2025 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview: Everything You Need to Know Before Lights Out

F1 IS BACK.

FINALLY 🥹

After (a very difficult) couple of months of waiting, endless speculation, and more driver moves than a game of musical chairs, the 2025 Formula 1 season is underway, starting off this weekend in Melbourne, Australia. 

It might be hopium but… I think it’s shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable, chaotic, and competitive season openers in years 👀

We’ve got… 

👉 Massive driver changes

👉 A potential four-team title fight brewing

👉 The most DRS zones of any circuit

👉 Rookies with something to prove

👉 A possibility of rain shaking things up (maybe) 

So, whether you’ve been following every offseason headline orrrrr you’re just tuning back in, let’s break down everything you need to know before the first race of the year. 

The Track Tea 

What makes Albert Park so special?

The Australian Grand Prix is held at Albert Park Circuit, a fast, flowing 5.278 km semi-street track in Melbourne. 

It’s got a little bit of everything,

… High-speed straights

… Technical corners

… Walls waiting to punish even the smallest mistakes (dun dun dunnnn 👀)

But it wasn’t always like that

In fact, for most of its history, Albert Park wasn’t known for great racing – overtaking was tough, and the track layout didn’t always encourage wheel-to-wheel battles. 

Butttt in 2022, the circuit was completely ✨revamped✨, and the difference was HUGE. 

Here’s what changed on-track:

1. The old chicane at Turns 9-10 was removed, creating a flat-out 1.3 km blast down Lakeside Drive.

2. Turn 6 was widened by a massive 7.5 meters, increasing corner speeds from +-149 km/h to over 219 km/h.

3. Turn 1 and Turn 3 were widened, making them more viable overtaking spots.

4. A fourth DRS zone was added (the most of ANY other circuit on the calendar)

The result? 

Albert Park is now faster, smoother, and wayyyyy more exciting than it used to be (she is THAT girl) 🤭

The lap times dropped by over 2.5 seconds after the updates, and overtaking has become way more common.

👀 So, expect plenty of action, especially in the four DRS zones – we are in for a TREAT 

Some Quick Track Facts:

✔️ Circuit Length: 5.278 km

✔️ Laps: 58 (Total race distance: 306.1 km)

✔️ Turns: 14

✔️ DRS Zones: 4 (most on the calendar)

✔️ Lap Record: 1:19.813 (Charles Leclerc, 2024)

Where the action will happen...

Keep an eye out for a lil’ inchident (perhaps 👀)

The Albert Park Circuit may have the most DRS zones in F1, butttttt it’s still a tight, semi-street track where wheel-to-wheel battles can go from thrilling to “ruh roh raggy” real quick.

Here’s where the action is guaranteed to happen (and where you might want to keep an eye out)

Turn 1 

If you, like me, are a fan of a lil first lap drama – you’re in for a good time.

Turn 1 is a cheeky right-hander at the end of the main straight where the ENTIRE grid funnels into ONE braking zone right after the race start. 

… Yeah 

Expect cars to go three-wide into the corner, only to realize that physics (and the walls) don’t quite allow that 😅

The start of the race is always chaos, and wider entry (since 2022) means multiple racing lines are now possible, butttt it also opens the door for late lunges and "oh shit" moments.

For our frontrunners, getting through cleanly is crucial. For the midfielders? Uh… wish them luck.

👀 Look out for…

1. First-lap contact

2. Drivers running wide

3. Someone locking up and taking the ✨scenic route✨ through the escape road.

Turn 3 

After the acceleration from Turn 2, Turn 3 is the next heavy braking zone (and one of the best overtaking spots on the track - in my opinion)

Drivers who are feeling brave (or reckless) will brake late and SEND IT down the inside here.

Some will make it stick. Some… will not.

Since 2022, Turn 3 has been 4 meters wider, making this an even better spot for passing.

It’s common for cars to go wheel-to-wheel through Turn 3, only for the driver on the outside to try and fight back into Turn 4.

