercedes workforce produced a dominant efficiency in qualifying, and are in a main place to say victory in Melbourne.

Here’s what it’s good to know forward of the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

What time is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?

The Australian Grand Prix this afternoon, Sunday, March 8, on the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. 

It is going to be the primary race of the 2026 F1 championship.

Right here is when the grand prix will start in every Australian state and territory.

3pm AEDT: Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania2:30pm ACDT: South Australia2pm: AEST: Queensland1.30pm ACST: Northern Territory12pm: AWST: Western Australia

How can I watch the Australian Grand Prix?

The F1 Australian Grand Prix may be watched on business and pay tv, in addition to streaming platforms. 

Community 10 is the free-to-air broadcaster, with the race being proven on Channel 10 and streamed on 10 Play.

Pay tv supplier Foxtel may even broadcast the Australian Grand Prix on Fox Sports activities channel 507. You too can stream on-line through Foxtel Go or on Kayo.

ABC Sport can be publishing a stay weblog of the Australian Grand Prix from 10am AEDT.

What place is Oscar Piastri ranging from?

Australia’s Oscar Piastri will begin the Australian Grand Prix from fifth.

The McLaren driver was constantly close to the highest of the time sheets throughout Saturday’s qualifying session. He begins alongside his teammate Lando Norris, who was sixth quickest.

Mercedes flex muscle as Russell claims pole, Piastri qualifies fifth

Mercedes has lived as much as the preseason hype with a dominant qualifying efficiency, locking out the entrance row of the grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

However no driver was a match for Mercedes ace George Russell.

The Briton was a category above the sector, posting an excellent lap time of 1 minute 18.51 seconds, which was virtually three-tenths faster than his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who was second. 

Purple Bull’s Isack Hadjar was third quickest, greater than seven-tenths adrift of Russell’s time, emphasising the dominance Mercedes loved on Saturday. 

“We knew there was lots of potential within the automobile,” Russell stated.

“Actually blissful to have Kimi right here subsequent to me as effectively, because the workforce did an incredible job within the storage at this time.

What do I must know in regards to the F1 circuit in Melbourne?

The grand prix circuit round Albert Park is among the quickest on the F1 calendar. Lando Norris had a mean velocity of greater than 250 kilometres per hour over his qualifying lap, which secured pole place.

The Albert Park circuit is 5.278km in size and has 14 corners, with a difficult mixture of gradual and quick turns.

There are 5 designated sections of monitor the place drivers can be allowed to open their rear wing, and flatten the entrance wing, to attain much less drag.

Traditionally, turns 1 and three have been the perfect spot of overtaking. 

The mix of turns 9 and 10 are very difficult for drivers, needing to gradual the automobile sufficient to make the nook, however preserve sufficient velocity for the subsequent straight. 

There isn’t a DRS in 2026, with Overtake Mode changing into the first weapon for drivers to assault. If a driver is inside a second of the automobile forward on the detection level between turns 13 and 14, they are going to be allowed to make use of Overtake Mode on the next lap.

What’s new to F1 in 2026?

Method 1 has gone by an overhaul for the 2026 season. 

New chassis and engine laws usher in a brand new period for F1, with the automobiles fully completely different to those utilized in 2025.

The entrance and rear wings on the automobiles will change all through the lap, relying on whether or not the driving force goes by corners, or dashing down the straight. 

When a driver is on an extended straight, they may have the ability to open the rear wing of their automobile and flatten out the entrance wings to scale back drag.

The discount in drag will permit the automobile to attain greater speeds.

Whereas most groups have gone for the traditional rear wing that opens like a mailbox, Ferrari has designed a rear wing that rotates the wrong way up.

In the meantime, the engine stays a 1.6 litre V6 turbo, however it would produce much more electrical energy than earlier than, probably 3 times as a lot. 

These new engines are anticipated to get roughly 50 per cent of their energy from {the electrical} system, in comparison with the earlier engines, the place about 20 per cent of energy was electrical.

You’ll be able to learn extra about what’s new in F1 for the 2026 season by tapping this hyperlink.

Quick information in regards to the Australian Grand Prix

First grand prix at Albert Park: 1996Australian Grand Prix distance: 58 laps, 306.124kmWinner in 2025: Lando NorrisLast Australian winner: Alan Jones, 1980 (within the period earlier than the race was a part of the Method 1 championship)Race lap document: 1:19.813 Charles Leclerc (2024)