The race was officially confirmed as the first of twenty-one rounds for the 2019 season during an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in December 2018. It marked the 84th race in the history of the Australian Grand Prix and the 35th time the event was included in the Formula One World Championship. The 5.303 km Albert Park Circuit featured sixteen turns; the 2019 event was the final time this specific configuration was used, as subsequent races were either cancelled or run on an adjusted layout.
The week of the race was marked by the sudden death of Race Director Charlie Whiting. Michael Masi was appointed as his temporary successor, a role he maintained through the end of the 2021 season. In commercial developments, the Sauber F1 Team was rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing, and Racing Point made its debut as an independent constructor after acquiring the assets of the Sahara Force India team. Ferrari's title sponsor, Mission Winnow, was prohibited from appearing at the event due to local tobacco sponsorship laws.
Lewis Hamilton led all three practice sessions for Mercedes. During the first session, Alexander Albon spun at turn 2 and hit the wall, though he returned to the pits for repairs. In the third session, McLaren was fined for releasing Lando Norris into the path of Robert Kubica.
In qualifying, Hamilton secured pole position with a lap record, equalling the record for the most poles at a single Grand Prix (8). Valtteri Bottas qualified second, followed by Sebastian Vettel. The session saw several notable exits; Pierre Gasly was eliminated in Q1 due to unexpected track evolution, and Carlos Sainz was knocked out after being slowed by a puncture suffered by Robert Kubica. Kubica, making his first Formula One start since 2010 following a 2011 rallying accident, hit the wall in Q1 and qualified 20th. Lando Norris reached the top ten in his debut qualifying session, while the Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg were eliminated in Q2.
Valtteri Bottas took the lead from Hamilton at the start. Further back, Daniel Ricciardo lost his front wing after driving over a sunken piece of tarmac while attempting to avoid Sergio Pérez on the grass. Robert Kubica also suffered front wing damage following contact with Pierre Gasly.
On lap 11, Carlos Sainz retired with an engine fire at the pit entrance. During the pit stop cycle, Romain Grosjean lost positions due to a front-left tyre issue; he later retired on lap 31 when the same wheel came loose. Max Verstappen, utilizing a later pit stop strategy, overtook Sebastian Vettel on lap 31 to move into third place.
Bottas maintained a significant lead throughout the second half of the race. He secured the fastest lap of the race, earning the newly introduced bonus point—the first driver to do so since Maurice Trintignant at the 1959 United States Grand Prix. Bottas finished over 20 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Max Verstappen finished third. The Ferrari duo of Vettel and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth respectively.
The race marked the competitive debuts of Alexander Albon, Lando Norris, and George Russell. Robert Kubica's start was his first in Formula One since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending an absence caused by a partially severed right hand. This was the final time the Australian Grand Prix served as the season opener until the 2025 season.
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