These Were The 7 Craziest Formula 1 Season Openers

1. 1982 South African Grand Prix

The 1982 F1 season kicked off at the famous Kyalami track in South Africa. The build up to the race was pretty dramatic too, after drivers went on strike to protest new superlicense rules which would have seen them tied to their teams for several years. Fortunately a compromise was found and the race went ahead.

Rene Arnoux started on pole position, but it would be his Renault team-mate Alain Prost who stole the headlines after a memorable drive to victory, which included a spectacular puncture mid-way through the race. It was quite a recovery, moving from outside of the points all the way up to first place by the chequered flag.

This race is best remembered for the brilliant battle between inexperienced rookie Jean Alesi and the famous Ayrton Senna. Racing around the challenging, bumpy streets of Phoenix, the two started fourth and fifth on the grid. Alesi rocketed up the order and took the lead on the opening lap, with Senna soon joining him at the front of the field.

Alesi put up quite a fight when the McLaren caught up to him, surprising many with his defensive driving. But Senna eventually found a way through and beat Alesi to the win by just under nine seconds.

Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard qualified on the front row, with Michael Schumacher third. Amazingly when the cars lined up on the grid, both Stewarts were smoking after fires and the start was aborted. With only one spare car, Johnny Herbert was forced to watch from the sidelines. Schumacher and Tora Takagi then stalled and had to start at the back of the grid.

It was a race of crashes, contact, retirements and drama. Hakkinen and Coulthard both failed to finish due to issues, while a number of problems put Schumacher one lap down. He finished last of the eight runners. Eddie Irvine claimed a memorable first victory, ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher.

4. 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix

McLaren had dominated the 1988 season, while Ferrari struggled for reliability. So the team didn’t expect to reach the chequered flag in Brazil for the 1989 season opener, let alone challenge for victory. Nigel Mansell made his debut for the Prancing Horse, qualifying sixth.

Mansell ended the first lap in third place and soon disposed of Thierry Boutsen, before a brave move on Riccardo Patrese for the lead on lap 15. First place changed several times in the pit stop phase but Mansell emerged clear of the field and won by eight seconds from Alain Prost.

5. 1996 Australian Grand Prix

This race is probably best known for the first lap crash that split Martin Brundle’s Jordan in half as it barrel-rolled into the gravel after launching off the back of David Coulthard’s McLaren. This was sparked by a chain reaction ahead, with drivers having to stamp on the brakes and take evasive action.

The dramatic crash caused a restart, with Brundle amazingly rejoining in a spare car. Jacques Villeneuve debuted for Williams and led for most of the race before an oil leak caused him to slip behind team-mate Damon Hill, who won. Villeneuve held onto second, with Eddie Irvine third.

6. 2002 Australian Grand Prix

Of course, everyone must remember this one right? Where Ralf Schumacher launched his Williams into the air after contact with Rubens Barrichello’s Ferrari on the run to the first corner. It really was quite a sight and sparked chaos behind, with six others retiring due to collisions.

The crash dominated the headlines, with Michael Schumacher claiming a controlled win at the first round of the 2002 season. In fact, he was so dominant, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen – who finished second and third – were the only other drivers on the lead lap.

7. 2009 Australian Grand Prix

Yep, another race in Australia. The Albert Park Circuit has hosted quite a few season openers, with the 2009 race sparking a real fairytale narrative. Brawn GP, formerly Honda, rose from the ashes wearing an almost sponsor-less livery to claim a dominant one-two finish with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, just months after the team’s future was thrown into doubt. Quite a turnaround! What’s more, Barrichello moved up to second after a crash between Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica with three laps remaining.

What are the best moments from F1 season openers that you can remember? Let us know below!