Australian Grand Prix

March 24, 2024, at home

I am watching live coverage of the third race of the 2024 Formula 1 racing season. The Australian Grand Prix is being broadcast on Sky Sports F1 (on a feed on ESPN2). The race started at 3 p.m. local time (Midnight/12 a.m., Eastern Time in the United States).

Below is a diagram of the Albert Park Circuit, a motorsport street circuit (track) around Albert Park Lake in the suburb of Albert Park in Melbourne. Each circuit around the world has a different configuration, therefore a different dynamic, regarding turns and elevation fluctuations.

The first two races this season (in Bahrain and in Saudi Arabia) were held on Saturdays due to the Islamic observance of Ramadan. All other races will be held on Sundays, as usual, except for the Las Vegas Grand Prix which will also be held on Saturday. 

Before each race, there are two days of practice/qualifying. The races run every week or every other week from March into December.

This season's 24-race schedule is as follows: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, China, Miami, Italy, Monaco, Canada, Spain, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy (different circuit), Azerbaijan, Singapore, Austin, Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

In Formula 1 racing, there are 20 (male) drivers, with one driver from the United States. There are 10 teams (with two drivers on each team), so not only do drivers compete against their rivals, but also compete against their teammates. There are two championships: one for the driver and one for the constructor team).

Note: Only 19 drivers will start this race due to a crash by Alexander Albon during a practice run. His teammate Logan Sargeant is the only driver from the United States. Their team (Williams) decided to use Albon to represent the team in the race in remaining one of two cars. Albon has more experience, and Sargeant hasn't been racing that well. Teams usually have a replacement chassis, but for some reason, the Williams team does not.

This season, as with last season, there are three races in the United States. In fairly recent years, there were no drivers from the United States and no races in the United States. 

Formula 1 racing is the only sport that I actively follow. I have been a fan for decades. I watched my first F1 race decades ago on television at the home of one of my many Austrian cousins while on vacation in Austria.