2016 Australian Grand Prix

Report

A new qualifying format was introduced for the 2016 season. Instead of eliminating the slowest drivers at the end of each of the three sessions, the slowest driver was eliminated every ninety seconds after a countdown began several minutes into each part. Tyre supplier Pirelli made three compounds available for each Grand Prix, rather than two.

For the Australian Grand Prix, the super-soft, soft and medium compounds were supplied. Each driver received two sets of tyres for the race, of which one set had to be used, plus an additional set for the third qualifying session. Drivers could then choose ten further sets from the three compounds. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg made different selections, with Rosberg taking an extra set of mediums instead of softs.

Manor drivers chose the most conservative allocation, taking four sets each of the medium and soft compounds. The Haas F1 Team made its competitive debut with the Haas VF-16, and Renault returned as a full manufacturer-supported team after a four-year absence. Three practice sessions were held: two 1.5-hour sessions on Friday and a one-hour session on Saturday before qualifying.

Free practice

Rain fell before the first practice, making the track wet and slippery, and drivers initially used intermediate tyres. Nico Rosberg set the first lap time at 1:44.037, soon bettered by Lewis Hamilton at 1:40.812. As conditions improved, Kimi Räikkönen set a new fastest time after about half an hour. The track then dried enough for slick tyres, with Daniel Ricciardo setting the first time on the medium compound at 1:34.007.

After about an hour, Hamilton recorded the best time of the session at 1:29.725. Wet spots caused problems for several drivers: Max Verstappen flat-spotted his tyres spinning at turn six, while Valtteri Bottas and Rio Haryanto both ran through gravel traps after slipping off the track. Shortly before the session ended, rain returned and caught out Räikkönen and Ricciardo, whose Red Bull RB12 became stuck in a gravel pit at turn twelve.

Did You Know?

• Valtteri Bottas received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.
• Rio Haryanto received a three-place grid penalty after a pit lane collision with Romain Grosjean during the third practice session.
• Daniil Kvyat's car failed during the formation lap, and his place on the starting grid was left vacant.