2016 Australian Grand Prix

Formula One motor race held in 2016 October 2026 F1 Australia Australian 2016 03 20 y 2016 1 21 Albert_Lake_Park_Street_Circuit_in_Melbourne,_Australia.svg Albert_Lake_Park_Street_Circuit_in_Melbourne,_Australia.svg 200px 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/races/2016/Australia.html Formula One 13 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327165129/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/races/2016/Australia.htmlhttp://www.progcovers.com/motor/f12016.html 2016 Formula 1 World Championship Programmes – The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project Malcolm Mitchell progcovers.comhttp://www.progcovers.com/motor/melbourne.html Albert Park – The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project Malcolm Mitchell progcovers.com Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia Temporary street circuit 5.303 3.295 57 302.271 187.822 58 307.574 191.118 Partly cloudy22-23 C F air temperature26-36 C F track temperature4 m/s mph km/h on wind from the southGP Australien in Melbourne / Rennen http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/ergeb/2016/01/71.shtml motorsport-total.com 20 March 2016 de 20 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327164744/http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/ergeb/2016/01/71.shtml 27 March 2016 271,800 (Weekend)https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2017/12/f1-spectator-figures-for-2017-hit-four-million.html F1 attendance figures hit four million in 2017 formula1.com/en Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 1:23.837 AUS Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 1:28.997 49 Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari AUS 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix The 2016 Australian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 20 March 2016 in Melbourne. The race was contested over fifty-seven laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit and was the first round of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race marked the 81st race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix – which dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928 – and the 21st time the event was held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was the race winner. Lewis Hamilton took the first pole position of the season and the fiftieth of his career in a qualifying session that saw the introduction of a new one-by-one elimination format that was widely criticised. His teammate Nico Rosberg took victory ahead of Hamilton and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. The race was stopped on lap 18 following an accident involving Fernando Alonso and Esteban Gutiérrez. Mercedes used the break for a change of tyres that allowed their drivers to take a 1–2 finish after Vettel had initially led the race from the start. Romain Grosjean finished sixth, scoring points for the Haas F1 team on their début, the first completely new team to do so since 2002. Mercedes equalled the record for most consecutive 1–2 finishes, by achieving their fifth in a row. Report Background Regulation changes The race saw the introduction of a new qualifying system. As before, qualifying was divided into three parts. However, instead of eliminating the slowest drivers at the end of each respective session, the slowest driver at a given point was now eliminated from contention every ninety seconds, with the countdown starting some minutes into every session.Anderson Ben FIA releases Formula 1's new qualifying rules before Australian GP http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123208 Autosport 17 March 2016 11 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160317162324/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123208 17 March 2016 In a further change of regulations, tyre supplier Pirelli now made three instead of two tyre compounds available for each Grand Prix. For the Australian Grand Prix, these were the super-soft, soft and medium compounds.Galloway James Pirelli reveal Australia, Bahrain, China and Russia tyre selections under new 2016 rules http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10096662/pirelli-reveal-australia-bahrain-china-and-russia-tyre-selections-under-new-2016-rules Sky Sports 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319082126/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10096662/pirelli-reveal-australia-bahrain-china-and-russia-tyre-selections-under-new-2016-rules 19 March 2016 14 January 2016 With Pirelli providing every driver with two sets of tyres for the race (of which one must be used) and an additional one for the third part of qualifying, drivers were able to choose ten additional sets of tyres out of the three compounds available. Notably, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg made different choices, with Rosberg opting for an additional set of mediums instead of soft tyres. The two Manor drivers chose the most conservative way, taking on four sets each of the medium and soft compounds.Pirelli reveal driver tyre choices for Australia https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/pirelli-reveal-driver-tyre-choices-for-australia.html Formula One 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319081938/https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/pirelli-reveal-driver-tyre-choices-for-australia.html 