F1 Australian Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more

Max Verstappen will start the Australian Grand Prix from pole position as he bids to secure a 10th Formula 1 victory in a row.

Verstappen took pole position with a last-gasp 1m15.915s effort, bettering a still-recovering Carlos Sainz by 0.170 seconds.

Sergio Perez will start from sixth after being handed a three-place penalty for impeding, promoting Lando Norris, the highest-placed McLaren driver, to third.

Charles Leclerc had been the pacesetter in the early stages of the weekend but an error on his final lap scuppered his chances to start from the front, leaving him fourth. He will be joined on the third row by Oscar Piastri.

While George Russell qualified seventh, his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton struggled for pace and bowed out in Q2, setting the 11th-fastest time after a late improvement from Yuki Tsunoda - who will start in eighth - bumped him out of the top 10.

When is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?

Date: Sunday 24 March 2024
Start time: 3pm local time/4am GMT

The third round of the 2024 F1 season, the Australian GP, gets under way at 3pm local time on Sunday 24 March.

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the United Kingdom, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels and costs £18 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.99 or a monthly membership of £34.99 per month.

How can I watch the F1 Australian GP?

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Australian GP.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, with pre-race coverage starting at 3:00am GMT, ahead of the race start at 4:00am GMT.

Channels: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
Start time: 3:00am GMT, Sunday 24 March 2024

Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Australian GP here.

When can I watch the F1 Australian GP highlights?

In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Australian GP at 12:30pm GMT on Sunday. The full programme will run for two and a half hours, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction to wrap up the major talking points of the race weekend.

For the entire 2024 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up services.

Channel: Channel 4
Start time: 12:30pm GMT, Sunday 24 March 2024

Will the F1 Australian GP be on the radio?

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2024 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and via the BBC Sport website.

Live coverage of the Australian GP will start at 4:00am GMT on BBC 5 Live and on the BBC Sounds app.

Weather forecast for the F1 Australian GP

Current weather forecasts predict cloudy, dry and mild conditions in Melbourne, with moderate winds and a low chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be 20 degrees Celsius for the start of the race.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

How many laps is the F1 Australian GP?

The race is scheduled to complete 58 laps of the Albert Park circuit, covering a total race distance of 306.124km.

F1 Australian GP starting grid

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Time	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	1'15.915	250.290
2	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.270 1'16.185	249.403
3	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	+0.400 1'16.315	248.978
4	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.520 1'16.435	248.587
5	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	+0.657 1'16.572	248.142
6	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.359 1'16.274	249.112
7	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.809 1'16.724	247.651
8	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	+0.873 1'16.788	247.444
9	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.157 1'17.072	246.533
10	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.637 1'17.552	245.007
11	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	+1.045 1'16.960	246.891
12	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	+1.252 1'17.167	246.229
13	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	+1.425 1'17.340	245.678
14	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	+1.512 1'17.427	245.402
15	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	+1.782 1'17.697	244.549
16	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	+2.061 1'17.976	243.674
17	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	+2.067 1'17.982	243.656
18	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	+2.170 1'18.085	243.334
19	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	+2.273 1'18.188	243.014
View full results