👀 Look out for…

1. Lockups

2. Divebombs

3. The occasional “two cars, one apex” (hehe)

Turn 6 

This high-speed right-hander was once a medium-speed bend, but it’s now a full-send corner, thanks to a massive widening (7.5 meters extra) – size doesn’t matter… except maybe here 🤭

Things get quite spicy here, because the entry speed is MUCH higher at this point, so there’s no room for forgiveness if you get it a lil wrong. 

The cars are also pretty light on grip here, meaning snap oversteer and near-misses are common.

This means if a driver goes too wide? Gravel and walls await them 😅

The change in direction from Turn 5 into Turn 6 is SUPER important; if drivers don’t get it right, they’re compromised all the way into the long back straight.

👀 Look out for…

1. Nervous corrections on the steering wheel

2. Cars running wide

3. The occasional "I am stupid”, in-the-wall moment.

Turns 9 & 10 

This was once a tight chicane, but the whole section has been reworked to be flat-out leading into the biggest overtaking zone on the track.

Drivers usually take this at full throttle, with veeeeery little room for error. If someone gets a lil loose-y goose-y on the entry, then it’s a high-speed disaster waiting to happen.

DRS is active here, so we can expect cars to close up MASSIVELY before the braking zone into Turn 11.

Cars tend to get a bit unsettled here; so if a driver is carrying a little too much speed, they’ll be fighting the car all the way through.

👀 Look out for…

1. High-speed oopsies

2. Late DRS activations (pray for good rear stability)

3. Potential big crashes if someone gets it wrong.

Turn 11

This is where the biggest moves will happen. 

The best overtaking spot on track. 

After a looooong DRS-assisted straight, Turn 11 is a hard-braking left-hander where drivers slam the brakes and yeet it down the inside.

This is where most lead changes happen. If a driver gets a good slipstream + DRS activation, you can best believe they’ll be making a move here.

The braking zone is SUPER aggressive. Like, 300 km/h down to 100 km/h; so the difference between making the corner or missing it completely is ultra thin. 

Overtaking here requires MAJOR commitment. Go too late? You’ll miss the corner. Go too early? You’ll get re-passed immediately.

It’s a tricky bugger 

👀 Look out for…

1. Drivers waiting until the veeeeery last second to brake

2. Side-by-side action into the corner

3. Maybe someone taking a creative racing line into the runoff area 

Expect the Unexpected

This track may be wider and faster than before, but Albert Park still has that street circuit DNA – it likes it a lil freaky. 

The walls are close, mistakes are costly, and when things go wrong, they go wrong FAST.

If history tells us anything, someone, somewhere, is going to have a moment in one of these spots… and it just might change the race completely.

The most DRS Zones on the F1 calendar 

Where the DRS Zones Are & Why They Matter 

Albert Park has four DRS zones; the most of any track on the F1 calendar. 

Here’s where you’ll find the DRS zones: 

1️⃣ Main Straight: From the final corner (Turn 14) down to Turn 1. 

2️⃣ Short Straight: Between Turn 2 and Turn 3, leading into a heavy braking zone. 

3️⃣ Lakeside Drive: A long, flat-out section from Turn 8, through the slight Turn 9 kink, and into Turn 10. 

4️⃣ Back Straight: From Turn 10 down to the braking zone at Turn 11 (one of the BEST overtaking spots)

How will these DRS Zones impact the race?

More Overtaking Opportunities

With four zones, drivers will constantly be within striking distance, especially into Turn 3 and Turn 11, which are heavy braking zones and are perfect for late lunges.

The DRS Cat-and-Mouse Game

Passing a rival in one DRS zone doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll stay ahead. 

A driver who overtakes at Turn 3 could find themselves immediately re-overtaken in the next zone before Turn 11, so drivers are going to need to time their moves perfectly.

Setup Dilemma for Teams

More DRS means straight-line speed is crucial, but teams also need enough downforce to be fast through the corners. 

This creates a bit of a trade-off situation…

 ✔ More downforce = Better cornering but a risk of being slower on the straights. 

✔ Less downforce = Higher top speed in DRS zones but harder to control in tight corners.

