Australian Grand Prix 2024: Grid positions and what time does it start UK?
It’s destination Melbourne for the third round of the 2024 Formula One championship.
Max Verstappen holds a 15-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez at this early stage after consecutive 1-2 finishes for Red Bull, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
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Off-track matters surrounding team principal Christian Horner have refused to go away in F1’s first weekend off of the campaign but few expect them to slip up around Albert Park on Sunday.
Verstappen won his first-ever Australian Grand Prix last year after the race was red-flagged three times.
He is on pole position once again on Sunday, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz his closest challenger as he returned to the wheel following surgery for appendicitis. British teenager Oliver Bearman had raced for the Scuderia in his absence in Jeddah.
Sergio Perez qualified in third but was subsequently handed a three-place grid penalty, leading to promotions for the trio of Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. It was a dismal qualifying session for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton surprisingly eliminated in Q2 and starting 11th on the grid, with Silver Arrows team-mate George Russell in seventh.
Alex Albon’s heavy crash on Friday led to Williams being forced to pull Logan Sargeant from the race, due to Albon’s car being damaged beyond repair as the American hands over his vehicle to the team’s number one driver.
When is the Australian Grand Prix?
The Australian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
For fans in the UK, it is an early start with the race scheduled to begin at 4am GMT.
Australian Grand Prix grid positions
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Lando Norris
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Oscar Piastri
6. Sergio Perez
7. George Russell
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Lance Stroll
10. Fernando Alonso
11. Lewis Hamilton
12. Alex Albon
13. Valtteri Bottas
14. Kevin Magnussen
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Pierre Gasly
18. Daniel Ricciardo
19. Zhou Guanyu
Australian Grand Prix weather forecast
No rain is forecast for this race in the Aussie autumn. Temperatures should sit at a comfortable 21ºC with light winds and some cloud cover.
How to watch the Australian Grand Prix
TV channel: In the UK, coverage of grand prix Sunday begins from 3am GMT on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.
Free highlights of the race will air on Channel 4 at 12.30pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will also be able to watch events unfold live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow latest updates from the race via Standard Sport’s live blog.
