It’s time for the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, the first race of the season. The track is wet although it’s not actually raining. Air temperature is 15 degrees, the track is at 19.
Aborted start. 3 o’clock: Start of the formation lap and Isack Hadjar loses his Racing Bulls in the wet at turn 2. The start is aborted, with the restart at 15.15, the race distance reduced from 58 to 57 laps.
Second start. Charles gets away very well and moves up to fifth, while Lewis stays eighth. However, halfway round the first lap, Jack Doohan is in the barriers at turn 5 bringing out the Safety Car. The conditions are bad and Carlos Sainz also crashes out.
Restart. The race resumes after seven laps.
Lap 30. No change to the order.
Lap 33. Incidente per Fernando Alonso. Fernando Alonso crashes. Safety Car. Lewis pits for Hard slicks.
Lap 34. Everyone pits, the positions do not change with Leclerc fifth and Hamilton eighth.
Lap 45. Chaos reigns as rain returns and the order changes drastically over the next two laps. Leclerc and Hamilton pay the price for opting to stay out until the change tyres on lap 48, so they rejoin ninth and tenth.
Lap 52. At the restart, Charles passes Lewis.
Lap 54. Leclerc and Hamilton pass Pierre Gasly to go eighth and ninth.
Lap 57. Charles finishes eighth, while Oscar Piastri passes Lewis on the very last lap so the Ferraris finish eighth and tenth.