19 March 2016 8 March 2016 The race saw the competitive debut of the Haas F1 Team, and its car, the Haas VF-16;Haas present maiden F1 challenger https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/2/haas-present-maiden-f1-challenger.html Formula One 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318213555/https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/2/haas-present-maiden-f1-challenger.html 18 March 2016 21 February 2016 and the return of Renault as a fully manufacturer-supported team after a four-year absence.Benson Andrew Formula 1: Renault announce return for 2016 season https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35002555 18 March 2016 BBC Sport 3 December 2015 Free practice Per the regulations for the 2016 season, three practice sessions were held, two 1.5-hour sessions on Friday and another one-hour session before qualifying on Saturday.Practice and qualifying http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html Formula One 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318130826/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html 18 March 2016 Rain had fallen before the start of the first practice session, rendering the track wet and slippery, and drivers initially opted to go on their first laps on intermediate tyres. Nico Rosberg was the first to set a lap time, clocking in at 1:44.037, a time soon bettered by his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at 1:40.812. As conditions improved further, Kimi Räikkönen set a new fastest time after about half an hour of practice. Soon after, the track had dried enough for the drivers to go out on slick tyres, with Daniel Ricciardo setting the first time on the medium compound with 1:34.007. After around one hour of practice, Hamilton managed the best time of the session, at 1:29.725. Still, several wet spots on the track caused problems to a number of drivers, including Max Verstappen, who flat-spotted his tyres while spinning in turn six, as well as Valtteri Bottas and Rio Haryanto, who both had to pass through the gravel traps after slipping off the track. Shortly before the end of the session, rain returned and caught out many drivers, including Räikkönen and Ricciardo, whose Red Bull RB12 got stuck in a gravel pit at turn twelve.Barretto Lawrence Lewis Hamilton sets pace in rain-hit first Australian GP practice http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123311/hamilton-sets-pace-between-rain-showers Autosport 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318131034/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123311/hamilton-sets-pace-between-rain-showers 18 March 2016 18 March 2016FP1 – Hamilton tops wet-dry session at Albert Park http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/fp1---hamilton-tops-wet-dry-session-at-albert-park.html Formula One 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318131230/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/fp1---hamilton-tops-wet-dry-session-at-albert-park.html 18 March 2016 18 March 2016 Due to several rain showers between first and second practice, the track was again wet during the second session, which limited the drivers to using the intermediate tyres only. Hamilton was again fastest, setting a time of 1:38.841. Teammate Rosberg crashed at turn seven thirty minutes into the session, damaging a new-specification front wing that the team had deliberately not run in first practice for fear of damage. Rosberg later apologised for the incident,Parkes Ian Nico Rosberg apologises to Mercedes for Melbourne practice crash http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123322/rosberg-apologises-for-friday-crash Autosport 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318183537/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123322/rosberg-apologises-for-friday-crash 18 March 2016 18 March 2016 which saw him trying to get back to pit lane, before his team told him to stop on track, calling an early end to his session.Collantine Keith Hamilton stays on top as Rosberg crashes http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/18/2016-australian-grand-prix-second-practice-result-fp2-2/ F1Fanatic 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318183645/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/18/2016-australian-grand-prix-second-practice-result-fp2-2/ 18 March 2016 18 March 2016 Nico Hülkenberg, Räikkönen, Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz Jr. all finished within one second of Hamilton's time, while Sergio Pérez was at one point on his way to a new fastest time overall, setting best times in the first two timechecks along the track, before having to slow in the last part of the lap due to heavy rain. The two Manor drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Haryanto covered the highest number of laps, with 24 and 22 laps in 12th and 14th place respectively. Neither Renault nor Williams drivers set a time, albeit going on track. The Sauber cars and Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso did not leave the garage at all during the session.Parkes Ian Lewis Hamilton fastest in Melbourne practice, Nico Rosberg crashes http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123315/hamilton-fastest-while-rosberg-crashes Autosport 