With four DRS zones and multiple heavy braking points, this race could turn into an overtaking battle where strategy and smart positioning matter just as much as raw pace (exciting af, right?!)

Why this race is so important

Melbourne hasn’t been the first race since 2019, and kicking off the season here means…

1. Nobody knows the pecking order yet. It’s the first real test of the new cars.

2. Drivers are under pressure to make a statement. New teams, new rivalries; it all starts here.

3. Reliability is a HUGE question mark. First races tend to expose any weak spots in the cars.

So… expect surprises 👀 (and maybe work on some breathing exercises)

Last year, Verstappen looked unstoppable… until his car broke down on Lap 4, ending his insane winning streak.

Then Ferrari grabbed a shock 1-2 finish, and Aus once again proved that ✨anything can happen✨

Storylines & Drivers to Watch

1. Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Debut

Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red. 

Realistically, that alone is going to dominate headlines all weekend.

After 11 years and six championships with Mercedes, he’s made the bold move to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. 

2. Is McLaren vs. Red Bull gonna be the title fight? 

McLaren won the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, and their 2025 car looks scary fast, not gonna lie.

Lando Norris was runner-up to Verstappen last year, and there’s a real chance this could finally be his year to fight for the title 👀

But Red Bull still has Max Verstappen, and we can never count him out – that man is something else entirely. 

3. The Rookies

Six drivers on the grid are either rookies or in their first full F1 season. That’s a huge number – like, almost a third of the grid is fresh blood. 

And you know what that means? Chaos. Unpredictability. Absolute entertainment.

I am SO ready.

Let’s meet the Class of 2025

Andrea Kimi Antonelli 

(Mercedes, 18 years old – still a baby 🥹)

The most hyped up rookie in YEARS. 

He’s skipping F2 entirely and stepping straight into Lewis Hamilton’s old seat at Mercedes. 

That’s a big… cockpit… to fill (hehe) 🤭

Jack Doohan 

(Alpine – repping Australia)

His home crowd is going to go absolutely feral for him. 

This race will be a core memory for Jack, but he’s got more than just home pride on the line as rumors are already swirling that Franco Colapinto is eyeing his seat 👀

This is his time to prove he deserves it…

Liam Lawson 

(Red Bull)

No more waiting in the wings for Lawson (see what I did there🤭) 

He was Red Bull’s go-to reserve driver for years, and now he’s here for real, replacing Sergio Pérez.

With Max Verstappen as his teammate, Liam has to perform or risk getting Helmut Marko’d™ right out of the seat…

Oliver Bearman 

(Haas – But Ferrari’s Golden Boy)

Bearman is a Ferrari junior with serious talent, and Haas is his first F1 proving ground.

If he delivers, he could be in a red suit sooner than we think… 👀

Gabriel Bortoleto 

(Sauber – Brazil’s Next Hope)

The reigning F3 champion is making his F1 debut with Sauber, just before they transition into Audi’s factory team. 

If he impresses now, he could be part of something big in the next few years.

Isack Hadjar 

(Racing Bulls)

Hadjar is flying a little under the radar compared to the others, but don’t sleep on him – he’s fast, aggressive, and has nothing to lose (but A LOT to prove) as he transitions from F2 to F1.

With six rookies on the grid, it's guaranteed that AT LEAST one of them is going to ✨shake things up✨ this weekend (and this season)

All-in-all, we’re in for a show 😌

Race strategy, weather & what to expect

Tires & Pit Stops

• Pirelli has brought the softest compounds (C3, C4, C5).

• A two-stop strategy is expected, but cooler temps or rain could change that, so we'll have to see.

Weather Forecast: Rain Incoming?

• Friday & Saturday: Hot & dry (~34°C) (PERFECT conditions for qualifying)

• Sunday (Race Day): 60% chance of rain 

If it rains, this race could be absolute chaos *nervous chuckle *

All-in-all, I think we can look forward to a great race

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix is set to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting season openers in years.

Formula 1 is back, and it’s about to go crazy – and I can’t WAIT. 

💬 If you’ve made it this far, drop your raaaace week predictions in the comments, I’m intrigued 👀👇