Forward of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix and the debut of one other new algorithm, we’ve determined to pick essentially the most dramatic Method 1 season openers because the world championship started in 1950.
These aren’t essentially the best grands prix, however all of them had their components of drama, motion and, in some circumstances, a shock end result.
10. 1990 United States GP
Ayrton Senna, Mclaren MP4/5B Honda leads Jean Alesi, Tyrrell 018 Ford
Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs
Phoenix, 11 MarchWinner: Ayrton Senna (McLaren MP4/5B)Lap leaders: 2
This race is remembered for Jean Alesi’s spirited battle with Ayrton Senna. In simply his ninth world championship race begin, fast-starting Alesi grabbed the lead from poleman Gerhard Berger on the first nook and led almost half of the 72 laps.
Sturdy Pirelli qualifying rubber had helped create an unusual-looking grid, with Pierluigi Martini’s Minardi on the entrance row, Andrea de Cesaris third in a BMS Scuderia Dallara and Alesi subsequent.
Hampered by a misfire in qualifying, Senna rapidly rose from fifth to 3rd within the race and moved into second when team-mate Berger crashed. At that stage Senna trailed Alesi by greater than eight seconds.
The hole didn’t come down for some time, however ultimately the Goodyear-shod McLaren began closing on the acrobatic Tyrrell. Ken Tyrrell’a workforce hadn’t gained a race for greater than six years and Senna’s progress to the entrance appeared inevitable, however Alesi was in combative temper.
On lap 34 Senna received a run down the beginning/end straight and duly took the lead into the primary right-hander. However as he moved over to the appropriate to take his line for the next left, Alesi stuffed the Tyrrell down the within to retake the lead. It was a cheeky transfer that gained Alesi loads of followers.
Subsequent time round, Senna tried once more and this time held the McLaren to the left to forestall a repeat. That put him off line and Alesi nearly squeezed forward into the left-hander at Flip 3.
Thereafter Alesi fell away, however he nonetheless took a well-known second, nicely away from Thierry Boutsen’s Williams. “Alesi was driving very nicely, aggressive and exact – it was thrilling,” stated Senna.
9. 1958 Argentinian GP
Stirling Moss, Cooper-Climax
Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs
Buenos Aires, 19 JanuaryWinner: Stirling Moss (Cooper T43)Lap leaders: 4
A race that falls into the shock and tense class relatively than pure leisure. Most British groups weren’t prepared for the 1958 opener, following F1’s transfer to commercially out there gas, and solely 10 automobiles lined up.
Reigning world champion Juan Manuel Fangio’s Maserati took pole, forward of Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. No surprises there, however the anticipated Maserati-Ferrari struggle was overshadowed by the automobile beginning seventh: the Cooper of Stirling Moss, 2s off pole.
Moss harassed the larger, front-engined automobiles from the beginning, finishing lap one within the lead pack. They couldn’t shake off the tiny Cooper within the early jostling and, on lap 21 of 80, Moss moved into second. When Fangio got here in for his pitstop, the Rob Walker-run Cooper took the lead.
The Italian groups now waited for the chief to cease. They usually waited. And waited, significantly because the Walker workforce busied themselves as if getting ready for a pitstop. Fangio hit engine bother and too late Ferrari realised that the Cooper was working continuous, Luigi Musso and Hawthorn charging to shut on the chief.
Even driving by oil patches to guard the tyres, Moss may see issues getting worse and worse because the rubber went right down to the carcass. However every thing held collectively and Moss took a exceptional victory by 2.7s, the maiden world championship success for Cooper and the primary for a rear-engined machine.
8. 2022 Bahrain GP
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB18
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Bahrain, 20 MarchWinner: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari F1-75)Lap leaders: 2
This was all about reigning world champion Max Verstappen versus Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – and the battle indicated that maybe F1’s new ground-effect period would characteristic some nice racing.
Leclerc took pole however simply over a tenth coated the Monegasque, Verstappen and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. The highest two quickly pulled clear, with Leclerc initially edging away from the Pink Bull earlier than the primary pitstops.
Verstappen pitted first and was a lot nearer as soon as each had been serviced, launching a collection of assaults on the Ferrari down the beginning/end straight and into the primary nook. On the primary two events he received by earlier than the DRS detection line (Leclerc intentionally ensuring of that on the second attempt), so Leclerc received DRS on the following straight and squeezed again by into Flip 4, as soon as on the surface, then on the within.
On the third attempt, Verstappen, already coping with overheating brakes, left it later and dived by the Ferrari after the DRS line into Flip 1. However he locked up, ran vast and the Ferrari once more slipped by. Leclerc then managed to inch away as soon as extra.
