2013 Australian Grand Prix

The 2013 Australian Grand Prix (officially the 2013 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) will be the opening race of the 2013 Formula One Season. It is scheduled to be held on March 17 2013 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, in the Southern part of Melbourne, Victoria. It will be the 18th running of the event at the Albert Park circuit, and the 29th Formula One World Championship event to be held in Australia.

Jodie Goodard started strongest, setting the best times in both Friday practice sessions.

Background
The number of cars that would start the season off in Australia would be 22 after HRT collapsed in December 2012. Which meant that the changes was needed in qualfying. The three round knockout system which has been in use since 2006 will remain with 6 teams being knocked out in session 1 and 2, not the 7 in previous years. The third qualifying session will remain the same at ten with a 10 minute block to finish a lap.

The number of DRS zones for the 2013 event will remain at two, again along the main straight and between turns 2 and 3. These will, as with the 2012 event, utilise a single detection point - between turns 14 and 15 of the previous lap.

Unlike in previous seasons, a new rule has come into force whereby a driver is now allowed to use DRS only at these specific points, even in Practice and Qualifying. In previous years, use of DRS had been unlimited in these sessions except where ruled unsafe by stewards.

Results

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