On 16 March 2014, Formula One entered a completely new technological age. At the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the sport introduced turbocharged hybrid power units that would transform both the sound and competitive balance of the grid. Nico Rosberg led a dominant Mercedes performance to win the opening race of the new era, while Daniel Ricciardo’s home-race podium celebrations were later overturned by a controversial disqualification.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we revisit the dramatic start of Formula One’s hybrid era and the race that revealed just how strong Mercedes would become.

We also look back to the chaotic 2008 Australian Grand Prix, where the first race of the season produced crashes, safety cars and extraordinary attrition — leaving only a handful of cars still running at the finish.

And we travel further back to Brands Hatch for the famous Race of Champions, remembering Jackie Stewart’s commanding victory in 1969 and Tom Pryce’s historic triumph in 1975 — still the only Formula One win by a Welsh driver.

From Melbourne to Brands Hatch, this episode explores the races that helped shape the start of a Formula One season — and sometimes even the start of a new era.

Cover image: By J.H. Sohn - Mercedes F1 W05 Melbourne, CC BY 2.0, Link

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Music by #Mubert Music Rendering