2008 - Chaos reigns
Last year’s season-opener (pictured) was one of those races that you couldn’t keep your eyes off for five seconds as the competitors dropped like flies from the first corner. Lewis Hamilton dominated the race from pole and picked up the victory while just seven of the 22 cars on the starting grid managed to finish the race.
2002 - A local hero enters the scene
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At the front the 2002 Australian GP was somewhat unremarkable as Michael Schumacher cruised to victory - but the home fans were enthralled by the performance of grand prix debutant and soon-to-be home hero Mark Webber in an unfancied Minardi. Taking advantage of a massive pile-up on the first lap which took out eight drivers, Webber managed to guide his car to a fifth-place finish - the best showing by an Australian in the race as a World Championship fixture - as he held off the challenge of the much faster Mika Salo in a Toyota.
1991 - Wet and wild as Senna wins
Not a grand prix remembered for its quality but rather for the farcical weather conditions in which it was held. Ayrton Senna, already world champion, won a race contested in rain so bad that it was ended after only 14 official laps. At just 52 km - 24 minutes - it is the shortest recorded F1 race. Nigel Mansell was awarded second place but could not take his place on the podium as he crashed on lap 16 and had to go to hospital. Senna said afterwards: “I don’t think that was a race, it was just a matter of staying on the circuit, and there was no point in trying to go quick at all. It was impossible.”
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