Red Bull are looking for a third consecutive 1-2 finish, Verstappen hopes to equal Schumacher in the list of most circuits at which a driver has won and Hulkenberg could take second place on the list of most starts without a win. Here are the milestones and the records which could be broken at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix!
THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX MILESTONES
The 2023 Australian Grand Prix will be the 1,082nd World Championship event in Formula 1 history.
This will be the 37th time that Formula 1 has raced in Australia. F1 first visited the country in 1985. It will be the 26th Grand Prix held at Albert Park. In total, this will be the 86th Australian Grand Prix since the event was first held in 1928.
At the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso will overtake Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button as the driver to have made the most appearances at Albert Park. This will be the Spaniard’s 18th appearance at the track.
Red Bull make their 350th Grand Prix start this weekend.
This weekend, Esteban Ocon makes his 115th Grand Prix start. He overtakes Patrick Tambay as the French driver to have made the eighth most starts in Formula 1.
At the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg will overtake Nick Heidfeld as the German driver to have made the fourth most Formula 1 starts. This will be Hulkenberg’s 184th race start.
The 2023 Australian Grand Prix will be the third round of the World Championship to be held on April 2. The 2006 Australian Grand Prix was the last F1 race to be held on this day.
The 56th lap of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix will be the 1,500th Grand Prix racing lap to take place at Albert Park.
At the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri will become the third Australian driver – after Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo – to race at Albert Park in Formula 1.
ANOTHER 1-2 INCOMING FOR RED BULL?
Red Bull have recorded 1-2 results at each of the first two races of the season. Another 1-2 result at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would make them only the third team – after Williams in 1992 and Mercedes in 2019 – to score 1-2 finishes at all of the first three races of the year. It would be the team’s 25th 1-2 finish in total and the first time that Red Bull have achieved the feat at three races in a row. There have been only 17 occasions in F1 history on which a team has taken three consecutive 1-2 results.
Max Verstappen has not yet won at Albert Park in his Formula 1 career. If he were to win the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park would become the 23rd different circuit at which Verstappen has won. That would see him overtake Alain Prost and equal Michael Schumacher for second on the list of most circuits at which a driver has won in Formula 1.
A top three finish for Max Verstappen at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix will see him equal Ayrton Senna for seventh in the list of most podium finishes in Formula 1. Senna recorded 80 podiums during his career, while Verstappen recorded his 79th at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
A victory for Max Verstappen at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would mark his 17th victory in car number 1. That would see him overtake Ayrton Senna and become the driver with the third-most wins in car number 1 in Formula 1 history.
If Max Verstappen scores this weekend, he would set a new personal best points-scoring streak. Verstappen has scored in all 21 races since the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Another top ten finish at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would make this the seventh time that a driver has scored at 22 races in a row.
Sergio Perez has scored at all of the last 15 races. Another top ten finish at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would see him set a new personal best scoring streak. Perez has never scored at more than 15 races in a row before. He also scored at 15 consecutive races between the 2016 German Grand Prix and the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix.
A THIRD CONSECUTIVE PODIUM FOR ALONSO?
Fernando Alonso has started the 2023 season with two successive podium finishes, becoming the sixth driver to record a century of top three results. Another podium this weekend would be Alonso’s longest podium streak in almost ten years. He last finished on the podium at three consecutive races at the 2013 Belgian, Italian and Singapore Grands Prix.
If Fernando Alonso wins any race this season, he will become the oldest driver to win a Grand Prix since Jack Brabham at the 1970 South African Grand Prix. Brabham won that race at the age of 43 years, 11 months and 5 days.
If Fernando Alonso wins the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, it would be the second time that the Spaniard has won the Albert Park race on April 2. He also won the 2006 Australian Grand Prix on April 2. It would make it the 22nd time in F1 that a driver has won the same race on the same date twice. Read more: F1’s Groundhog Days.
Spain can equal or overtake Austria for ninth in the list of most podiums for a nation in Formula 1. Austrian drivers have recorded 118 top three finishes, compared to Spain’s 117. Spain will equal Austria if one of their drivers finish in the top three, or will overtake Austria if both Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz stand on the podium.
If Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz score 25 points between them, Spain will become the sixth nation to have scored 3,000 points in Formula 1.