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160318183939/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123315/hamilton-fastest-while-rosberg-crashes 18 March 2016 18 March 2016 Although rain fell on Saturday morning, the track had dried by the start of the final free practice session. Lewis Hamilton again set the fastest time with 1:25.624, less than two-tenths of a second in front of teammate Rosberg, with Sebastian Vettel in third position close behind. The fastest times had been set on the super-soft tyre compound. However, Mercedes's advantage over Ferrari proved more significant, up to seven-tenths of a second on the harder soft compound, the tyre most likely to be used in the race. Toro Rosso confirmed their good pace for the weekend with fourth and sixth place for Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen respectively, being about half a second quicker than their sister team, Red Bull Racing. A major incident occurred just seconds after the beginning of the practice session, when Rio Haryanto and Romain Grosjean collided in the pit lane. Both cars needed to equip new front wings and Haas also changed the floor on Grosjean's car.Galloway James Australian GP P3: Lewis Hamilton edges out Rosberg and Vettel http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10210745/australian-gp-p3-lewis-hamilton-edges-out-rosberg-and-vettel Sky Sports 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319072938/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10210745/australian-gp-p3-lewis-hamilton-edges-out-rosberg-and-vettel 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Haryanto was later issued a three-place grid penalty for the incident, as well as two penalty points added to his licence.Collantine Keith Haryanto given grid penalty for first race http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/19/haryanto-given-grid-penalty-first-race/ F1Fanatic 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319073658/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/19/haryanto-given-grid-penalty-first-race/ 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Qualifying thumb|Daniel Ricciardo qualified eighth and went on to finish fourth in the race. Qualifying got under way on Saturday afternoon with new rules in place. Just as in years before, the qualifying procedure was divided into three parts, with the first part (Q1) running for 16 minutes and the second and third parts (Q2 and Q3) being 15 and 14 minutes long respectively. All twenty-two cars contested the first part, with seven drivers eliminated from further contention in each of the first two parts of qualifying, leaving eight drivers to compete for pole position in Q3. However, in a change of rules, drivers were now eliminated during the session, with the slowest runner at a given point being taken out from contention every ninety seconds, beginning seven minutes into Q1, six minutes into Q2 and five minutes into Q3. The new format meant that all cars took to the track quickly in Q1, with everyone setting lap times on the super-soft compound, the fastest tyre available at the event. The two Manor drivers were first to be eliminated, having set only one timed lap each, as were both Haas cars after them, being unable to cross the finishing line in time. The same fate caught out Daniil Kvyat, who qualified 18th. Both Sauber drivers were able to go out on a second timed lap, but proved too slow to avoid being the last to go out in Q1, after Renault rookie Jolyon Palmer was able to avoid elimination, setting a faster time towards the end of the session.Collantine Keith Hamilton takes pole as F1 draws fire over new qualifying http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/19/2016-australian-grand-prix-qualifying-review-2/ F1Fanatic 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319074113/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/19/2016-australian-grand-prix-qualifying-review-2/ 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Q2 started with a busy track once more, but many of the top drivers elected not to go out on a second timed run after setting sufficient lap times first time around. The eliminated drivers were determined rather quickly, with the two Renault drivers qualifying 14th and 15th respectively. The two McLarens were next to go out of contention, before Bottas was eliminated for 11th place on the grid, failing to improve on his lap time. Both Force India drivers were the last not to make it into Q3, with Sergio Pérez beating his teammate Hülkenberg to ninth. The third part of qualifying determined pole position and only the two Mercedes drivers set two timed laps. After he clocked in behind both Ferrari drivers in his first run, Rosberg improved to second place on his second time out, but was unable to challenge teammate Hamilton, who took the fiftieth pole position of his career. Every other driver was limited to only one timed lap and in the end, the two Ferrari cars of Vettel and Räikkönen locked out the second row on the grid ahead of Max Verstappen and Felipe Massa. Sainz and Ricciardo rounded up the top eight on the grid.Anderson Ben Lewis Hamilton on Australian GP pole, new system proves anticlimax http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123338/hamilton-on-pole-new-format-anticlimax Autosport 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319074225/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123338/hamilton-on-pole-new-format-anticlimax 