Leclerc once more pitted a lap later than Verstappen on the second stops, however this time had a barely higher cushion. Verstappen then began struggling with a steering problem due to a bent trackrod.
Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri caught hearth and brought about a digital security automobile, which turned a full security automobile. Regardless of a poor restart, Verstappen narrowly held off Sainz till issues along with his gas system, which pressured him to retire with three laps to go.
So as to add to Pink Bull’s woes, Sergio Perez began having engine bother, inflicting him to spin on the ultimate lap. That allowed Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes to grab the ultimate podium spot behind a Ferrari 1-2.
7. 1967 South African GP
Pedro Rodriguez, Cooper Maserati T81
Photograph by: Sutton Photographs
Kyalami, 2 JanuaryWinner: Pedro Rodriguez (Cooper T81)Lap leaders: 3
This was nearly one of many largest upsets in motorsport historical past due to privateer John Love, driving an underpowered 2.7-litre Cooper-Climax T79.
“Some of the thrilling GPs for a few years,” stated Autosport journal’s report of the race that kicked off the second season of the three-litre F1 components. It was so early that follow started when it was nonetheless 1966!
In entrance of what was reported as the biggest crowd to attend a sporting occasion in Africa, reigning world champion Jack Brabham began from pole. Love, in the course of a run of six consecutive South African F1 entries, had certified a high quality fifth, 1.2s adrift.
Love fell again early on because the Brabham of Denny Hulme took command. Love battled Dan Gurney and Jo Siffert, progressively shifting ahead because the 80-lap race progressed.
He was helped by misfortunes for some as the warmth took its toll – Jim Clark’s Lotus-BRM had gas system bother, Pedro Rodriguez’s Cooper had a few offs, the Cooper of Jochen Rindt retired with engine points – however he was additionally working competitively.
By half-distance, Love was as much as third and that turned second when Brabham hit engine bother. The dominant Hulme was nearly a minute forward and seemed set to win till the dramatic remaining phases.
Hulme immediately dived into the pits to have fluid added to his braking system, and crushed ice was put in his header tank. Because the New Zealander sat within the pits, Rhodesian Love swept into the lead, with Rodriguez 22.8s behind.
Regardless of his engine sounding tough, Love had sufficient tempo, however his little Cooper didn’t have sufficient gas. With seven laps to go, he dived into the pits and, by the point he received again out, Rodriguez was lengthy gone.
And so, Rodriguez scored his first world championship victory, the primary by a Mexican, and Cooper’s sixteenth – and final. Love was a gallant and widespread runner-up.
6. 1982 South African GP
Begin: René Arnoux, Renault RE30B and teammate Alain Prost, Renault RE30B lead the remainder of the sphere
Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs
Kyalami, 23 JanuaryWinner: Alain Prost (Renault RE30B)Lap leaders: 2
What may very well be extra dramatic than a drivers’ strike? How about somebody coming from a lap right down to win? The 1982 South African GP was actually uncommon.
As soon as the Niki Lauda-led strike over new superlicence phrases had been ‘resolved’ sufficiently for automobiles to hit the observe, the turbo automobiles dominated at high-altitude Kyalami. Rene Arnoux’s Renault took pole from Nelson Piquet’s Brabham-BMW and Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari. The highest Cosworth DFV runner – Keke Rosberg in his first Williams drive – was 2.5s slower.
Arnoux held the benefit firstly, whereas a poor getaway from Piquet helped Alain Prost shoot by from fifth on the grid to kind a Renault 1-2. Arnoux and Prost pulled away and the opposite turbocharged frontrunners quickly fell by the wayside. Piquet went off, Villeneuve’s turbo failed and Riccardo Patrese’s BMW engine misplaced oil strain.
When Arnoux was delayed in visitors, Prost took the lead on lap 14 of 77. Prost then opened a small cushion and appeared answerable for a race that seemed prefer it would possibly fizzle out.
However then the main Renault suffered a daunting second on the high-speed Jukskei as a puncture struck on lap 41. Prost caught it and cruised again to the pits, falling to eighth and a lap down earlier than getting again on observe.
He instantly began setting quickest laps – his finest would find yourself being 1.5s sooner than anybody else’s – as he scythed by the sphere. With Arnoux struggling tyre issues of his personal, Prost took greater than a minute out of his team-mate. Extremely, Prost retook the lead on lap 68.
A struggling Arnoux misplaced out to Carlos Reutemann’s Williams within the closing laps, whereas Lauda – returning after two years away from F1 – took fourth for McLaren from thirteenth on the grid.
