Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit has one of the trickiest first corners of the year, which is often a scene of first-lap incidents.
As the first spine-tingling start of 2015 draws nearer, this new series reviews some of the memorable moments from the sprint to turn one at Melbourne.
1997
It all went wrong very quickly for pole sitter Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, Melbourne’s second world championship race. His Williams team mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen out-dragged him at the start then Ferrari’s Eddie Irvine, who started fifth, took Villeneuve out of the race along with Johnny Herbert.
2002
The infamous one. Pole sitter Rubens Barrichello made an ill-advised swerve in front of Ralf Schumacher, causing this huge aerial accident. Both were unhurt, but they retired on the spot along with six of the other twenty-two starters.
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2004
The sight of two Ferraris in formation quickly became familiar in 2004. Renault’s flying starts were a signature trick of theirs at the time and Jarno Trulli locked up while trying to avoid team mate Fernando Alonso, who in turn was busy trying to pass Juan Pablo Montoya. The Williams driver ran wide at turn one, letting Alonso past, and the top three finished in the order they finished the first lap.
2005
A rain showed in the middle of qualifying mixed up the grid in 2005. Fisichella motored to victory from pole followed by Barrichello (11th on the grid) and Alonso (13th). From his front row start Trulli fell to ninth in his Toyota. And in his first race for Sauber Jacques Villeneuve dropped from fourth to a lapped thirteenth, three places behind team mate Felipe Massa, who had lined up 18th.
2007
Kimi Raikkonen took a pole-to-flag win in his first race for Ferrari. But debutant Lewis Hamilton performed an astonishing move at the first corner, sweeping around the outside of Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso to pass the pair of them on his way to a podium finish.
2009
Brawn, the team formed in the wake of Honda’s abrupt withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2008, locked out the front row of the grid for the first race of the new season. Jenson Button duly headed to victory but Rubens Barrichello made a terrible start, losing several places. He gained two of them back immediately after knocking Mark Webber’s Red Bull into Nick Heidfeld’s BMW at the first corner. And when that pair’s team mates collided at the end of the race it handed second place to Barrichello, completing a fairytale start to Brawn’s season.
2010
It was Alonso who lost out at turn one the following year as the race began on a slippery track. Button repeated his 2009 victory, now with new team McLaren.
2012
The two McLarens shared the front row of the grid in 2012 but pole sitter Lewis Hamilton was beaten to turn one – and the win – by Button.
2014
It was a similar story for Hamilton last year as his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg out-dragged him to turn one from third on the grid. But this time an engine problem on Hamilton’s car was to blame, and he soon dropped out of the race. Kevin Magnussen caused Alonso some alarm as he slewed sideways at the start, but he emulated Hamilton’s 2007 feat with a debut podium finish for McLaren.
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French Steve (@french-steve)
13th March 2015, 16:50
Great idea to collect start pics. Hope you’ll do the same for all races this season. ;D
Patrick (@paeschli)
14th March 2015, 7:57
Indeed, I love them! The start is always the most exciting part of the weekend IMHO.
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
13th March 2015, 16:50
Great new series @keithcollantine!
Only an amateurs opinion but when I start on this track in games I always want to be on the inside when I’m at the front but outside when I’m near the back. Has gained me lots of positions throughout the several races I’ve done here including some memorable wins.
Atticus (@atticus-2)
13th March 2015, 16:51
Looking at the pictures it just occured to me just how much crowned the track surface really is at Albert Park. Should influence some of the lines around the circuit.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
13th March 2015, 17:21
@atticus-2 What do you mean by crowned?
Atticus (@atticus-2)
13th March 2015, 17:26
@davidnotcoulthard It means the track has a slight kind of hump in the middle of it if you look at it’s cross-section. If you consider a turn of any kind, it consequently makes the inside half of the track a bit more banked, whereas it makes the outside half of it somewhat unexpectedly off-camber, making all kinds of trouble for a driver, either at the front or the rear, who ends up there.
A classic example of a very heavily crowned track surface was that of the old Watkins Glen layout from 1955 (?) to 1971. It is rather rare nowadays for a track to exhibit such a feature to the extent that the Albert Park circuit does.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
13th March 2015, 17:32
@atticus-2 Ah, thanks!
Patrick (@paeschli)
14th March 2015, 7:59
Nice, I learned something today. :)
ChimpSafari
13th March 2015, 23:49
A typical feature of road tracks as public roads are often crowned to aid with rain water run-off.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
14th March 2015, 10:34
And that’s what you need in Melbourne, because it’s always raining and miserable.
Best regards,
Sydney
Deej92 (@deej92)
13th March 2015, 17:07
You’re spoiling us with these articles now Keith!
Notice how exposed the pitlane was to the track in 1997 before the fencing was installed.
Saints (@saints)
13th March 2015, 17:47
Great pics!
synapseza (@synapseza)
13th March 2015, 17:51
There is something just right about Melbourne starting off the season. That 2002 image of Ralf climbing over the back of Rubens…feels like just the other day.
Nase (@)
13th March 2015, 19:05
I feel the same way, too. Season openers in Bahrain or elsewhere simply don’t come Close to the excitement and special atmosphere of Melbourne.
j3d89
13th March 2015, 20:39
2002 cars are freaking hot!! xDD sexy curves
InSilico_ (@insilico)
13th March 2015, 23:08
Loving this new feature! About the 2002 start, for me it was the most hectic and exciting first 15-20 laps I’ve ever seen. Even before the race there was drama with both the Arrows of Frentzen and Bernoldi not getting off the grid for the formation lap – then an Arrows mechanic was stranded on the outside of the pit lane right beside the track as the cars got into position – He only just found a gap in the wall and got through in the nick of time. Then there was the start crash, Trulli spinning from second after being under pressure from Schumacher, Coulthard locking up at the penultimate corner at the restart and giving away his lead, Montoya passing Schumacher into turn one and then being repassed again a few laps later after a great battle. Brilliant opening to the race.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
14th March 2015, 10:37
And then Mark’s mighty Minardi famously finishing fifth. Perhaps the most exciting race of all time!
budchekov (@budchekov)
14th March 2015, 0:28
Well one thing’s for sure, compared to what went before, from head on those silly upright ‘matchbox’ rear wings look bloody awful!