2016 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, March 18-20

[GPR-A duplicate2]

2015 QUALIFYING


2015 RACE RESULT


2015 POLE LAP


How the 2016 Formula 1 tyre rules will work

[ChrisDanger]

Tyre selection:

• Medium
• Soft
• Supersoft

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Pirelli will make their red-marked supersoft tyre available in Australia for the first time next year, after revealing the three compounds that will be used in the 2016 season-opener under the new tyre regulations.

Teams will also be able to use the white-marked medium and yellow-marked soft compounds over the Melbourne weekend.

As part of the new 2016 rules, every team must save at least one set of the supersoft tyre for Q3. Those who qualify inside the top ten will have to give the tyre back to Pirelli at the end of qualifying, while those who do not make the cut can carry the extra set into the race.

Teams must also have at least one set of mediums and one set of softs available for the race - although they are only obligated to race with one of those two compounds (should they also choose to use the supersoft compound during the race).

With 13 sets of tyres in total made available over the weekend, teams have free choice over their individual allocations for the remaining 10 sets.

[Fulcrum]

I'm feeling like the Pirelli tyres: over-pumped for no real reason. Mercedes will probably be out in front again, although probably not by as much as last year.

Most cars didn't have much degradation last year on the Soft-Medium allocation, so perhaps some will attempt a more aggressive two-stop going Soft-Supersoft-Supersoft?

[digitalrurouni]

@Fulcrum I am gonna agree with you fully. I am also predicting a Rosberg win based on continuing form from last year. However looking at pre-season stint lap times a happy car setup Hamilton could still easily trounce Rosberg.

PS: I am a Ham fan.

[Gaz.]

There should be an epic midfield scrap with about ten drivers in the mix. Sadly Albert Park almost always disappoints, F1 junkies needing their 'fix' overhype the upcoming race after months of no action- myself included.

[dren]

The best thing about this GP is the unpredictability compared to later races. Teams are still sorting out their packages and reliability issues can creep into the mix.

[dans79]

Most cars didn't have much degradation last year on the Soft-Medium allocation, so perhaps some will attempt a more aggressive two-stop going Soft-Supersoft-Supersoft?

Depends on the weather, if its cool, the teams will have a hard time keeping the SS in their operating window, and just burn through them.

[Fulcrum]

I live in Victoria, not far from Melbourne. We're having a bit of a heatwave at the moment, although the forecast suggests it will revert to cooler weather by the weekend. Cooler, meaning a sunny day in the mid-to-high 20's. That should translate to a track temperature in the 30-40C range, even accounting for the 16:00 start.

Of course, Melbourne is known for changeable weather, so forecasts are pretty useless this far in advance. If it's cool, Supersofts probably won't be viable, but if its warm I could see some teams trying it.

[LookBackTime]

The chaotic start to the 2002 Australian GP © Bongarts/Getty Images

[Vasconia]

I hope we will see a better race in 2015. It would be great to see extreme conditions, with rain or hot temperature which would give the chance of using the SS, which I think it could be more interesting for the race.

Anyway, the race is on my birthday so I demand an entertaining race!

[Chene_Mostert]

2016... I have the same problem

[Vasconia]

2016... I have the same problem

I meant "than in 2015" haha.

We deserve it.

[superdowg316]

I live about 40 minutes from Melbourne and we're in such a heatwave it's 31 degrees Celsius in the middle of the night. Could wreck havoc if it continues.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Pirelli reveals teams' tyre choices for Australian GP

Pirelli has revealed the teams' tyres choices for the first race of the 2016 F1 season, the Australian Grand Prix.

Under new regulations for this year, Pirelli chooses three sets of tyres for each grand prix, and the teams have freedom for the remaining 10 sets.

On Tuesday, Pirelli revealed all the choices for the season-opening race, showing some variety among both teams and teammates.

World champion Lewis Hamilton has selected just one set of medium tyres, while Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg has opted for two sets of the white-marked rubber.

Hamilton will have six sets of softs to Rosberg's five, while both have chosen the same amount of supersofts (six).

Mercedes said that split tyre strategy was simply a team decision to help it evaluate all options on Friday.

"For tyre compounds, we’re just covering all our bases in terms of our Friday programme, to properly evaluate the available compounds," a team spokesman said.

Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have chosen the same sets as Rosberg.

Williams, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Renault, Haas and McLaren have opted for seven sets of supersofts.

Only Manor drivers Rio Haryanto and Pascal Wehrlein have opted to pick more than two sets of medium tyres, going for four each.

Apart from Rosberg and Hamilton, the only other two teammates to chose different sets are Sauber's Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson and Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez.

[SectorOne]

Why bring just one set of mediums?