ALBERT PARK, VIC - MARCH 17: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Valtteri Bottas (77) ahead of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow driver Sebastian Vettel (5) at The Australian Formula One Grand Prix on March 17, 2019, at The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Australia. (Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Here’s a look at the 2023 Australian GP preview, schedule, live stream details and our predictions for this weekend in Melbourne
F1 action moves out of Asia for the first time this season as the teams head to Melbourne for the much-anticipated Australian Grand Prix. After two enthralling races in Sakhir and Jeddah, the Albert Park Circuit is all set to host a spectacle. The Albert Park Circuit has been the home of the Australian GP since 1996 and are now ready to host the 26th edition of the race.
The Albert Park Circuit motorsport street circuit around Albert Park Lake, located around three kilometers south of Central Melbourne. The circuit has an FIA grade 1 license. It spans over a total length of 5.278 kilometers with 14 turns. It has the capacity to support a crowd of 80,000 people.
The track is considered to be quite fast and relatively easy to drive. Drivers have explained that the consistent placement of corners allows them to easily adapt to the design and achieve competitive timings.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at the Albert Park Circuit with four race wins to his name, followed closely by Sebastian Vettel with three wins. When it comes to the current grid, Lewis Hamilton leads the way with two wins in 2008 and 2015. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won the previous edition in 2022 – his maiden win in Melbourne.
Practice 1: Friday, March 31 – 07:00 IST
Practice 2: Friday, March 31 – 10:30 IST
Practice 3: Saturday, April 1 – 07:00 IST
Qualifying: Saturday, April 1 – 10:30 IST
Race: Sunday, April 2 – 10:30 IST
Fans can catch the action on the ESPN network in the United States. Viewers in the UK can watch every session from the start of the first practice session to the end of the race on Sky Sports. In India, the qualifying session and main race will be broadcast live on F1 Pro TV. All practice sessions, qualifying sessions and the main race can also be streamed live on F1 Pro TV.
Red Bull has been on fire and started the season with a bang, registering 1-2 finishes in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Other teams have a lot of catch-up to do and the reigning champions are expected to dominate the grid once again. P1 for Verstappen, P2 for Leclerc and P3 for Perez is our prediction for the weekend.
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