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Therefore, Q3 saw little running with the final positions determined very early on and drivers exiting their cars five minutes before the end of qualifying.Esler William Lewis Hamilton on pole in Australia as new qualy format falls flat http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10210760/lewis-hamilton-on-pole-in-australia-as-new-qualy-format-falls-flat Sky Sports 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319081341/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12515/10210760/lewis-hamilton-on-pole-in-australia-as-new-qualy-format-falls-flat 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Post-qualifying The new qualifying format was criticised immediately after the end of the session by pundits, drivers and team personnel alike. Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle called for a swift revision of the rules, saying the procedure was "not acceptable" and calling for it to be abandoned before the next race. Mercedes's executive director Toto Wolff and former driver Johnny Herbert were equally critical, describing it as "rubbish" and "embarrassing". Red Bull team director Christian Horner was apologetic, describing the format as "[not] good for Formula One."Lines Chris F1 qualifying format slammed as Hamilton wins Australia pole http://racing.ap.org/article/f1-qualifying-format-slammed-hamilton-wins-australia-pole 19 March 2016 Associated Press AP Sports 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319184518/http://racing.ap.org/article/f1-qualifying-format-slammed-hamilton-wins-australia-pole 19 March 2016 Melbourne Niki Lauda, non-executive chairman at Mercedes, was in agreement, calling it "a big mistake."Weaver Paul F1 qualifying universally condemned as Lewis Hamilton grabs Melbourne pole https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/19/f1-qualifying-universally-condemned-as-lewis-hamilton-grabs-pole 19 March 2016 The Guardian 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319084528/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/19/f1-qualifying-universally-condemned-as-lewis-hamilton-grabs-pole 19 March 2016 Melbourne Particular criticism was aimed at the fact that many drivers did not get enough time to improve on their lap times, seeing many getting out of their cockpits while still technically in contention. 1996 World Champion Damon Hill observed that pole-sitter Hamilton "could have waved his own chequered flag [...] with four minutes still to go."Morlidge Matthew New qualifying format slammed as 'unacceptable' and 'embarrassing' http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10210796/new-qualifying-format-slammed-as-unacceptable-and-embarrassing Sky Sports 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319081208/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10210796/new-qualifying-format-slammed-as-unacceptable-and-embarrassing 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 Nico Rosberg acknowledged that it had "not worked", while Sebastian Vettel was equally critical, describing it as "the wrong way to go."Benson Andrew Lewis Hamilton on pole position in Australia after new F1 qualifying https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35850356 19 March 2016 BBC Sport 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319084216/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35850356 19 March 2016 Melbourne Lewis Hamilton joined the criticism but acknowledged the attempt to revitalise the format.Johnson Daniel Bernie Ecclestone vows to scrap new Formula One qualifying system after Australian Grand Prix farce https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/19/australian-grand-prix-qualifying-farce-as-lewis-hamilton-takes-p/ 19 March 2016 The Daily Telegraph 19 March 2016 Melbourne 19 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160319111446/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/03/19/australian-grand-prix-qualifying-farce-as-lewis-hamilton-takes-p/ bot: unknown Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder of Formula One, spoke out against the format as well, declaring it to be "pretty crap".Parkes Ian Freeman Glenn Bernie Ecclestone declares F1's new qualifying format 'pretty crap' http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123341/ecclestone-declares-new-qualifying-crap Autosport 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192559/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123341/ecclestone-declares-new-qualifying-crap On the day of the race, the teams of Formula 1 voted a proposal to go back to the qualifying format as it had been in previous seasons, which was rejected by the FIA's F1 Commission.Parkes Ian F1 team heads agree unanimously to revert to old qualifying format http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123362/f1-qualifying-to-revert-to-old-format Autosport 22 March 2016 20 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192654/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123362/f1-qualifying-to-revert-to-old-formatIan Parkes F1 gives elimination qualifying system reprieve for the Bahrain GP http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123446/elimination-qualifying-to-stay-for-bahrain 24 March 2016 Autosport Haymarket Media Group