Australian F1 Grand Prix 2017: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More
The 2017 Formula One season will kick off on Sunday with the first race of the campaign at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, as Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton looks to reclaim the title of world champion.
The 2016 runner-up is the clear favourite for the championship following champion Nico Rosberg's retirement, although new team-mate Valtteri Bottas will be eyeing a strong first season with the Silver Arrows. Ferrari and Red Bull will also be factors.
Here's a look at the TV schedule for the race weekend:
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| Saturday, March 25 | 3 a.m. (GMT) | Third practice | Sky Sports F1 |
| Saturday, March 25 | 6 a.m. (GMT) | Qualifying | Sky Sports F1 |
| Sunday, March 26 | 6 a.m. (BST) | Race | Sky Sports F1 (4:30 a.m. start) |
The 20 drivers who will start the opening grand prix:
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Valtteri Bottas |
| Red Bull | Daniel Ricciardo | Max Verstappen |
| Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel | Kimi Raikkonen |
| Force India | Sergio Perez | Esteban Ocon |
| Williams | Felipe Massa | Lance Stroll |
| McLaren | Fernando Alonso | Stoffel Vandoorne |
| Toro Rosso | Carlos Sainz | Daniil Kvyat |
| Haas | Romain Grosjean | Kevin Magnussen |
| Renault | Nico Hulkenberg | Jolyon Palmer |
| Sauber | Marcus Ericsson | Pascal Wehrlein |
Track
The circuit at Albert Park is fast and one for the more daring drivers, where huge gaps can be created in the middle sector. Here's a video of Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull completing a lap at his home circuit:
The curbs can be especially slippery when the track is damp, and while the latest forecast calls for a dry race, there are set to be some showers during the weekend. Per Sky News Weather, rain isn't out of the question:
If weather does become a factor, expect to see crashes in some of the faster corners.
Preview
Ferrari came into the race weekend with huge expectations after impressing in pre-season testing, with some pundits predicting Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen to finally challenge Mercedes' dominance.
Based on Friday's practice sessions, Ferrari have some work to do, however. Vettel and Raikkonen failed to close in on Hamilton, but the Finn didn't let the disappointing results get to him, per ESPN.co.uk's Lewis Larkam:
"It was difficult to know what to expect, because you never know what the others are doing in testing, you only know what we are doing. I think overall we can be happy with today. We have to concentrate on what we're doing and then tomorrow we'll see where we stand.
It's only Friday, qualifying is only tomorrow and, in any case, I always think that this track is not the most representative of all, it doesn't give us a clear picture for the rest of the season. It's quite a special circuit, a lot of things always happen in the race. We can only do our best, so far things feel pretty good and then we'll see where we are.
"
Vettel performed better in the second session, and the four-time world champion appears to have plenty of room to improve still ahead of Sunday's race.
Ricciardo and Max Verstappen trailed Hamilton by more than a second after Friday's second practice session, and in all likelihood, the Red Bulls will keep their eye on Ferrari, rather than Mercedes.
Further down the grid, Toro Rosso made an excellent impression in practice, while the pink Force India struggled for pace in all sectors.
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