If Fernando Alonso lines up fifth on the grid, he will equal Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have lined up fifth on the grid on the most occasions in Formula 1. Raikkonen started fifth on 39 occasions during his career.
A fifth place finish for Fernando Alonso in the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would see him equal Jenson Button for the most fifth place finishes in Formula 1. Button finished fifth on 27 occasions during his career.
THE FORMULA 1 RECORDS TO BREAK
Pole position for Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would make him the first driver to have taken nine poles at a single circuit.
Should Lewis Hamilton or George Russell finish in the points at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, this would be Mercedes’ 250th points-scoring race as a constructor in Formula 1. It would put them sixth in the all-time list, moving ahead of Renault – who scored in 249 races.
Lando Norris has not reached Q3 at either of the last two races. If Norris fails to reach Q3 at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, it would be the first time in his career that he has failed to qualify in the top ten at three races in a row.
If both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finish on the podium, Ferrari will become the first team to record 800 podium finishes.
Unless Nico Hulkenberg wins the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he’ll overtake Nick Heidfeld for second on the list of most Grand Prix starts without taking a win. Hulkenberg has started 183 races so far in his career without taking a victory.
A points finish for Valtteri Bottas at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would see Finland overtake Italy as the nation to have scored in the fifth most F1 races. Both nations have scored points in 417 races to date.
AlphaTauri have not appeared in Q3 at any of the last seven races. Should neither Yuki Tsunoda nor Nyck de Vries qualify in the top ten at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix it would be the first time that the team has not appeared in Q3 at eight consecutive races in over ten years. The last time that the team had such a long Q3-less streak was at all 18 races between the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix and the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Both Lance Stroll and Alex Albon are tied with Daniil Kvyat on 202 career points. Should either driver score at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix without winning the race, they will move up to fourth in the all-time list of most F1 points without taking a victory.
A podium finish for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri would make 2023 the 50th season in which a McLaren driver has finished on the podium.
If a British driver takes pole position at any race in 2023, it would be the 20th consecutive season in which a British driver has taken pole. It would be a new record for most consecutive seasons in which a nation has taken a pole position, overtaking Britain’s long-standing record of 19 seasons with a pole position between 1955 and 1973.
An eighth place finish for Nico Hulkenberg or Carlos Sainz would see them equal Jenson Button as the driver with the most eighth place finishes in Formula 1. Button recorded his 20th and final eighth place finish at the 2016 German Grand Prix.
If Logan Sargeant picks up two points this weekend, the United States would become the tenth nation to have scored 1,000 points in Formula 1. American drivers have been stuck on 998 points since the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, when Michael Andretti scored the last points of his career with a podium finish for McLaren.
A top ten finish for Yuki Tsunoda this weekend will see him overtake Takuma Sato as the Japanese driver to have scored the second-most points in Formula 1. Kamui Kobayashi is the Japanese driver to have scored the most points, with 125.
If Nico Hulkenberg lines up seventh on the grid, he’ll equal Fernando Alonso for most seventh places on the grid. Alonso could extend the record to 27.
A 14th place finish for Lance Stroll would see him set a new record for the most 14th place finishes in Formula 1. He currently shares the record with Pastor Maldonado.
2023 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX: RECORDS TO BREAK
Lewis Hamilton has the most Australian Grand Prix wins of any driver on the current grid, with two. He could become the fourth driver to take three victories at the event in 2023. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas or Charles Leclerc could become the 12th driver to have taken multiple Australian Grand Prix wins.
McLaren currently hold the record for most Australian Grand Prix victories, with 11. Ferrari – who won last year – can equal McLaren’s tally of wins at the event in 2023. Similarly, Ferrari could equal Mercedes as the most successful engine manufacturer at the Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes-powered cars have won here 11 times.
Red Bull could become the sixth team to take multiple Australian Grand Prix wins.
Ferrari and McLaren are tied for most podium finishes at the Australian Grand Prix, with 26 each since the event was first held as a round of the World Championship. Either team could set a new outright record at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, McLaren can equal Ferrari’s record of 20 top three finishes at Albert Park.
A top ten finish for Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso would see them equal Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have scored on the most occasions at Albert Park.