https://web.archive.org/web/20160325135801/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123446/elimination-qualifying-to-stay-for-bahrain 25 March 2016 Race At the end of the formation lap, Daniil Kvyat was unable to reach the grid due to an electrical issue.Daniel Rocks Home Grand Prix http://www.redbullracing.com/article/daniel-rocks-home-grand-prix Red Bull Racing 20 March 2016 20 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192812/http://www.redbullracing.com/article/daniel-rocks-home-grand-prix Therefore, the field went to another formation lap and the race was shortened accordingly to 57 laps. At the start proper, Vettel got away well, passing through both Mercedes cars into the lead, followed by his teammate Räikkönen in second. As Rosberg and Hamilton went through the first corner, Hamilton was forced wide and lost additional places, falling down to sixth. Kevin Magnussen suffered a puncture on the first lap and made a pit stop for new tyres, while Esteban Gutiérrez had mechanical issues at the back of the field. Hamilton was able to pass fifth-placed Massa on lap four, as Vettel was leading from Räikkonen, Rosberg and Verstappen. On lap eight, Sainz was the first of the top-ten runners to pit for new tyres. Meanwhile, Hamilton was unable to pass Verstappen for fourth, discussing alternative tactics with his team on the radio communication. Pascal Wehrlein had a good start in his debut as well, running in 14th place at that point of the race.Woolcock Adam Nico Rosberg takes out the Melbourne Grand Prix for Mercedes – as it happened https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/mar/20/formula-one-grand-prix-season-opener-in-melbourne-live The Guardian 20 March 2016 20 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192841/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/mar/20/formula-one-grand-prix-season-opener-in-melbourne-live 27 March 2016How the Australian Grand Prix unfolded https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/35475563 BBC 20 March 2016 20 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193048/http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/35475563 thumb|left|Lewis Hamilton started in pole position and finished second in the race. On the end of lap eleven, Rosberg was the first front runner to go into the pitlane and Vettel followed suit just two laps later. A quicker stop by Rosberg saw Vettel emerge just in front of him, but the Ferrari stayed ahead and he passed Hamilton for second on lap 16. On the same lap, both Räikkönen and Hamilton made pit stops as well, re-establishing the order. One lap later, Fernando Alonso had a major accident as he ran into the back of Gutiérrez, being lifted into the air at 300 kph mph on and hitting the left-hand barrier before subsequently rolling over several times before coming to rest upside-down against the barrier at turn three, experiencing a peak force of 46G.Benson Andrew Fernando Alonso's F1 crash: Would the halo have trapped him? https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35870589 25 March 2016 BBC Sport 22 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192822/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35870589 27 March 2016Lines Chris Rosberg beats Hamilton in season-opening Australian GP http://racing.ap.org/article/rosberg-beats-hamilton-season-opening-australian-gp 20 March 2016 Associated Press AP Sports 20 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160320153242/http://racing.ap.org/article/rosberg-beats-hamilton-season-opening-australian-gp 20 March 2016 Melbourne While Alonso walked away with minor injuries, a safety car was deployed for a short time before the race direction decided to red flag the race due to the huge amounts of debris across the track from both Alonso's McLaren and damaged advertising boards, causing all cars to come back into pitlane. While the cars waited for the restart, work on the cars was allowed and Hamilton's front wing was changed, while Rio Haryanto ended his race. As the race resumed behind the safety car, both Ferrari drivers were running on the super-soft tyre compound, with both Mercedes now equipped with mediums, which were set to last for the rest of the race. The running order at the restart was: Vettel, Rosberg, Räikkönen, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Sainz, Hamilton, Massa, Grosjean, Bottas. Grosjean in ninth was the only driver who had not made a pit stop before the red flag was shown, which allowed him to save one pit stop and change his tyres during the break. Vettel led away at the restart, but his Ferrari teammate Räikkönen was forced to pull into the pit lane on lap 22 with fire coming from his airbox and subsequently retired, handing second place to Rosberg. Over the next couple of laps, Vettel was able to pull away from Rosberg on the softer tyre compound. Marcus Ericsson was handed a drive-through penalty for having his team work on his car less than 15 seconds before the restart. By lap 31, the gap between Vettel and Rosberg started to come down again, while Hamilton moved ahead of Sainz into fifth as the latter made a pit stop. Two laps later, Verstappen was in as well, but a slow pit stop lost him time. On lap 35, Rosberg took the lead as Vettel made a pit stop, who also lost time due to a mistake during his stop. He emerged back on track in fourth place. Hamilton now started to pull back time on the