The new Formula 1 season is about to begin. In less than three days, on Friday, March 14, teams will hit the track for the first free practice session of 2025. But which teams start as favorites? Based on the data, Ferrari stands out, having always had a great connection with Albert Park, home of the Australian GP. However, the competition is fierce, with McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes more determined than ever.
Australian GP: the statistics
Looking at results since 1996, the year Formula 1 moved from Adelaide to Melbourne, the situation is quite clear. Ferrari is the team with the most victories: a Maranello driver has stood on the top step of the podium 10 times. From Irvine in ’99, through Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen, up to the present day.
But the rivals are not far behind. In second place is McLaren, which has secured six victories in Australia, putting it ahead of Mercedes, which ranks third with four wins. Red Bull lags behind with just one victory, achieved by Max Verstappen in 2023.
Recent victories that make Ferrari fans dream
2017
That first modern-era Ferrari victory was delivered by Sebastian Vettel. In his third year at Maranello, after starting second behind Lewis Hamilton, the German managed to keep up with the Mercedes. Taking advantage of Verstappen holding up Hamilton after the pit stop, Vettel emerged from the pit lane in first place. From that moment, the race was a one-man show, with car number 5 securing Ferrari’s first win of the season.
2018
A similar scenario unfolded in 2018. This time, Vettel started third, with pole position again going to Hamilton in the Silver Arrow #44. While the British driver and Kimi Raikkonen, who was in second place, pitted, Vettel stayed out. Fortune favored him when a few laps later, a Safety Car caused by Grosjean allowed him to significantly reduce his pit stop time. Rejoining as the leader, Vettel clinched his second consecutive victory.
2022
Fast forward to a situation more similar to the present: the first year of ground-effect cars. After a strong start in Bahrain and Jeddah, Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc, conquered Australia. From Friday, car #16 was the fastest. A stunning pole position on Saturday led to a dominant race on Sunday, with Charles Leclerc leading from start to finish. No one could have predicted that just a few races later, the F1-75 would collapse.
2024
The most recent triumph, which many will remember, was last year’s victory by Carlos Sainz. The situation was quite different, with Ferrari clearly behind Red Bull. Despite this, on lap 2, The Spanish driver launched an attack on Max Verstappen, who retired a few laps later due to brake issues. From there, Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz in first and Charles Leclerc in second, secured its first one-two finish of the year.
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