McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview
Thank you to McLaren – it’s time to gear up for the first race of the new season and this is part of their series (official race) previews bringing you your guide for every lap of every race in 2017.
All the latest from the teams and drivers as we prepare for round one in Albert Park, Melbourne.
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – What You Need To Know
Race Title – Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix
Circuit Name – Albert Park
First Race – 1996
Previous Winners
2016 – Nico Rosberg
2015 – Lewis Hamilton
2014 – Nico Rosberg
2013 – Kimi Raikkonen
2012 – Jenson Button
The Australian Grand Prix has been a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1985 – but did you know that the race has had two homes during that time?
Adelaide from 1985 until 1995 and Melbourne from 1996 until now.
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – Travel
City – Melbourne
Time Zone – GMT +10
Population – 3.4 Million
How far? – Melbourne is 10,507 miles away from the McLaren Technology Centre!
Getting There – No airlines fly direct to Australia – that complicates the journey slightly and particularly when it comes to the shipment of last-minute parts.
Did you know? – Two people specifically travel with last minute items to avoid things getting lost.
Surprising Fact – Coffee. The flat white was invented Down Under in the 80’s although no one is sure exactly where. Baristas in Sydney and Melbourne have laid claim to the flat white.
Local Speciality – Dampers. The Soda Bread.
Weather – Melbourne has had it’s warmest March for 77 years! Temperatures are more than four degrees above in the daytime of 24 degrees – the forecast at the moment is for a dry race weekend.
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – Track Guide
Track Length – 5.303km / 3.295 miles
The longest track of the year is Spa-Francorchamps and the shortest is Monaco – Melbourne is the 12th longest track.
2016 Pole Position – Lewis Hamilton
2016 Fastest Lap – Daniel Ricciardo
Lap Record – Michael Schumacher, 2004
Tyre Choice – Purple Ultrasoft, Red Supersoft and Yellow Soft.
Distance to Turn One – 350m/0.217 miles.
Longest Straight – 860m/0.534 miles.
Top Speed – 300km/h/186 mph – on the approach to Turn One.
Fastest Corner – 250km/h (155 mph) Turns 11/12
Slowest Corner – 90km/h (56 mph) Turn 15
Brake Wear – High. There are several braking zones where cars will be slowing from more than 230 km/h (143 mph).
Cooling – Medium. There aren’t many straights along which to cool the car’s complex hybrid systems.
ERS Demands – Medium
Gear Changes – 55 per lap / 3190 per race.
The extra weight this year – minimum, including the driver is 722kg.
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – Race
Laps – 58 Laps
Start Time – 16:00hrs local – 05:00hrs GMT
Grid Advantage – The left hand side holds an advantage because it’s situated on the cleaner racing line. There’s another advantage to started on the grippier option tyres – this provides a four metre advantage over the prime tyre.
DRS – There are two DRS zones – one on the approach to Turn One and Turn Three, neither of them is very long making them relatively ineffective.
DON’T Put The Kettle On…… during the pitstops! Pirelli’s tyres are more durable this year, meaning that one-stop strategies should be the norm in Melbourne.
The timing of these stop will be governed by traffic – Full world championship points will be awarded after 75 per cent distance / 43.5 laps.
Pitlane Length / Pitstops – 280m/0.714 miles. Estimated time loss for a pitstop is 21s – relatively short and opens up strategy options should more than one pitstop be necessary.
Safety Car – 48 percent chance which is a high possibility. The highest number of safety cars in this race is four – yes four! In 2006.
Watch Out For…… the weather! Melbourne’s coastal location means that the weather can change very quickly – from sun to rain and from warm to cold. Qualifying back in 2014 was rain-affected.
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
#FA14
“I’m incredibly motivated for 2017 and I can’t wait to see what kind of racing this new shake-up of the sport will bring.”
“The start of a new season always gives us a range of feelings – great excitement to be racing again and the sense of the unknown as we go into a formula with a brand-new set of regulations.”
“We don’t know yet where everyone stands as testing was a proving ground for the teams more than ever before – it will be interesting to see how quickly teams show their hand over the course of the weekend.”
“I’m incredibly motivated for 2017 and I can’t wait to see what kind of racing this new shake-up of the sport will bring. We already know that the sport is a lot more physical and the cars are more challenging to drive.”
“From a driver’s point of view, this is exactly what we are looking for in the new regulations and I really hope that this will translate to good battles on track.”
“After a difficult two weeks of testing, we are prepared to face a difficult weekend in Melbourne – we’ll be doing our best with what we have.”
“There’s a lot of hard work and collaboration happening within the team but the lack of time before the first race means we have fewer options for big changes.”
“The first steps will be to work on reliability before we can make any assumptions or predictions about performance and we will try to enjoy the weekend as much as we can.”
McLaren Australian Grand Prix Preview – Stoffel Vandoorne
Stoffel Vandoorne
#SV2
“I feel totally motivated for the challenge ahead, I’ve prepared well over the winter and worked on my training.”
“Since my position as a full-time racing driver for McLaren-Honda was confirmed back in September, it feels like the Australian Grand Prix weekend has been a long time coming.”
“It feels great to know that I’m about to start my full first season in Formula 1 and it’s a dream I’ve been working towards for my entire racing career.”
“I’m looking forward to stepping into the MCL32 cockpit on Friday Morning and I feel totally ready for the challenge ahead.”
“I’ve prepared well over the winter and worked on my training and in particular – my strength and endurance and I’m incredibly motivated to work with the team and to make improvements step-by-step.”
“I’ll be pushing hard as always and I’m looking forward to getting back into the car.”
“In terms of performance, I’m not setting myself any particular targets other than to keep my head down, learn a lot from the team and of course from Fernando – and do my best.”
“I know the guys and girls at McLaren and Honda very well and I feel very much a part of the family, there’s no sense of nervousness about starting my first full season as a Formula 1 driver.”
“It’s my first time in Australia so I’ll be soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the buzz of the first race of the season and we’ll see how the weekend unfolds from there.”
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