leaders, while debutant Palmer held off the two Toro Rosso drivers in a struggle for ninth place. thumb|Romain Grosjean finished sixth, scoring points for Haas F1 on the team's début. On lap 40, Ericsson started to slow on track and eventually retired. One lap later, Hamilton moved into second ahead of Ricciardo on the main straight. Lap 42 saw first Sainz and then Verstappen overtake Palmer's Renault, who fell back to eleventh. Another lap later, Ricciardo changed tyres and came out fifth behind Massa, taking fourth three laps later. At the front, Hamilton and Vettel slowly closed on Rosberg, with the gap between the two also coming down. Vettel came onto the back of Hamilton with five laps remaining, chasing him closely for several laps before making a mistake in the second to last corner of lap 55, losing his chances at second place. As the race ended, Nico Rosberg took victory, thirty-one years after his father Keke Rosberg had won the 1985 Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton and Vettel rounded out the podium ahead of Ricciardo and Massa. With Romain Grosjean having finished in sixth, Haas F1 became the first new (and "from scratch") constructor since Toyota in 2002 to score points in its inaugural Grand Prix race entry.Brawn GP recorded a 1–2 finish at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, but the team is generally considered not to have been a new team, but the rebranded successor of the Honda Racing F1 Team. N Behind Grosjean, Hülkenberg, Bottas, Sainz and Verstappen were the other point scorers.Reiman Samuel Rosberg wins season-opening F1 race as Ferrari falters http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/f1-australian-gp-results-recap-nico-rosberg-mercedes-wins-ferrari-falters-032016 Fox Sports Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. 20 March 2016 20 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193128/http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/f1-australian-gp-results-recap-nico-rosberg-mercedes-wins-ferrari-falters-032016 By finishing fourth, Daniel Ricciardo equalled the highest ever finish by an Australian driver at their home event, after Mark Webber did the same in 2012.Ricciardo initially finished second at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, but was later disqualified for breaching fuel consumption rules.Daniel Ricciardo disqualified from Australian Grand Prix https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/26601418 14 March 2016 BBC Sport 16 March 2014 28 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160128194513/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/26601418 N It was Mercedes's fifth consecutive 1–2 finish, equalling a record set by Ferrari in 1952 and 2002 and by themselves in 2014.Collantine Keith Rosberg extends career-best winning streak http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/21/rosberg-extends-career-best-winning-streak/ F1Fanatic 21 March 2016 21 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193059/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/21/rosberg-extends-career-best-winning-streak/ Post-race At the podium interviews, conducted by former Formula One driver Mark Webber, both Mercedes drivers expressed delight at their result. Hamilton in particular described his race as "great" and added that he "loved the fact that we had to come through from far behind."FIA post-race press conference – Australia https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/fia-post-race-press-conference---australia.html Formula One 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330140421/https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/fia-post-race-press-conference---australia.html 30 March 2016 20 March 2016 Sebastian Vettel meanwhile was satisfied with his start, but lamented the red flag situation and said that Ferrari had not expected Mercedes to opt for the harder tyre compound and go until the end of the race. He later added that he was confident that Ferrari had closed the gap to Mercedes and would be able to compete for the championship throughout the season.Benson Andrew Australian GP: Ferrari can challenge for title – Sebastian Vettel https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35855453 BBC 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330141144/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35855453 30 March 2016 20 March 2016 Nico Rosberg later revealed that the team had been close to retiring his car due to persisting brake issues caused by debris caught in the brake caliper. However, he was able to manage the brake temperatures to secure victory.Morlidge Matthew Nico Rosberg almost forced to retire before winning Australian GP http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10214085/nico-rosberg-almost-forced-to-retire-before-winning-australian-gp Spy Sports 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330145207/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10214085/nico-rosberg-almost-forced-to-retire-before-winning-australian-gp 30 March 2016 21 March 2016 Rosberg also apologised to his teammate for making contact and forcing him wide at the start.Barretto Lawrence Freeman Glenn Nico Rosberg apologises to Lewis Hamilton for Melbourne contact http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123369/rosberg-apologises-for-brush-with-hamilton Autosport 8 