The 2010 Australian Grand Prix took place on 28 March at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit. As the second round of the season, it delivered drama, unpredictability, and a defining early statement from Jenson Button, who stormed to victory for McLaren from fourth on the grid.
| Season | 2010 F1 World Championship | ||
| Date | 28th March 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | 2010 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne, Australia | ||
| Course | Temporary street circuit | ||
| Course length | 5.303 km (3.295 miles) | ||
| Distance | 58 laps, 307.574 km (191.118 miles) | ||
| Weather | Overcast with light rain at start | ||
| Attendance | 108,500 | ||
Button’s bold strategy and composure in mixed conditions earned him his first win of the season. Robert Kubica delivered an outstanding drive to finish second for Renault, while Felipe Massa secured third for Ferrari after a race packed with incidents.
The result reshaped the early championship picture. Button’s win lifted him to third in the standings, just two points behind Massa and six behind championship leader Fernando Alonso. McLaren also closed the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship to 16 points. Meanwhile, Renault’s strong showing brought them level with Red Bull in fourth place, with 17 races still to run.
Background and Build-Up
Twelve teams lined up in Melbourne, including Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, Renault, Williams, Force India, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Lotus, Hispania, and Virgin. Tyre supplier Bridgestone provided four compounds: soft and hard slicks, plus intermediates and full wets. Drivers were required to use both dry compounds unless running wet tyres.
Albert Park itself featured subtle but important updates, including revised kerbs at Turn 9 and extended run-off features at Turns 2 and 12.
Heading into the race, Alonso led the championship after victory in Bahrain, ahead of teammate Massa and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, fresh from a mechanical heartbreak in Bahrain, arrived confident his car had winning pace.
Off-track, controversy lingered over the late race start time—retained for TV audiences despite visibility concerns. Meanwhile, several teams arrived with updates: Virgin modified fuel tanks, McLaren adjusted aerodynamic elements after FIA clarification, and Sauber introduced an early version of the F-duct system.
Practice
Practice sessions offered an early taste of the weekend’s unpredictability. Kubica set the pace in the opening session, while Kobayashi caused two red flags after shedding parts of his front wing in separate incidents.
Rain interrupted the second session, where Hamilton topped the timesheets ahead of Button. Vettel, however, ended the day in the gravel after losing control late on.
Saturday’s final practice saw home favourite Mark Webber set the fastest lap, with Alonso and Michael Schumacher close behind in a tightly packed field.
2010 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying
Qualifying belonged to Vettel. The Red Bull driver dominated all three sessions to claim pole position with a lap of 1:23.919—his second consecutive pole of the season.
Webber joined him on the front row, just over a tenth behind, while Alonso secured third. Button qualified fourth despite struggling with grip, followed by Massa in fifth.
Mercedes locked out the third row with Rosberg ahead of Schumacher, while Kubica impressed with ninth. Notably, Hamilton failed to reach Q3 and started 11th after traffic and a difficult final sector compromised his lap.
2010 Australian Grand Prix Race Results
Rain before the start ensured a chaotic opening. All drivers began on intermediate tyres, and the first lap delivered immediate drama: Button clipped Alonso, sending the Ferrari spinning to the back, while Schumacher suffered damage in the aftermath.
Moments later, Kobayashi triggered a major incident that brought out the safety car.
When racing resumed, conditions began to improve—but the key moment came on lap seven. Button gambled early, diving into the pits for slick tyres while the track was still damp. It looked risky—he even slid wide—but it proved decisive as the circuit rapidly dried.
Up front, Vettel controlled the race comfortably until lap 26, when a mechanical issue caused a dramatic retirement. Sparks flew from his car before he spun into the gravel, handing the lead to Button.
From there, the McLaren driver managed the race expertly.
Behind him, the action remained intense. Hamilton battled Kubica for position but couldn’t find a way past. Alonso staged a remarkable recovery from last to fourth, while Webber and Hamilton collided late in the race after a failed overtake attempt, dropping both down the order.
The Finish
After 58 laps, Button crossed the line to claim a superb and strategic victory—his second consecutive win in Australia.
Kubica followed 12 seconds behind in second, delivering one of the standout drives of the day. Massa completed the podium in third, while Alonso’s recovery secured fourth.
Rosberg finished fifth, with Hamilton recovering to sixth. Liuzzi, Barrichello, Webber, and Schumacher rounded out the points.
Aftermath and Championship Impact
Button described the win as “very special,” particularly in just his second race for McLaren. Kubica hailed his result as a reward for persistence, while Massa praised Ferrari’s strategy and consistency.
Tensions flared between Hamilton and Webber after their collision, with Webber later apologising but receiving a reprimand.
In the standings, Alonso retained the championship lead with 37 points, ahead of Massa and Button. Ferrari stayed on top in the Constructors’ Championship, though McLaren had significantly reduced the gap.
With momentum shifting and multiple teams showing strong pace, the 2010 season was already shaping into a fiercely competitive battle.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | 01:33:37 | 25 |
| 2 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | 58 | +12.034s | 18 |
| 3 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 58 | +14.488s | 15 |
| 4 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 58 | +16.304s | 12 |
| 5 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 58 | +16.683s | 10 |
| 6 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +29.898s | 8 |
| 7 | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India Mercedes | 58 | +59.847s | 6 |
| 8 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams Cosworth | 58 | +60.536s | 4 |
| 9 | 6 | Mark Webber | RBR Renault | 58 | +67.319s | 2 |
| 10 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 58 | +69.391s | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR Ferrari | 58 | +71.301s | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber Ferrari | 58 | +74.084s | 0 |
| 13 | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Cosworth | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT Cosworth | 53 | +5 laps | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Cosworth | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Cosworth | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | RBR Renault | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Mercedes | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT Cosworth | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Sebastien Buemi | STR Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Williams Cosworth | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Cosworth | DNS | 0 |
2010 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
Drivers
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | 37 |
| 2 | Felipe Massa | 33 |
| 3 | Jenson Button | 31 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | 23 |
| 5 | Nico Rosberg | 20 |
Teams
| Pos. | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 70 |
| 2 | McLaren | 54 |
| 3 | Mercedes | 29 |
| 4 | Renault | 18 |
| 5 | Red Bull Racing | 18 |
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