Ferrari vs McLaren at Albert Park

Since McLaren entered Grand Prix racing in 1963, it has won 183 races, 12 Drivers’ and eight Constructors’ Championships. Ferrari was one of the original teams in Grand Prix racing in 1950 and has won 242 races, 15 Drivers’ titles and 16 Constructors’ crowns.

In the Australian Grand Prix, since Formula 1® came to Adelaide in 1985, McLaren drivers have stood on the top step of the podium 11 times, with Ferrari drivers achieving that feat 10 times. So McLaren has the upper hand.

Or does it?

The Australian Grand Prix's history dates back to the 1920s, and it is widely recognised as the second-longest Grand Prix in the world (behind the French). But before Adelaide came alive nearly 40 years ago, the Australian Grand Prix was alive and well.

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In fact, in 1957, Ferrari won the Australian Grand Prix in far-away Caversham in Western Australia. Not one but two drivers won the race, Lex Davison and Bill Patterson sharing a Ferrari 625 to win from Stan Jones (father of 1980 World champion Alan Jones).

A year later, Davison and his Ferrari won again, this time driving solo and this time at Bathurst. Then, in 1969, Ferrari didn’t just win; the team scored a 1-2 at Lakeside, with Chris Amon leading Derek Bell in a pair of Dinos. Leo Geoghegan was a lap down in third ahead of Graham Hill.

A year later, McLaren took a 1-2 of its own, but these were not F1® cars. In a McLaren M10B Formula 5000, Frank Matich sped to one of his many race wins at Warwick Farm in Sydney, ahead of Niel Allen and New Zealander Graeme Lawrence in—you guessed it—a Ferrari.

With the rise of F5000 and then Formula Pacific in Australia, neither brand would win again until Alain Prost took that unlikely win for McLaren in 1986 and, with it, the World title.

So whatever incentive the drivers in the red or orange cars have at any Grand Prix, if McLaren’s Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris can steal the win on Sunday, Bruce McLaren and Enzo Ferrari will be level on wins in Australia.