TWO RACES down, 22 to go, and the Formula 1 paddock is making its way Down Under this weekend for the annual Australian F1 Grand Prix.

While Red Bull’s dominance has been a talking point after back-to-back one-two finishes in Saudi Arabia, there’s much to look forward to when all our favourite drivers touch down in Albert Park.

From Ferrari (possibly?) posing a threat to Red Bull, Mercedes trying to work out why they have been struggling to get a grip on the 2024 season, and Esquire digital cover star Oscar Piastri heading back home to show us what he’s got off the back of a strong fourth place in Saudi Arabia – if this Australian F1 Grand Prix is even half as dramatic as last year, we could be in for a thriller.

Here, everything you need to know about what’s going down – and how you can get in on all the action without even attending a race.

2024 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar | FORMULA ONE

What is the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix?

One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, The Australian Grand Prix is an annual motor racing event that since 1996 has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, it was held in Adelaide.

The move of the Australian Grand Prix to Melbourne saw a change in the time of year that the F1 teams and personnel made their annual voyage to Australia. Adelaide, for each of its 11 years, was the final race of the F1 season, usually in October or November, while Melbourne has been the first race of the season in 20 of the 25 times it has hosted the Grand Prix.

Where can you watch F1 in Australia?

Every practice, qualifying session and Grand Prix of the 2024 F1 season will be broadcast live in 4K on Fox Sports and Foxtel Now. All races can also be streamed live and on demand on Kayo.

When is the 2024 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix held?

The Australian Grand Prix will start with the Practice 1 race on Friday, 22 March at 12:30 PM AEST. This hour-long race will be followed by a second practice race, named Practice 2, later that day at 4:00 PM AEST.

On Saturday, 23 March, a third practice session, called the Practice 3 race, will begin at 12:30 PM AEST . Later that day, the drivers will roll out on the Melbourne-based circuit for the qualifying race at 4:00 PM AEST. The result of this qualifying race will set the grid for the main event.

The final or the main race of the Australian Grand Prix 2024 will take place on Sunday, 24 March at 3 PM AEST.

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How do I get tickets for the Grand Prix?

Race-day tickets for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix sold out within two hours of going on sale. In addition to the sold-out Sunday, grandstand tickets for Saturday’s action – highlighted by qualifying for the Grand Prix – have all been accounted for, while the AGPC claims only a limited number of Park Pass tickets remain at the time of writing.

To try your luck, you can check out and purchase remaining tickets here.

How do you get to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix?

Public Transport is the best way to get to and from the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit as there is no public parking available at the circuit. More than 4,800 extra tram services will be running, with Yarra Trams operating a shuttle service between Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations and Albert Park as often as every 1-2 minutes during peak times and 3-10 minutes out of peak times from 5:30 am to 10:00 pm. Tram shuttles are free with your Grand Prix ticket.

Check for public transport and road network disruptions before you go, and plan ahead at ptv.vic.gov.au/grandprix.

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Other than watching the race, what is there to do at the Grand Prix?

At the circuit there will be a number of pop-ups you can check out offering immersive experiences and delicious bites.

  1. Visit the Lune and Espy Pop-Up

In the Fan Zone, Lune Croissanterie will bring the scent of fresh croissants to Albert Park, with the range of classic croissants to be baked on-site each day. Nearby to Lune and another first-time addition to the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit will be The Espy, a replica of the iconic St. Kilda Esplanade Hotel. Located in the Fan Zone, alongside the infamous Melbourne Walk, the bar will be complete with reproductions of the original venue’s mural, stained glass features and façade.

  1. Artist lineup

The Crown Main Stage will be the place to be after the racing wraps up daily. Offering an array of Australian musical talent in rock, pop and EDM music, night one – Friday, 22 March – will be led by ‘I Said Hi’ singer Amy Shark. She’ll be joined by Melbourne electronic music favourites Northeast Party House and DJ Jake Webb.

The following night, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ rockers Jet take the stage alongside Vanessa Amorosi, who will bring ‘Absolutely Everybody’ to their feet after a performance from Yo! Mafia. Empire Of The Sun will close the weekend with a DJ set. They’ll follow ‘My People’ outfit, The Presets, offering their signature live show and DJ Emma Peters.

  1. Experience the fashion and beauty pop-ups

Mecca Maxima will be hosting an epic Beauty Pit Stop Station for an express graphic eye look using their Zoom eye collection (and a sneak peek of their April launch!). Elsewhere La Roche Posay and Ralph Lauren will be hosting installations where you can check out their latest products like the new POLO RED PARFUM fragrance PLUS.

  1. Williams Racing Fan Zone

The Williams Racing Fan Zone will bring F1 to the heart of Melbourne city and give you the chance to interact with the Williams Racing drivers and the team. There will also be the opportunity to purchase exclusive Williams Racing and Australian Grand Prix merchandise.

  1. Take the front seat in a luxury supercar with Jack’s rides

In celebration of its partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Racing Team, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is offering fans the exclusive opportunity to take a complimentary adrenaline
fuelled drive in a pair of luxury supercars via some of Jack’s favourite venues.

You can book a ride from 12:00 PM each day, with the supercars picking up fans in pairs from the Next Hotel on Little Collins Street in the heart of the city and dropping them off at South Melbourne icon, the Golden Gate Hotel.

To book a ride, fans can register their name with the Jack’s Host at the entrance of each of the
designated venues. Each ride will also have a complimentary Jack Daniel’s cocktail waiting at the finish line.

Who is racing in the 2024 Australian Grand Prix?

The 2024 F1 grid remains entirely unchanged from the end of last season. And with the exception of Daniel Ricciardo replacing Nyck de Vries at RB, the grid looks exactly the same as it did at the start of 2023:

Red Bull Racing: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell
McLaren: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll
RB (formerly AlphaTauri): Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda
Alpine: Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon
Sauber (formerly Alfa Romeo): Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu
Haas: Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg
Williams: Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant

Who is the defending champion?

The second round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship got underway on Saturday with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen drove from the pole position to the checkered flag almost uncontested. Following his basically identical performance in Bahrain a week ago it puts him right up the top of the leaderboard for this year so far:

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing – 51 points
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing – 36 points
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 28 points
4) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 18 points
5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 16 points
6) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 15 points
7) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 12 points
8) Lando Norris, McLaren – 12 points
9) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 8 points
10) Oliver Bearman, Ferrari – 6 points
11) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas – 1 point
12) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 1 point
13) Alexander Albon, Williams – 0 points
14) Zhou Guanyu, Sauber – 0 points
15) Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 0 points
16) Daniel Ricciardo, RB – 0 points
17) Esteban Ocon, Alpine – 0 points
18) Yuki Tsunoda, RB – 0 points
19) Logan Sargeant, Williams – 0 points
20) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber – 0 points
21) Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 0 points

There’s still plenty of time for teams to make changes and for drivers to catch up with current leader Verstappen, as there are still 22 races to go this season.

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