The Australian GP preview

Two weeks ago, we kicked off our introduction to the Bahrain Grand Prix by describing it as "one of the most eagerly-anticipated Formula 1 races in history".

That being the case, it's only fair to concede that it now also ranks among the most anti-climactic. But on the flipside, this weekend's Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park should go a fair way towards providing an antidote to the Bahrain tedium. If it helps, try thinking of Bahrain as a pre-season test that counted towards the championship, and pretend that Melbourne is the real 2010 curtain-raiser.

So why will it be any different? For starters, all the things that made the lead-up to Bahrain so gripping are still there. We're still getting our heads around seeing Michael Schumacher back in an F1 car, we're still getting used to the new teams (all three of which have already done a far better job than they have been given credit for) and we're still yet to get the final word on who has the upper hand at McLaren, although the score currently stands at 1-0 in Lewis Hamilton's favour.

But when it comes to the spectacle, the advantage that Melbourne will have over Bahrain is that there is more scope for the unexpected. History suggests that it's unlikely that the entire field will make it through the first corner intact and, while the trouble usually kicks off in the midfield or the back of the pack, the frontrunners are not immune - just ask Jacques Villenueve, who took pole by 1.3s here in 1997 and then got caught up in a three-way shunt with Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert at Turn 1.

Past form also points to the likelihood of a safety car, which has some potential to mix things up and, while overtaking is not much easier at Albert Park than it is anywhere else, there are a couple of places where drivers can at least consider trying a move, with Turns 1 and 3 being close to the top of the list.

In terms of the championship, Melbourne should help to fill in a few of the gaps left blank in Bahrain. Is the gap between Red Bull/Ferrari and McLaren/Mercedes really as big as it looked a couple of weeks ago? What happened to Sauber's testing form? And who be the first to register a finish out of HRT and Virgin?

Weather

Strategy

One of the side-effects of the refueling ban is that it has severely limited the strategic options, as we all saw to such tedious effect in Bahrain. Despite all of the uproar, there have been no changes made to the rules for this weekend, so the parameters remain the same.

As Williams' Sam Michael said in the team's pre-event preview: "Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne".

Translation: start on the softer tyres and switch when you make your solitary stop - which, ideally, will be just before the guy that you're racing against.

Moment from history

The fact that Michael Schumacher won the 2002 Australian Grand Prix is about the last thing that it will be remembered for. The shot of Ralf Schumacher looking down upon Turn 1 from approximately 10 feet in the air after having been launched by Rubens Barrichello at the first corner will forever stand as one of the most famous F1 photos of the decade, and it might be rivaled by the image of beaming Mark Webber standing on the podium with an Australian flag after scoring points on his debut at the wheel of the unfancied Minardi.

His fifth place came after a tight battle with Mika Salo in the Toyota, which was also making its Formula 1 debut. Salo had a distinct advantage over his rival in terms of pace, not least because the Minardi's already-modest speed was further compromised by a malfunctioning differential and complete loss of sixth gear, but the Finn slipped on a patch of hydraulic fluid left earlier by Jenson Button's Renault and elevated Webber to instant local hero status.

Webber's progress had been helped by the race's huge rate of attrition. The first corner alone accounted for eight cars, Takuma Sato exited not long afterwards with an electrical problem on his Jordan, the Arrows of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi were both back-flagged before half distance (Frentzen for ignoring the red light at the pit exit, Bernoldi for illegally using the spare car), Jacques Villeneuve's rear wing fell off and David Coulthard suffered a gearbox failure.

So while the 25s gap that covered the top three of Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen might not suggest a thrilling battle at the front, the 2002 Australian GP was one of those races where at any given moment, the frontrunners were the least interesting things on the track...

From the forum

I expect a very tight fight between the two Ferraris, Hamilton and Vettel, my pre-race favourite. You can't really be sure about Webber and Button, maybe they'll be on fire, maybe not. Together with Montreal, Albert Park is probably the circuit to produce the most unpredictable races. I wouldn't mind some rain, but I don't count on it.
Atreiu

On paper the circuit should appeal to McLaren and hurt RBR a little. That brings Ferrari into the picture and particularly Alonso, who has fared better than Massa here. Webber has been very quick at Melbourne in the past but appears lost at sea with Vettel as a team-mate, he just needs one quick lap and he'd set the cat amongst the pidgeons, though. If I had to put money on it, I'd go with Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel... but with no confidence.
Alfisti

I think Vettel will win, he was very quick in Bahrain, quicker than I expected, and I think it's unlikely that his car will develop a problem two races in a row. But I just hope for a much more exciting race this weekend.
robracer

Join the debate: Forum Australia preview