2017 Australian Grand Prix

Lore & Background

Sebastian Vettel won the race, which was his and Ferrari's first win since the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton finished second, with Valtteri Bottas completing the podium in third on his début for Mercedes. The race was also Ferrari's first win in Australia since the 2007 edition. Daniel Ricciardo's car failed on the way to the grid; he joined the race on the 2nd lap but retired on lap 26.

Reader's Guide

The race marked the 82nd race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix and the 22nd time the event was held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton started the race from pole, matching Ayrton Senna's record of six pole positions in Australia. The reigning World Champion Nico Rosberg was the winner of the 2016 race, but he did not defend his win as he retired from the sport after the 2016 season.

Did You Know?

• Pirelli supplied the teams with ultrasoft, supersoft and soft tyres, with every driver allocated the same sets: seven ultrasoft, four supersoft, and two soft.
• Lance Stroll made his Formula One début with Williams; Antonio Giovinazzi replaced Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber after Wehrlein withdrew due to a back injury.
• Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll received five-place grid penalties for unscheduled gearbox changes.