If Lewis Hamilton leads 48 laps of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he’ll become the second driver – after Michael Schumacher – to have led 200 laps at the event in its World Championship history. With Schumacher having also led laps in Adelaide, Hamilton could become the first to lead 200 laps at Albert Park.
Should Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz lead 28 laps between them, Ferrari will become the first team to have led 500 laps at Albert Park.
A win for Lewis Hamilton would see him become the first driver to have scored 200 points at the Australian Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso will become the first driver to have raced 950 laps at Albert Park if he completes the first 20 laps of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton can become the fourth – after Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button – to race 800 laps here if he reaches Lap 46 of Sunday’s race.
A third place finish in the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would see Lewis Hamilton equal the record for most third place finishes at Albert Park. Kimi Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have finished third here three times each.
If Nico Hulkenberg is eliminated on the first lap, he’ll equal Felipe Massa as the driver to have recorded the most first lap retirements at the circuit.
British and German drivers are currently tied for most wins at Albert Park. A win for either nation in the 2023 Australian Grand Prix would see them set a new outright record.
German drivers hold the record for most podiums at Albert Park with 22. British drivers are just one behind, meaning they could equal or break the record at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
2023 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING RECORDS
Pole position for Charles Leclerc would make him the ninth driver to have taken multiple Australian Grand Prix poles. He would be the seventh driver to take multiple poles at Albert Park.
Mercedes and Ferrari are tied for most pole positions at Albert Park, with six apiece. Either team could set a new outright record at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, while McLaren could equal the two teams’ current record.
If Lewis Hamilton qualifies in the top ten at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he’ll equal Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have qualified in the top ten on the most occasions at Albert Park.
A front row start for Lewis Hamilton would make him the first driver to have started from the front row on ten occasions at Albert Park.
Lando Norris will be hoping to maintain his 100% Q3 appearance record at Albert Park. He’s one of only four drivers to have reached Q3 on every Australian Grand Prix appearance, along with Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant could join the club.
Marcus Ericsson’s record of four Q1 eliminations at the Australian Grand Prix could be equalled in 2023 by Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen.
HAMILTON SEARCHES FOR FIRST VICTORY SINCE 2021
Victory for Lewis Hamilton would see car number 44 equal car number 2 as the car number to have taken the third most wins in Formula 1.
A victory for Lewis Hamilton at any race in 2023 would see him move into the top 20 of the oldest drivers to win a Grand Prix in Formula 1. He would overtake Damon Hill as the third-oldest British driver to have won a Grand Prix.
If Lewis Hamilton wins any race this year, he’ll overtake Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have had the longest gap between his first and last Grand Prix victories. He’d also be the first driver to have won after the 300th race of his career. Fernando Alonso would break the record if he were to take victory.
A victory for Lewis Hamilton would make him the first driver to have won in 16 different Formula 1 seasons. 2022 is the only season during his career in which Hamilton has not taken a victory.
A top three finish for Lewis Hamilton would make him the first driver to have recorded a podium finish in 17 different Formula 1 seasons.
If Lewis Hamilton leads a lap, he would become the first driver to have led a lap in 17 Formula 1 seasons. That would see him overtake Michael Schumacher at the top of the list – a record which the German has held since 2004.
WILL MERCEDES BE BACK IN THE FIGHT?
A victory for Mercedes would make 2023 the 12th consecutive season in which the team has won a race. They would be only the third team to win in 12 consecutive seasons, after Ferrari (1994-2013) and McLaren (1981-1993).
Pole position for Mercedes would see them become only the second team, after Ferrari between 1994 and 2008, to have taken pole positions in 12 consecutive seasons.
Victory for a Mercedes-powered car would see them become only the third engine manufacturer to have won in 17 consecutive Formula 1 seasons. The only other manufacturers to have done so are Ferrari (20 seasons, between 1994-2013) and Ford Cosworth (17 seasons, between 1967-1983).
A fastest lap for a Mercedes-powered car would see them become the second engine manufacturer to have powered 200 fastest laps in Formula 1. Ferrari are the only other engine manufacturer to have reached the milestone, having done so at the 2007 European Grand Prix.
If three Mercedes-powered cars finish on the podium, Mercedes will equal Renault’s record tally of seventeen podium lockouts for an engine manufacturer.