Australian Grand Prix 2012 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Jenson Button claimed a brilliant victory at the Australian Grand Prix, launching the most unpredictable Formula 1 season in modern history with a masterful display of tire management and racecraft at Albert Park. The 2009 World Champion controlled the race's critical final stint, holding off defending champion Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and teammate Lewis Hamilton's McLaren in what would become the first of seven different winners in the opening seven races - a record that epitomized the 2012 season's remarkable competitive parity.

Starting from second on the grid behind Hamilton's pole position, Button executed a perfectly judged three-stop strategy that allowed him to emerge ahead when the complexities of tire degradation unfolded. The Pirelli tires - which had been redesigned for 2012 to increase degradation and promote strategy variation - created a race of constant calculation, with teams struggling to predict the optimal approach. Button's experience and smooth driving style proved ideal for preserving the fragile rubber, and McLaren's strategic calls were flawless. He seized the lead during the final round of pit stops and controlled the closing laps with characteristic composure.

Vettel drove a strong recovery race to claim second place after struggling in qualifying, demonstrating the Red Bull RB8's underlying pace even at this early stage. Hamilton completed an excellent start to McLaren's campaign with third place, though the British driver would rue a strategy that left him just short of victory. The race marked the beginning of what many hoped would be a championship challenge, though reliability issues and operational errors would ultimately derail both McLaren drivers' title bids. Button's victory - his 15th in Formula 1 - gave no indication that six more different winners would follow in the next six races, setting up the most open and unpredictable championship battle in a generation.