The unusual weekend completed with the stewards asserting that each one however Jochen Mass, Teo Fabi and Brian Henton would have their licences suspended for the strike motion. The season had lots extra controversy to come back…
5. 2025 Australian GP
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
Melbourne, 16 MarchWinner: Lando Norris (McLaren MCL39)Lap leaders: 3
McLaren appeared to have carried over its benefit from the top of the earlier season to the 2025 opener after qualifying 1-2. However rain on race day made issues more durable than anticipated.
Rookie Isack Hadjar underlined how tough issues have been by crashing on the formation lap and the circumstances would declare 5 different automobiles earlier than the day was performed.
Up on the entrance, Verstappen moved his Pink Bull forward of Oscar Piastri to chase poleman Lando Norris earlier than Jack Doohan crashed and introduced out the security automobile, beneath which Sainz dropped his Williams.
After the restart, Verstappen began to battle on his hard-worked intermediates because the observe dried and he ran vast, permitting Piastri into second.
The momentum ebbed and flowed between Norris and Piastri till, now on slicks, the leaders discovered rain at Flip 14. Each McLarens went off however, whereas Norris gathered it collectively rapidly earlier than pitting for intermediate tyres, Piastri spun out of competition.
Regardless of a late security automobile, Norris held on to defeat Verstappen by 0.9s, with George Russell finishing the rostrum and his rookie Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli fourth after beginning sixteenth.
Piastri recovered to ninth, brilliantly going across the outdoors of Hamilton’s Ferrari on the ultimate lap.
4. 1977 Argentinian GP
Jody Scheckter, Wolf WR1 Ford
Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs
Buenos Aires, 9 JanuaryWinner: Jody Scheckter (Wolf WR1)Lap leaders: 4
This one falls extra into the shock class than being a fantastic race, given the extent of unreliability and unpredictable end result. Regardless of beginning eleventh, Jody Scheckter got here by to win for Wolf – within the workforce’s first F1 race.
John Watson was the star of the weekend within the improved Brabham-Alfa Romeo. He grabbed the lead from poleman James Hunt’s McLaren firstly and initially pulled away. However his tyres quickly began to go off within the sweltering Buenos Aires warmth and Hunt closed again in.
On lap 11 of 53 the reigning champion moved forward. He seemed snug till a suspension breakage pitched him off shortly after half-distance.
That put Watson again in entrance, however he now had team-mate Carlos Tempo proper behind. Because the gearbox and rear suspension on his Brabham began to come back aside, Watson struggled and Tempo moved to the entrance.
However the Brazilian was quickly affected by warmth exhaustion within the blistering circumstances and he struggled to maintain going. With Watson out, Scheckter – whose finest lap was greater than a second off the quickest – was now second and catching the Brabham.
The Wolf grabbed the lead with simply over 5 laps to go and Scheckter crossed the road 43.2s forward of Tempo, who collapsed after the end. Carlos Reutemann’s Ferrari nearly caught the Brabham and may need performed had he not beforehand suffered a spin and began to expire of gas on the ultimate tour.
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3. 1989 Brazilian GP
Nigel Mansell, Ferrari 640
Photograph by: Sutton Photographs
Rio, 26 MarchWinner: Nigel Mansell (Ferrari 640)Lap leaders: 3
McLaren had gained 15 from 16 races in 1988 and the Ferrari 640, full with pioneering semi-automatic gearbox, may barely maintain collectively for a handful of laps in testing. A shock in Rio seemed unlikely, significantly as Senna’s McLaren took pole, 0.9s forward of Patrese’s Williams.
However the race had drama from the off. Senna didn’t make one in every of his higher begins and instantly had Patrese alongside. That was high quality, however then the fast-starting Ferrari of Berger made it three vast into the primary nook. No person backed off; the Ferrari and McLaren made contact, placing each out of competition.
Patrese subsequently led on the finish of the opening lap, chased by team-mate Boutsen and the Ferrari of Nigel Mansell, up from sixth on the grid. The Ferrari quickly overtook Boutsen and closed the hole to Patrese, sweeping previous the Williams with a contact of the grass on lap 16 of 61.
After the primary spherical of tyre stops Mansell ran second to Prost’s McLaren, which had stopped early after beginning fifth. However the Frenchman couldn’t outpace Mansell, who closed in and took the lead once more on lap 28 – his gearbox surprisingly nonetheless working!
In typical Mansell type, there was nonetheless time for drama. He shot into the pits once more – to have 5 wheels modified, his steering wheel having labored unfastened.
That put Prost again into the lead, however clutch issues meant he was now attempting to get to the top with out one other tyre change. Simply over two laps after stopping, Mansell repassed the McLaren to take the lead for the third and remaining time.
