The 2014 Formula One season is all set to start with the Australian Grand Prix hosted at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. The championship is slated from March 14-16.

This is the 30th Formula One championship of the Australian Grand Prix. It is also the 19th consecutive year the race has been held at Alberta Park and 17th time Formula One season opener took place in the country.

Alberta Park is basically a temporary circuit with parts of the track used for road traffic most of the time. The circuit offers superb high-grip evolution, and as the track "rubbers-in," it leads to failing lap times over the course of the season.

Earlier, from 1985-1995, the Formula One season was hosted at Adelaide. Later from the year 1996, the race was shifted to Alberta Park.

Formidable Formula One star Michael Schumacher holds the record for the highest number of victories in Australian Grand Prix with four titles.

Jenson Button grabbed the winning title for three times in the last five years. He finished at the sixth position in 2011 and ninth in 2013.In the last year of the Australian Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen ended up with a victory by banking on the two-stop strategy.

Raikkonen completed the last 24 laps without changing tyre and crossed the finish line in 12.4 seconds with Fernando Alonso at the back in the second position and Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull on third position reaching the final line in 22.3 seconds. This year, Raikkonen is back again with Ferrari.

The Round 2 match in the world championship is the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur on March 30.

The following are the list of competitors for 2014 F1 season:

#1 Sebastian Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) Red Bull Racing-Renault

#3 Daniel Ricciardo (Perth, Australia) Red Bull Racing-Renault

#4 Jules Bianchi (Nice, France) Marussia-Ferrari

#6 Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) Mercedes

#7 Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) Ferrari

#8 Romain Grosjean (Geneva,Switzerland) Lotus-Renault

#9 Marcus Ericsson (Kumla, Sweden) Caterham-Renault

#10 Kamui Kobayashi (Hyogo, Japan) Caterham-Renault

#11 Sergio Perez (Guadalajara, Mexico) Force India-Mercedes

#13 Pastor Maldonado (Maracay,Venezuela) Lotus-Renault

#14 Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) Ferrari

#17 Jules Bianchi (Nice, France) Marussia-Ferrari

#19 Felipe Massa (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Williams-Mercedes

#20 Kevin Magnussen (Roskilde, Denmark) McLaren-Mercedes

#21 Esteban Gutierrez (Monterrey, Mexico Sauber-Ferrari

#22 Jenson Button (Frome, England) McLaren-Mercedes

#25 Jean-Eric Vergne (Pontoise, France) Toro Rosso-Renault

#26 Daniil Kvyat (Bashkortostan, Russia) Toro Rosso-Renault

#27 Nico Hulkenberg (Emmerich, Germany) Force India-Mercedes

#44 Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) Mercedes

#77 Valtteri Bottas (Nastola, Finland) Williams-Mercedes

#99 Adrian Sutil (Starnberg, Germany) Sauber-Ferrari