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160408183511/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123369/rosberg-apologises-for-brush-with-hamilton 8 April 2016 20 March 2016 Following an inquiry into the incident between Alonso and Gutiérrez, the stewards took no action against either driver, deeming it a "racing incident" with no driver particularly to blame.Alonso-Gutierrez crash a 'racing incident' https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/f1-australia-alonso-crash-gutierrez-video.html Formula One 20 March 2016 25 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330141228/https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2016/3/f1-australia-alonso-crash-gutierrez-video.html 30 March 2016 Fernando Alonso shared the stewards' opinion and was quick to express that he did not blame Gutiérrez.Gill Pete Conclusions from the Australian Grand Prix http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10214028/conclusions-from-the-australian-grand-prix Sky Sports 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330150145/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10214028/conclusions-from-the-australian-grand-prix 30 March 2016 21 March 2016 The accident was a talking point for days after the race, with former FIA president Max Mosley pointing out that Alonso's impact might have been fatal about twenty years earlier. He praised the measures taken in terms of driver security ever since the fatal accident of Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, saying that due to these efforts, one was now able to "expect the driver to walk away" from a violent crash.Fernando Alonso crash would have been fatal in previous F1 era, says Max Mosley https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/22/fernando-alonso-crash-would-have-been-fatal-previous-f1-era-max-mosley The Guardian 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330140940/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/22/fernando-alonso-crash-would-have-been-fatal-previous-f1-era-max-mosley 30 March 2016 22 March 2016 Particular praise after the race went to both newcomers Haas and debutant Jolyon Palmer, who delivered what The Guardian described as an "impressive" drive. Palmer had been able to hold off attacks by both Toro Rosso drivers for several laps in the closing stages of the race.Weaver Paul Australian Grand Prix: five talking points from the opening race of the F1 season https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/20/australian-grand-prix-five-talking-points-f1-season The Guardian 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330140951/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/20/australian-grand-prix-five-talking-points-f1-season 30 March 2016 20 March 2016 Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen was very unhappy with his team's strategy in the race handling the situation, repeatedly complaining and swearing over the team radio. He lost several seconds in a rushed pitstop, after which he lamented that he had wanted to pit before his teammate Sainz. While driving behind Sainz when both where trailing Palmer, he asked for team orders to allow him to pass his teammate, which were denied, leading him to describe his team's strategy as a "joke".F1: Max Verstappen calls Toro Rosso strategy a 'joke' in expletive-laden tirade https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/20/f1-max-verstappen-torro-rosso-joke-expletive-tirade The Guardian 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330140958/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/20/f1-max-verstappen-torro-rosso-joke-expletive-tirade 30 March 2016 20 March 2016 Verstappen received criticism for his outbursts, with Sky Sports describing him as sounding "like a teenager – and a sulky one at that".Barretto Lawrence Is Verstappen risking his F1 future? http://www.autosport.com/premium/feature/6927/is-verstappen-risking-his-f1-future Autosport 30 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160330150521/http://www.autosport.com/premium/feature/6927/is-verstappen-risking-his-f1-future 30 March 2016 29 March 2016 He later apologised to his team for his outbursts.Barretto Lawrence Max Verstappen apologised to Toro Rosso for Melbourne radio row http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123550/verstappen-apologised-to-str-for-radio-row Autosport 2 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160402113752/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/123550/verstappen-apologised-to-str-for-radio-row 2 April 2016 1 April 2016 The race also marked the first time the Driver of the Day award was introduced, as a move to increase fan engagement.2016-02-24 Driver of the Day award launched for races https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/14835411/f1-introduce-driver-day-award 2022-03-20 ESPN en The award originally went to Haryanto, who retired during the red flag period, but it was eventually given to Grosjean who helped the new Haas team to score their maiden points after the Formula One Management stated that, "In the interest of fairness, multiple votes identified as originating from the same source were not counted".2016-04-01 Haryanto would have no issue winning award https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/15110629/rio-haryanto-surprised-not-win-driver-day-melbourne 2022-03-20 