Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Jacques Villeneuve: Melbourne, land of successful firsts

Jacques Villeneuve makes history

In 1996, it was the first edition of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. It is also a first for Jacques Villeneuve in Formula 1. The Quebecer begins his adventure in the premier category at Williams-Renault. Adaptation time? No, he doesn't know, even at 24 years old. First qualifying session, pole position ahead of his teammate, Damon Hill.

The rookie could even have claimed victory if he had not had an oil problem on his FW18. “I hadn’t noticed anything yet. The team warned me by radio that my oil consumption was abnormal and then that the level was insufficient”, explains Villeneuve just after the race. Behind him, Damon Hill, collateral victim of this problem: “His oil spray was coming straight at me from the 30th lap. I had it everywhere: on the visor, the top of the suit… Plus it’s a thick, sticky oil, like glue”.

Finally, Jacques Villeneuve had to slow down at the end of the race, at the risk of seeing his engine go up in smoke. His teammate overtakes him and flies to victory. The Quebecer will nevertheless manage to keep his second place.

Webber, the local child

It’s complicated to do better in your first race when you’re an Australian driver. In 2002, Mark Webber was propelled into Formula 1 by Flavio Briatore, his manager. He made his debut in Formula 1 under the colors of the Team Minardi. The qualifications are not flamboyant, just like the PS02 which is really not an extraordinary car. Webber qualifies 18th and his teammate, Alex Yoong, will start 21st.

This 7th edition of the Australian Grand Prix, in Melbourne, is marked by a violent pile-up. Party 3rd, Ralf Schumacher will miss his braking at the first corner and will use Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari as a springboard to take off and end up in the tank. Domino effect behind with several drivers who will also make mistakes. Total carnage, eight cars on the floor.

Starting from the back of the grid, the young Mark Webber (25 years old) managed to make his way through this chaos. Not even one lap of the race is over and the Australian is already 8th. A few laps after the restart of the Safety Car, Jarno Trulli, then second, made a mistake under pressure from Michael Schumacher. Webber calmly continues his journey without making the slightest mistake. He will finish P5 after having resisted the pressure put by Mika Salo, who wanted to bring Toyota his first points in F1.

The icing on the cake was when Ron Walker, then CEO of the Australian Grand Prix, invited Mark Webber to the podium. “ They came up to me and said, 'Okay, we'd like to take you to the podium.' I told them that I couldn't get on the podium because I hadn't finished the race in the top three. But Ron Walker insisted I go, they couldn't wait to see me on the podium.", remembers the man with 215 starts in F1.

At home, Mark Webber crossed the finish line in 5th place. ©DPPI

Hamilton, the beginnings of a very great

After a GP2 title the year before, Lewis Hamilton joined McLaren, in 2007, alongside Fernando Alonso. From the first Grand Prix, at Albert Park, the Briton confirmed the hopes placed in him. He ranks 4th on the starting grid. At the start, Hamilton is very aggressive by making the outside of his teammate at the first corner. A maneuver that still remains in the history books today.

The rookie will even have the opportunity to lead, for the first time, a Grand Prix. However, the pleasure was short-lived. Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari was untouchable that day and the Finn calmly flew to victory. Lewis Hamilton, then 22 years old, is in the battle for 2nd place with Fernando Alonso. A battle which will be won by the Spaniard, who will finish second (greatly helped by the strategic choices of his team).

17 years ago today, Lewis Hamilton made his F1 debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix 🇦🇺

Lewis took his first of 197 (and counting) podiums with a third place 🤩#F1 #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/RuCNBLRrhT

- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 18, 2024

A third place for his first Grand Prix! This is the first time that a rookie has been on the podium since a certain… Jacques Villeneuve in 1996. However, Lewis Hamilton did not seem to be aiming for such a result before the race: “I'm going to try to score as many points as possible, that's the goal. This does not necessarily mean a podium or a victory. If I score my first points, it won't be bad! ". The rest is history…

The Magnussen spark

The first Grand Prix of the hybrid era was marked by a brilliant performance from a young rookie. A 21-year-old Dane named Kevin Magnussen. The viking replaces Sergio Perez at McLaren for the 2014 season. 4th place on the grid, K-Mag got a big scare at the start by being on the verge of a spin. With the retirement of Lewis Hamilton in the first laps of the race, Magnussen regained 3rd place. A position that he will manage to keep until the checkered flag.

During this 2014 edition, Daniel Ricciardo crosses the finish line second. He would have been the first Australian in history to reach the podium in his Grand Prix if he had not been disqualified for a fuel flow problem. Kevin Magnussen therefore takes the second step of the podium. His best career result (and even his only podium), even 10 years later…

“I feel like I was a child back then, remembered the Dane in 2023. A third of my life has passed since then and a lot has happened since then. It was a very intense weekend because your first race weekend in Formula 1 is in itself a great experience in itself. This is definitely one of the weekends of my life that I will remember forever. »

Kevin Magnussen shares his first and only podium with Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo. ©DPPI

Felipe Nasr, a 5th place and then…

3 rookies are present on the grid in 2015: Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and Felipe Nasr. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, he did not have the same career as the two drivers Toro Rosso of the time. Melbourne was then the first Grand Prix of their careers for all three and, surprisingly, it was Felipe Nasr who did the best.

The driver, newly arrived at Sauber, starts 11th on the starting grid. The takeoff is excellent and Felipe Nasr takes advantage of the abandonments of some to move from 11th to 6th. When the Safety Car restarted, he got rid of Carlos Sainz, and found himself in 5th place. He was then overtaken by Räikkönen but the latter retired on the 41st lap, Nasr therefore regained his position.

A very good result for a first, moreover for Sauber, who scores his first points in F1 since 2013. « JI am very happy with this result for my very first race in F1. It's a huge relief for the team and me to have been able to score points. The drivers behind me put a lot of pressure on me throughout the event, which wasn't very comfortable. It was an emotional race for me and everyone on the team » explained the Brazilian at the end of the Grand Prix.

Thanks to his fine 5th place, Felipe Nasr snatches the first points for Sauber since 2013. ©DPPI

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