Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria
Laps: 58 laps
Race start: 1400 HRS SIN
Technical demands
A narrow street track with a blend of medium-length straights
and tight corners that calls for a medium-high downforce set-up.
Grip is on the low side. The pitlane is quite long and having fewer
pitstops can save time. Held later in the day this year, track
temperatures will be slightly cooler. Super-soft and medium
compound tyres will be provided.
Talking points
New season, new cars: The 2009 regulations, which include wider,
driver-adjustable front wings, smaller rear wings and diffusers,
cleaned-up bodywork, KERS and slick dry-weather tyres, required
every team to design their cars from scratch. Whether these will
produce the increase in overtaking opportunities that they were
designed to create remains to be seen.
Shaking up of the establishment: McLaren have admitted that they
are on the backfoot, while the former Honda team, now called Brawn
GP, have produced what appears to be a front-running car. Toyota
and Renault are bullish about their chances of winning races, while
BMW and Ferrari remain quietly confident of their championship
challenge.
Diffuser protest: Several teams have voiced their concern over
Williams, Toyota and Brawn's exploitation of a loophole in the
regulations on diffusers. Renault have been the most vocal, and
while the FIA has so-far declared the devices, some teams may lodge
a protest with the stewarts on Thursday or Sunday after the
race.
Albert Park usually churns out races of both extremes - a single
team may dominate the proceedings, or there may be wheel-to-wheel
action and accidents up and down the grid. The most anticipated
season-opener in decades takes place after lunch on Sunday - stay
tuned!