2006 Australian Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 18 in the 2006 Formula One season | |||
Albert Park Street Circuit
|
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| Date | 2 April 2006 | ||
| Official name | LXXI Foster's Australian Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia |
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| Course | Temporary street circuit | ||
| Course length | 5.303 km (3.295 mi) | ||
| Distance | 57 laps, 302.271 km (187.823 mi) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 58 laps, 307.574 km (191.118 mi) | ||
| Weather | Cloudy | ||
| Attendance | 103,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Honda | ||
| Time | 1:25.229 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Kimi Räikkönen
|
McLaren-Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:26.045 on lap 57 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Renault | ||
| Second | McLaren-Mercedes | ||
| Third | Toyota | ||
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The 2006 Australian Grand Prix (formally the LXXI Foster's Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne on 2 April 2006. The 57-lap race was the 22nd Australian Grand Prix as part of the World Championship, and the 71st Australian Grand Prix overall. It was also the third round of the 2006 Formula One season; the Australian Grand Prix had been the season opener since 1996, but this race was held later due to the 2006 Commonwealth Games being held in Melbourne at the time of the opening round. The season was instead opened in Bahrain, and Australia regained its first round of the season slot for 2007.
The race was won by Renault's Fernando Alonso (Renault's third win from three races), with the McLaren of Kimi Räikkönen second. Ralf Schumacher finished in third place to take the last podium of his career with the Toyota team. Polesitter Jenson Button retired from the race when his engine blew on the final lap. He eventually stopped roughly ten metres from the finish line, losing a points scoring position (fifth place) in the process.
Murray Walker made a return to the commentary box for a one-off with Australia's Network Ten.
When Mark Webber took the lead on lap 21 in his Williams-Cosworth he became the first Australian driver to lead his home Grand Prix since John Bowe led the early laps of the non-championship 1984 race driving a Ralt RT4 Ford.
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