ESPN en Classification Qualifying thumb|Sebastian Vettel finished third for Ferrari. Pos. Qualifying positionCarno. NumberDriverConstructorQualifying timesFinalgrid Final grid positionQ1Q2Q3144GBR Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:25.3511:24.6051:23.837126GER Nico RosbergMercedes1:26.9341:24.7961:24.197235DEU Sebastian VettelFerrari1:26.9451:25.2571:24.675347FIN Kimi RäikkönenFerrari1:26.5791:25.6151:25.0334533NED Max VerstappenToro Rosso-Ferrari1:26.9341:25.6151:25.4345619BRA Felipe MassaWilliams-Mercedes1:25.9181:25.6441:25.4586755ESP Carlos Sainz Jr.Toro Rosso-Ferrari1:27.0571:25.3841:25.582783AUS Daniel RicciardoRed Bull Racing-TAG Heuer1:26.9451:25.5991:25.5898911MEX Sergio PérezForce India-Mercedes1:26.6071:25.75391027GER Nico HülkenbergForce India-Mercedes1:26.5501:25.865 101177FIN Valtteri BottasWilliams-Mercedes1:27.1351:25.961 161 11214ESP Fernando AlonsoMcLaren-Honda1:26.5371:26.125 111322GBR Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Honda1:26.7401:26.304 121430GBR Jolyon PalmerRenault1:27.2411:27.601131520DEN Kevin MagnussenRenault1:27.2971:27.74214169SWE Marcus EricssonSauber-Ferrari1:27.435151712BRA Felipe NasrSauber-Ferrari1:27.958171826RUS Daniil KvyatRed Bull Racing-TAG Heuer1:28.00618198FRA Romain GrosjeanHaas-Ferrari1:28.322192021MEX Esteban GutiérrezHaas-Ferrari1:29.606202188IDN Rio HaryantoMRT-Mercedes1:29.627222 22294GER Pascal WehrleinMRT-Mercedes1:29.64221107% time: 1:31.325Source:2016 Australian Grand Prix Results https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/2016/australian-grand-prix/results/qualifying BBC 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193327/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/2016/australian-grand-prix/results/qualifyingQualifying http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2016-race-results/2016-australia-results/qualifying.html Formula One 19 March 2016 19 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193423/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2016-race-results/2016-australia-results/qualifying.html Notes 1 1 – Valtteri Bottas received a five-place grid penalty for unscheduled gearbox change. 2 2 – Rio Haryanto received a three-place grid penalty after a pit lane collision with Romain Grosjean during the third practice session. Race thumb|Nico Rosberg won the race for Mercedes. Pos. PositionNo. Car numberDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPts. Points16GER Nico RosbergMercedes571:48:15.565225244GBR Lewis HamiltonMercedes57 +8.06011835GER Sebastian VettelFerrari57 +9.64331543AUS Daniel RicciardoRed Bull Racing-TAG Heuer57 +24.330812519BRA Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes57 +58.97961068FRA Romain GrosjeanHaas-Ferrari57 +1:12.081198727GER Nico HülkenbergForce India-Mercedes57 +1:14.199106877FIN Valtteri BottasWilliams-Mercedes57 +1:15.153164955ESP Carlos Sainz Jr.Toro Rosso-Ferrari57 +1:15.680721033NED Max VerstappenToro Rosso-Ferrari57 +1:16.833511130GBR Jolyon PalmerRenault57 +1:23.399131220DEN Kevin MagnussenRenault57 +1:25.606141311MEX Sergio PérezForce India-Mercedes57 +1:31.69991422GBR Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Honda56 +1 Lap121512BRA Felipe NasrSauber-Ferrari56 +1 Lap171694GER Pascal WehrleinMRT-Mercedes56 +1 Lap21 Ret Retired9SWE Marcus EricssonSauber-Ferrari38Transmission15 Ret Retired7FIN Kimi RäikkönenFerrari21Turbo4 Ret Retired88IDN Rio HaryantoMRT-Mercedes17Driveshaft22 Ret Retired21MEX Esteban GutiérrezHaas-Ferrari16Collision20 Ret Retired14ESP Fernando AlonsoMcLaren-Honda16Collision11DNS Did not start26RUS Daniil KvyatRed Bull Racing-TAG Heuer0Electrical—3 1Source:http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2016-race-results/2016-australia-results/race.html 2016 Australian Grand Prix – Race results Formula One 21 March 2016 9 November 2014 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327164655/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2016-race-results/2016-australia-results/race.html Notes 3 1 – Daniil Kvyat's car failed during the formation lap. His place on the starting grid was left vacant.https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/35475563 How the Australian GP unfolded Rose Gary 20 March 2016 BBC Sport https://web.archive.org/web/20160327193048/http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/35475563 27 March 2016 Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points 1 GER Nico Rosberg 25 2 GBR Lewis Hamilton 18 3 GER Sebastian Vettel 15 4 AUS Daniel Ricciardo 12 5 BRA Felipe Massa 10Source:https://www.statsf1.com/en/2016/australie/championnat.aspx Australia 2016 – Championship • STATS F1 statsf1.com 7 March 2019 Constructors' Championship standings Pos. Position Constructor Points 1 GER Mercedes 43 2 ITA Ferrari 15 3 GBR Williams-Mercedes 14 4 AUT Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 12 5 USA Haas-Ferrari 8Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. Notes N See also 2016 Coates Hire V8 Supercars Challenge References External links http://www.grandprix.com.au/index.php Australian Grand Prix 2016 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix 2015 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Australian Grand Prix Australian Category:Australian Grand Prix Grand Prix Category:2016 in sport in Melbourne Category:2016 in Victoria (state) Category:Motorsport at Albert Park Australian Grand Prix