Formula One statistics for Australian Grand Prix

Some Formula One statistics for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne:

CHAMPIONS

Formula One has five world champions on the starting grid this season, the most since 1970 when Jack Brabham (Australia), Denny Hulme (New Zealand), John Surtees (Britain), Graham Hill (Britain) and Jackie Stewart (Britain) lined up together.

The current five are Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 2000-04, Germany), Fernando Alonso (2005-6, Spain), Lewis Hamilton (2008, Britain), Jenson Button (2009, Britain) and Sebastian Vettel (2010, Germany).

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Red Bull's Vettel, 23, is the sport's youngest champion. He is only the second German to have the number one on his car since the championship started in 1950.

Vettel's title means Germany (8) are now tied with Brazil in second place behind Britain (14) for the most drivers' championships won.

Only eight drivers have won back to back titles.

WINS

Ferrari have won 215 races, McLaren 169 and Williams 113. Red Bull have won 15 races.

Michael Schumacher holds the record for victories by a driver, with 91. His last was in China with Ferrari in 2006.

After Schumacher, Alonso has the second most wins among current drivers (26). One more by the Spaniard would take him level with Stewart in fifth place on the all-time list.

Hamilton has 14, Vettel 10, Button nine. A first win for Renault's Nick Heidfeld would set a record for the most races started before winning. The German will be starting his 173rd race in Melbourne.

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Australian Mark Webber (Red Bull) holds the current record of 131. He now has six wins to his name.

AUSTRALIA

Button has won the last two Australian Grands Prix. The only driver to win three years in a row in Australia is Michael Schumacher, from 2000-02.

Webber is hoping to become the first Australian to win his home race. He is also the only Australian on the starting grid.

Since 1985, McLaren have won 10 times in Australia while Ferrari drivers have been on top of the podium there on seven occasions.

Only two cities have hosted the Australian race - Adelaide from 1985-95, Melbourne from 1996 onwards.

Melbourne has been the season-opener on 13 previous occasions.

The best quotes of the 2011 World Cup

TYRES Pirelli, now the sole tyre supplier instead of Bridgestone, are returning after a 20 year absence.

The Italian company's last race win was in the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix with Brazilian Nelson Piquet in a Benetton.

The new tyres are expected to lead to far more pitstops. According to Pirelli, there were a total of 28 pitstops in Melbourne last year. The most at the circuit came in 2004, when there were 49 over the course of the race.

ROOKIES

Pastor Maldonado (Williams) will be the first Venezuelan to start a Formula One race since Johnny Cecotto in 1984.

Sergio Perez (Sauber) will be the first Mexican since Hector Rebaque in 1981.

Jerome d'Ambrosio (Virgin) will be the first to race under a Belgian licence since Phillipe Adams in 1994.

Britain's Paul di Resta, racing for Force India, is the fourth rookie.

Since 1950, 58 drivers have scored points on their F1 debuts. The last was Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi in Australia in 2009.

POINTS

Team Lotus, Hispania (HRT) and Virgin Racing have yet to score a point in Formula One since their debuts in Bahrain last year.