Australian Grand Prix memorable moments: The radical way Ralf Schumacher climbed out of his brother's shadow
Australian Grand Prix memorable moments
This crash at the start of the 2002 Australian Grand Prix triggered one of the biggest pileups the sport had ever seen.
That's the Williams of Ralf Schumacher - the brother of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher - climbing over the back of Rubens Barrichello in the braking zone for the first corner.
But that wasn't the only moment that left the crowd stunned in that race.
Scroll on to relive the most memorable moments in the 40 years of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
1985: A new dawn
It was the 50th Australian Grand Prix, but the first to be a part of the F1 World Championship. Alan Jones was given the honour of driving the first lap of the track, but his race would end barely a quarter of the distance in. Ayrton Senna claimed the first pole position, but the race would be won by Keke Rosberg. His son Nico would win the 2014 and 2016 editions at Albert Park.
1986: Mansell's blown tyre
Nigel Mansell was on course to win his maiden world title when disaster struck. He was running third when he suffered a tyre failure at 290km/h. Alain Prost won the race, and his second title.
1991: The wet one
Until the farcical 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, the 1991 Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide was the shortest F1 race in the sport's history. Torrential rain all but flooded the circuit, and the race was stopped on the 16th lap. The results were declared official from the end of the 14th lap – the last fully completed lap before the red flag with Ayrton Senna the winner.
1993: Senna's last win
It was as straightforward as they came – he took pole, led virtually the whole race, and won by just over nine seconds. Nobody knew it at the time, but it would be Ayrton Senna's final victory in the sport before his untimely death six months later.
1994: The original crashgate
Before there was Singapore 2008, there was Adelaide 1994.
Michael Schumacher was fighting Damon Hill for the championship when he went off the track and hit the wall. Schumacher recovered, but the mistake had allowed Hill to close in and the Brit had dived down the inside. Schumacher turned in on him and the two drivers collided. Schumacher was out of the race, but crucially, so was Hill, and the German won his maiden championship.
1995: Nobody wanted to finish
In a race of attrition, Damon Hill took victory by an incredible two laps over the Ligier of Olivier Panis. All the other front-running cars in the race either crashed or retired with mechanical issues. It remains the last time a race was won by more than a lap.
1996: Brundle snaps in two
The first ever Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was marred by a huge crash on the opening lap. As the cars arrived at the tight turn three right-hander, the Jordan of now legendary commentator Martin Brundle climbed over the back of David Coulthard's McLaren.
Brundle's Jordan broke in two and the race was stopped. Remarkably, Brundle was uninjured – although would later believe he had a concussion – and he took the restart in the team's spare car.
1998: The agreement
McLaren arrived at the 1998 season-opener knowing they had the fastest car. In fact, David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen even had a gentleman's agreement that whoever led coming out of the first corner would be allowed to win the race. Häkkinen was that man, and held a commanding lead when a pitstop bungle allowed Coulthard to take the lead.
The Scot had a healthy margin when he slowed to let Häkkinen past with three laps remaining to honour the agreement. Häkkinen would go on to win his maiden title.
2001: Tragedy strikes
Jacques Villeneuve's BAR crashed into the catch fencing after he was caught out by an early-braking Ralf Schumacher.
Graham Beveridge was a trackside marshal, and he was struck and killed by a tyre that flew through an access hole in the wall. His death led to an overhaul in the way street circuits are built and how access points are constructed.