Towards expectation, Mansell reeled off the closing laps to take a well-known victory on his Ferrari debut, 7.8s away from Prost. “It’s essentially the most laps the automobile has performed, ever!” stated Mansell.
2. 2002 Australian GP
First nook accident: Ralf Schumacher, Williams flying over Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari
Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs
Melbourne, 3 MarchWinner: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari F2001)Lap leaders: 3
If we’re speaking drama, the 2002 Australian GP delivered from the beginning. Poleman Rubens Barrichello’s transfer throughout to the left because the pack arrived on the braking zone caught out Ralf Schumacher, who launched his Williams over the again of the Ferrari, triggering a multi-car accident that put eight out.
Surprisingly given the carnage, there was no crimson flag and the survivors, led by David Coulthard’s McLaren, adopted the security automobile till lap six of 58. On the restart, a small error from Juan Pablo Montoya allowed Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari into third and the Ferrari gained one other place when Jarno Trulli crashed his Renault.
That introduced out the security automobile once more, eroding the 6.7s lead Coulthard had already constructed. The Scot then went off earlier than the restart due to a gearbox glitch and Montoya jumped Schumacher on the run down the beginning/end straight – the third chief in two corners.
However the Bridgestone-shod Ferrari quickly seemed faster and pressured the Williams (on Michelins), outfumbling the Colombian on the right-left firstly of lap 17.
Schumacher pulled away as he headed to victory and the race settled down, however there was nonetheless motion to come back.
Coulthard’s gearbox downside received worse earlier than failing and Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR crashed when the rear wing broke, whereas Kimi Raikkonen took third in his first race for McLaren regardless of having to pit to get particles eliminated and a few offs. Eddie Irvine completed fourth in a Jaguar that had lined up on row 10, however the feel-good storyline concerned a rookie.
House hero Mark Webber saved his head to beat a gradual refuelling cease and a late problem from Toyota’s Mika Salo to take a preferred fifth for Minardi, the workforce’s first factors end for greater than two years. It was that kind of race.
1. 2003 Australian GP
Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002, runs vast as he battles with Kimi Raikkonen, Workforce McLaren Mercedes MP4/17D
Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs
Melbourne, 9 MarchWinner: David Coulthard (McLaren MP4-17D)Lap leaders: 4
Poleman Michael Schumacher led Ferrari team-mate Barrichello from the off, in damp-but-drying circumstances. Some began on moist tyres however there have been a number of gamblers, together with Williams driver Montoya, who dropped from fourth to 3rd on lap one.
As soon as his rubber was as much as temperature, Montoya moved ahead, driving previous Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber for third on the beginning/end line on the finish of lap two. At that very same second, Coulthard dived into the pits to modify to dry tyres. The McLaren rejoined in twentieth and final…
Montoya began taking large chunks of day out of the main Ferraris earlier than Barrichello crashed. Schumacher lastly dived into the pits for dry tyres simply earlier than Ralph Firman crashed and introduced out the security automobile. It was a gradual cease and meant Schuey was sixth come the restart, simply forward of the recovering Coulthard.
Montoya led Trulli’s Renault as racing resumed. When the leaders made their gas stops, Raikkonen – who’d began from the pitlane after a late swap to dry tyres however received more often than not again due to the security automobile – moved forward and the McLaren led the practice throughout one other security automobile interval brought on by Webber’s Jaguar coming to a halt with suspension failure. The security automobile had minimised Montoya’s time loss, and he began a cost whereas Schumacher pressured Raikkonen, with Coulthard now third.
Schumacher couldn’t make it by, and Ferrari known as him in on lap 29 of 58. Raikkonen got here in 4 laps later, handing Montoya the lead however sustaining observe place over Schumacher.
The Ferrari once more attacked, Raikkonen displaying him the grass on the first nook earlier than having to come back in for a cease/go penalty for dashing within the pitlane due to a software program downside. Schumacher thus took the lead when Montoya pitted for the ultimate time on lap 42 – although just for gas, not recent tyres.
However the Ferrari nonetheless had one other cease to make and began shedding bits after Schumacher had a small off. When Schuey got here in, Montoya retook the lead with simply 12 laps to go. Crucially, Coulthard was additionally shut sufficient to take second.
That meant it was the McLaren that benefited most when Montoya spun away his 2.7s lead firstly of lap 48.
And so, having been final on the finish of lap three, Coulthard took the flag first an hour and a half later to take his thirteenth and remaining F1 victory, with Montoya second. Raikkonen held off Schumacher for third regardless of his penalty and a subsequent tour.
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