Lewis Hamilton entered as the reigning World Drivers' Champion and Mercedes as the defending Constructors' Champions. Race Director Charlie Whiting died suddenly in the week before the race, and Deputy Race Director Michael Masi was appointed as his temporary successor. Masi remained in the role until the conclusion of the 2021 season. Melbourne's Federation Square hosted a season launch event in the days before the race, the first of its kind for the sport.
Twenty drivers from ten teams contested the event. Alfa Romeo Racing replaced the Sauber F1 Team following a title sponsorship arrangement that had begun in 2018. Racing Point made their debut as an independent constructor after acquiring the assets of the Sahara Force India team. Ferrari's title sponsor Mission Winnow was banned from the race for non-compliance with local laws governing tobacco advertising.
The race marked the Formula One competitive debuts of Lando Norris, who drove for McLaren, and George Russell, who drove for Williams. Alexander Albon also made his first F1 start. Antonio Giovinazzi, Robert Kubica and Daniil Kvyat all returned to the championship. Kubica's return was particularly notable: he had not raced in Formula One since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and had been absent from the sport since a 2011 rallying accident that partially severed his right hand.
The race introduced a revised points system. The existing structure from 2010 was retained, but a one-point bonus was made available to the driver setting the fastest lap, provided that driver finished inside the top ten. The bonus point was also awarded to the relevant constructor.
Lewis Hamilton was fastest in all three practice sessions. An incident in first practice saw Alexander Albon spin at turn 2 and hit the barrier, though he was able to return to the pits. In third practice, McLaren released Lando Norris into the path of Robert Kubica, resulting in a fine for the team.
Qualifying proceeded without major drama until the closing moments of Q1, when Kubica hit the wall exiting turn 10 with a puncture, which he attributed to a sudden increase in grip. The drivers eliminated in Q1 were Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, George Russell and Kubica. Gasly's early exit was considered a significant surprise. In Q2, Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo were eliminated, a disappointing outcome for a Renault team considered the fourth-fastest outfit from pre-season testing. Norris advanced to Q3, the first notable result of his debut campaign.
In Q3, Valtteri Bottas initially set the fastest time, beating Hamilton's Q2 lap record. On the second runs, Hamilton improved by half a second to claim pole position, equalling the record for most pole positions at a single Grand Prix with eight. The front row was completed by Bottas, with Sebastian Vettel third.
Bottas converted his second grid position into victory, winning from Hamilton with Max Verstappen third. Vettel and Charles Leclerc completed the top five for Ferrari. The victory was Bottas's fastest race win in terms of average speed. Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race, claiming the bonus point introduced for the season.
Several drivers failed to finish, including Romain Grosjean, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz. Kubica finished 17th, completing his return to Formula One competition after eight years away from the grid.
The 2019 Australian Grand Prix served as the final race on the long-standing Albert Park layout. The Bottas victory demonstrated Mercedes' strength early in the hybrid era and underlined the competitiveness of the team's driver pairing. The round also confirmed the arrival of a new generation of drivers in Norris and Russell, both of whom went on to become regular race winners and championship contenders in later seasons.
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