14/03/2016
NEWS STORY
Fernando Alonso: "One thing is for sure, the fans are always very loud and it's always a great feeling in the first race of the season. Apart from that, we can't make any predictions of results or make comparisons as we don't yet know much about the form book from winter testing. The same teams look to be strong this year, but everyone is holding their cards very close to their chest, so it will be interesting to see how the weekend unfolds.
"Usually the track conditions change quite dramatically from the start of FP1 on Friday to the end of the grand prix, so it's a race in itself for the drivers and engineers to keep on top of it and make sure they have the right set-up ahead of each session, or risk losing out. The new qualifying format will surely make things a bit unpredictable for the teams and the fans, as every time a new regulation comes in each season it always take a little bit of time to get used to it. I'm looking forward to landing in Australia, getting back in the car, putting my visor down and getting back on track, then the season will really begin. I'm so ready!"
Jenson Button: "The Australian Grand Prix is always a fascinating unknown because you're never sure where you are in relation to your competitors. Although we've finished pre-season testing, we've not had much time on track before the season starts, so this is the first chance for us to compare ourselves on similar set-ups. We've been concentrating heavily on our own development and processes, so I'm looking forward to seeing where we are on a level playing field.
"We're working hard behind the scenes to develop the car and bring new updates at every possible opportunity. Melbourne will certainly be a challenge, but our package definitely feels like a step forward from last year. There are so many more variables this year - new qualifying format, new tyre regulations, and Australia usually produces unpredictable races, so anything could happen!"
Eric Boullier, Racing Director: "It's been a very long winter, and I know that I can speak on behalf of the whole McLaren-Honda team when I say that we can't wait to go racing again! There's been an incredible amount of hard work done over the winter, and we're all itching to get back on the grid to see where we are for this, our second year of the McLaren-Honda partnership.
"We are certainly a step ahead of where we were this time last year in terms of preparation - we have much more mileage under our belts and we've performed most of the necessary system checks that we were still working on during race weekends in 2015. That said, we didn't manage to complete our final configuration and set-up work for the first race, so we go to Melbourne with a number of unknowns. It won't be an easy start to the weekend in that sense, since we'll need to concentrate on setting the car up for each session and readying the final specification of our package as soon as we get to Albert Park. Since the final pre-season test, there's been a huge effort back in Woking to bring new parts to Australia and it'll be good to finally get to the track on Friday and see how we fare.
"Until the other teams fully show their hand in the same conditions, we won't have any idea where we stack up in comparison, but our priority is to focus on extracting the most out of our own performance, while still maintaining reliability. It's a difficult balance to strike, but as usual we'll work hard, in the hope of faring better in Australia than we did last year. We are always greeted by a warm welcome, and it'll be fantastic to hear the cheers from the knowledgeable Aussie fans in Albert Park. We're all counting down to the green light on Friday so we can get out on track and start the season proper."
Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: "As a season-opener, the street circuit of Albert Park is a strenuous track for the drivers, car and the power unit, so it will no doubt be a difficult race. The circuit is flat, narrow, slippery and fast, which makes the whole weekend unpredictable.
"That said, we are eager to see what the package is capable of out on track. During the short winter months, we worked hard to address the issues encountered in 2015, and during the two weeks of testing in Barcelona, we were able to confirm the fundamental power unit set-up for 2016. The logical next step is to test and show our progress on track, which will begin to shape the course of our development for this year.
"Last year, the team was given a warm welcome by the enthusiastic fans, as well as fantastic support from our Honda Australia peers. We hope we can show our appreciation through our efforts on the track during the grand prix weekend."
Circuit length: 5.303km/3.295 miles (12th longest track of the year)
Distance to Turn One: 350m/0.217 miles (longest of season: Barcelona, 730m/0.454 miles)
Longest straight: 860m/0.534 miles (longest of season: China, 1.17km/0.727 miles)
Top speed: 305km/h/190mph, on the approach to Turn One (fastest of season: Monza, 350km/h/217mph)
Pitlane length: 280m/0.714 miles, estimated time loss 21s (longest of season: Interlagos, 380m/0.236 miles)
Full throttle: 61 per cent (highest of season: Monza, 75 per cent)
DRS zones: Two, on the approaches to Turns One and Three
Key corner: The Esses at Turns 11 and 12. The minimum apex speed is 225km/h (140 mph) and negative camber at the exit makes it easy to run wide.
Fastest corner: 275km/h (171mph), Turn Eight
Slowest corner: 84km/h (52mph), Turn 15
Major changes for 2016: No changes to layout, a few alterations to kerbing, run-off and Astroturf
Fuel consumption: 1.7kg per lap, third highest of the season due to the amount of acceleration bursts from low speed
ERS demands: Medium
Brake wear: High, there are seven big stops from more than 230km/h (143 mph)
Gear changes: 56 per lap /3248 per race
Grip levels: Low. This is a street circuit, used just once a year, and it's very slippery until some rubber gets laid down during practice. Drivers need to be wary of the negative camber, particularly at corner exit.
Run-off: Substantial, but mistakes are punished because there's a mix of grass and gravel awaiting errant cars. Remember Martin Brundle flying through the air in his Jordan in '96?
Watch out for... Sunset. The 16:00hrs start (local time) means the sun gets low and into the drivers' line of vision towards the end of the race.
Start time: 16:00hrs local / 05:00hrs GMT
Race distance: 58 laps (full world championship points will be awarded after 75 per cent distance/43.5 laps)
Safety Car likelihood: 48 per cent, relatively high
When to press record: The start! The drivers haven't raced for 15 weeks and some might be too anxious to get things underway. Remember 2003, when eight cars were eliminated in a pile-up at Turn One?
Don't put the kettle on... when the race reaches laps in the early teens and late 30s. These were the two pitstop windows during last year's race
Weather conditions: now 27 degrees and sunny
Race forecast: 19 degrees, patchy cloud. Being a coastal location, Melbourne's weather can change quickly.
Tyre choices: Supersoft/Soft/Medium