Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing

2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix as it happened

02 Apr 2023
06:10
Verstappen radio

“He pushed me off the track. I was ahead at the apex. He pushed me off.”

06:09
Safety Car in this lap

Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Albon, Stroll, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, Norris, Magnussen, Piastri, de Vries, Ocon, Zhou, Bottas, Perez and Sargeant.

Ocon down are on hards and will go to the end.

06:07
Pit stops

Ocon, Zhou, Sargeant, Perez and Bottas have all stopped - they probably can go to the end.

06:06
Order on Lap 2

Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Albon, Stroll, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, Norris, Magnussen, Piastri, de Vries, Ocon, Zhou, Sargeant, Perez and Bottas.

06:05
Safety Car

Leclerc is out of the race! He's in the gravel trap at Turn 3.

06:04
Mercedes 1-2

Russell leads into Turn 1 ahead of Verstappen.

Hamilton up to second past the reigning world champion!

06:04
Lights out and away we go

The Australian Grand Prix is underway.

06:03
Here we go

Verstappen lines up on his grid slot. We're moments away from the start.

06:02
06:00
Formation lap underway

Verstappen leads the pack away on the formation lap at Albert Park.

05:59
Tyres

Starting on softs: Gasly, Ocon, Zhou, Bottas

Starting on hards: De Vries, Sargeant, Perez

Everyone else on mediums

05:50
Risk of rain

Zero per cent according to the FIA.

05:49
Perez to Sky

"We really think it will be a hard race. Overtaking is difficult here, and degradation will be love, but we are going to give it everything here to the last lap."

05:47
Albon to Sky

"The race is more in our review mirrors then looking at the front. The car feels different now, and it's a lot warmer. Some drivers have said it feels a lot better today with the conditions."

05:44
Time for the national anthem

Just 15 minutes to go now until lights out - it's time for the Australian national anthem.

05:39
Anthony Hamilton to Sky

"What I always tell him is that he has to love the car. I think soon he [Lewis] will love the car."

05:33
Perez from the pit lane

Perez and Bottas will start from the pit lane after both of their teams made changes overnight in parc ferme.

The Mexican struggled throughout FP3 and qualifying with his brakes, perhaps related to the engine, thus Red Bull have given him a raft of new components.

05:30
Watch, like and subscribe!

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05:27
Good morning

Hello everyone and welcome to Crash.net's live blog for Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix.

We're just over 30 minutes away from the start of the race at Albert Park.

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