Forward of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix and the debut of one other new algorithm, we’ve determined to select probably the most dramatic System 1 season openers for the reason that world championship started in 1950.
These aren’t essentially the best grands prix, however all of them had their parts of drama, motion and, in some circumstances, a shock consequence.
10. 1990 United States GP
Ayrton Senna, Mclaren MP4/5B Honda leads Jean Alesi, Tyrrell 018 Ford
Picture 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 finally the Goodyear-shod McLaren began closing on the acrobatic Tyrrell. Ken Tyrrell’a crew hadn’t received 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 bought a run down the beginning/end straight and duly took the lead into the primary right-hander. However as he moved over to the suitable to take his line for the following left, Alesi stuffed the Tyrrell down the within to retake the lead. It was a cheeky transfer that received Alesi quite a lot of followers.
Subsequent time round, Senna tried once more and this time held the McLaren to the left to stop 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,” mentioned Senna.
9. 1958 Argentinian GP
Stirling Moss, Cooper-Climax
Picture 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 accessible gasoline, and solely 10 vehicles 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 combat was overshadowed by the automotive beginning seventh: the Cooper of Stirling Moss, 2s off pole.
Moss harassed the larger, front-engined vehicles 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. And so they waited. And waited, significantly because the Walker crew busied themselves as if making ready for a pitstop. Fangio hit engine bother and too late Ferrari realised that the Cooper was operating continuous, Luigi Musso and Hawthorn charging to shut on the chief.
Even driving via oil patches to guard the tyres, Moss may see issues getting worse and worse because the rubber went all the way down to the carcass. However every little thing held collectively and Moss took a outstanding 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, Crimson Bull Racing RB18
Picture 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 lined the Monegasque, Verstappen and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. The highest two quickly pulled clear, with Leclerc initially edging away from the Crimson Bull earlier than the primary pitstops.
Verstappen pitted first and was a lot nearer as soon as each had been serviced, launching a sequence of assaults on the Ferrari down the beginning/end straight and into the primary nook. On the primary two events he bought by earlier than the DRS detection line (Leclerc intentionally ensuring of that on the second attempt), so Leclerc bought DRS on the subsequent straight and squeezed again by into Flip 4, as soon as on the skin, 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 large 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 because of a bent trackrod.
Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri caught fireplace and prompted a digital security automotive, which turned a full security automotive. Regardless of a poor restart, Verstappen narrowly held off Sainz till issues together with his gasoline system, which compelled him to retire with three laps to go.
So as to add to Crimson 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
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Kyalami, 2 JanuaryWinner: Pedro Rodriguez (Cooper T81)Lap leaders: 3
This was nearly one of many greatest upsets in motorsport historical past because of privateer John Love, driving an underpowered 2.7-litre Cooper-Climax T79.
“One of the vital thrilling GPs for a few years,” mentioned Autosport journal’s report of the race that kicked off the second season of the three-litre F1 formulation. It was so early that observe started when it was nonetheless 1966!
In entrance of what was reported as the most important 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, step by step transferring 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 gasoline system bother, Pedro Rodriguez’s Cooper had a few offs, the Cooper of Jochen Rindt retired with engine points – however he was additionally operating 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 last phases.
Hulme abruptly 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 gasoline. With seven laps to go, he dived into the pits and, by the point he bought 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 fashionable runner-up.
6. 1982 South African GP
Begin: René Arnoux, Renault RE30B and teammate Alain Prost, Renault RE30B lead the remainder of the sphere
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Kyalami, 23 JanuaryWinner: Alain Prost (Renault RE30B)Lap leaders: 2
What might be extra dramatic than a drivers’ strike? How about somebody coming from a lap all the way 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 vehicles to hit the observe, the turbo vehicles 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 via 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 stress.
When Arnoux was delayed in site visitors, Prost took the lead on lap 14 of 77. Prost then opened a small cushion and appeared in command of 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 greatest would find yourself being 1.5s sooner than anybody else’s – as he scythed via 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 saying that each one however Jochen Mass, Teo Fabi and Brian Henton would have their licences suspended for the strike motion. The season had a lot extra controversy to return…
5. 2025 Australian GP
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture 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 harder than anticipated.
Rookie Isack Hadjar underlined how difficult issues had been by crashing on the formation lap and the situations would declare 5 different vehicles earlier than the day was completed.
Up on the entrance, Verstappen moved his Crimson Bull forward of Oscar Piastri to chase poleman Lando Norris earlier than Jack Doohan crashed and introduced out the protection automotive, underneath which Sainz dropped his Williams.
After the restart, Verstappen began to wrestle on his hard-worked intermediates because the observe dried and he ran large, 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 rivalry.
Regardless of a late security automotive, 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
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Buenos Aires, 9 JanuaryWinner: Jody Scheckter (Wolf WR1)Lap leaders: 4
This one falls extra into the shock class than being an important race, given the extent of unreliability and unpredictable consequence. Regardless of beginning eleventh, Jody Scheckter got here via to win for Wolf – within the crew’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 comfy 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 return aside, Watson struggled and Tempo moved to the entrance.
However the Brazilian was quickly affected by warmth exhaustion within the blistering situations and he struggled to maintain going. With Watson out, Scheckter – whose greatest 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 completed had he not beforehand suffered a spin and began to expire of gasoline on the ultimate tour.
3. 1989 Brazilian GP
Nigel Mansell, Ferrari 640
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Rio, 26 MarchWinner: Nigel Mansell (Ferrari 640)Lap leaders: 3
McLaren had received 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 all his higher begins and instantly had Patrese alongside. That was high quality, however then the fast-starting Ferrari of Berger made it three large into the primary nook. No one backed off; the Ferrari and McLaren made contact, placing each out of rivalry.
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 model, there was nonetheless time for drama. He shot into the pits once more – to have 5 wheels modified, his steering wheel having labored free.
That put Prost again into the lead, however clutch issues meant he was now making an attempt 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 last 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 probably the most laps the automotive has completed, ever!” mentioned Mansell.
2. 2002 Australian GP
First nook accident: Ralf Schumacher, Williams flying over Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari
Picture 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 purple flag and the survivors, led by David Coulthard’s McLaren, adopted the protection automotive 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 protection automotive once more, eroding the 6.7s lead Coulthard had already constructed. The Scot then went off earlier than the restart because of 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 return.
Coulthard’s gearbox drawback bought 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.
Dwelling hero Mark Webber stored 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 crew’s first factors end for greater than two years. It was that type of race.
1. 2003 Australian GP
Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002, runs large as he battles with Kimi Raikkonen, Crew McLaren Mercedes MP4/17D
Picture 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 situations. Some began on moist tyres however there have been a couple 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 change to dry tyres. The McLaren rejoined in twentieth and final…
Montoya began taking big chunks of day trip 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 protection automotive. 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 gasoline stops, Raikkonen – who’d began from the pitlane after a late swap to dry tyres however bought more often than not again because of the protection automotive – moved forward and the McLaren led the practice throughout one other security automotive interval attributable to Webber’s Jaguar coming to a halt with suspension failure. The security automotive 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 referred to 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 return in for a cease/go penalty for dashing within the pitlane because of a software program drawback. Schumacher thus took the lead when Montoya pitted for the ultimate time on lap 42 – although just for gasoline, 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 last F1 victory, with Montoya second. Raikkonen held off Schumacher for third regardless of his penalty and a subsequent tour.
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