2023 F1 Australian GP: 10 Interesting Stats and Facts about the race
Max Verstappen claimed victory in an action-packed Australian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso completing the podium. Safety cars, red flags, fans invading the track — the race Down Under was filled to the brim with drama.
Verstappen made a slow start to the race, falling behind both George Russell and Hamilton before the safety car made two quick appearances due to Charles Leclerc retiring from a collision and Alex Albon crashing out.
Albon’s crash eventually brought out the first red flag and the field back to the pits. When the race restarted, it didn't take long for Verstappen to take the lead and comfortably keep it until the end to register his second victory in 2023.
On that note, here are 10 notable stats from the 2023 Australian GP:
#1 Max Verstappen’s maiden Australian GP win
After arriving in Australia this year without a pole or a win Down Under on his CV, Max Verstappen left the country with both in the bag. For Red Bull Racing, it was a first win in Australia since Sebastian Vettel in 2011.
Among the tracks that have featured on the F1 calendar during his career, Singapore now remains the only circuit where he's yet to taste victory.
The Dutchman, incidentally, also set a circuit record at Albert Park with his pole lap of 1min 16.732secs during qualifying.
#2 Fernando Alonso’s longest podium streak in a decade
After P3 finishes in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Fernando Alonso came in third in Melbourne to register his longest podium streak in a decade. The Spaniard last achieved the feat in 2013, when he was on the podium in Belgium, Italy and Singapore.
#3 Max Verstappen’s 17th victory in car no. 1
Max Verstappen’s maiden win in Australia was also his 17th victory in car #1 in Formula 1, making him the driver with the third-most wins in car #1.
Germans Michael Schumacher (52) and Sebastian Vettel (29) are the two drivers ahead of him.
#4 Lewis Hamilton's 17-season streak
With his P2 finish in Australia, Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to have recorded a podium finish in 17 different F1 seasons. During the course of the race, he also became the first driver to have led a lap in 17 F1 seasons, replacing Michael Schumacher at the top of the list.
#5 Max Verstappen goes level with Michael Schumacher and Aryton Senna
Albert Park in Melbourne is the 23rd different circuit at which Max Verstappen has won an F1 race. This sees him equal Michael Schumacher for second on the list of most circuits at which a driver has won in the sport.
It was also Verstappen’s 80th podium finish in F1, which saw him go level with Aryton Senna for seventh in the list of most podium finishes.
#6 An unwanted feat by Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg has overtaken Nick Heidfeld as the driver to have started the second-most F1 races (183) without a win. The German now trails only Andrea de Cesaris (208).
#7 First podium for Honda Down Under in more than three decades
This is the first victory for a 'Honda'-powered car in Australia since Gerhard Berger (McLaren) won the race in 1992.
#8 A podium of champions
For the first time since Hungary 2018, an F1 podium was filled with world champions — Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton shared the podium with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen at the Hungaroring in 2018.
#9 A stop-start affair
The 2023 Australian GP was the first F1 race to feature three red flags. The previous record of two red flags was held by five different races: Belgium 1981, Japan 2014, Brazil 2016, Tuscany 2020, and Saudi Arabia 2021.
#10 Verstappen and Hamilton are back at it
It was the 34th time Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have finished one-two (in either order) in an F1 race. This is more than any other driver pairing in the history of the sport.