Hopes were high when Webber became the first Australian to be a genuine title contender in more than two decades after signing with Williams. Starting from third in the opening race of the season offered further reason to believe, but Webber was beaten to the first corner, later ran across the grass and finished fifth.
* MARK WEBBER, 2012
The closest an Aussie had come to reaching the podium at home since it became a world championship event in 1985. After starting fifth on the grid in his Red Bull, Webber spent much of the race in behind third-placed Lewis Hamilton. But the local hope couldn't get the job done, with Jenson Button taking victory and Webber's teammate Sebastian Vettel second.
* DANIEL RICCIARDO, 2014
Arguably the most painful of all the misses. In his first race for Red Bull, Ricciardo started on the front row and drove a clean enough race to come home second. After standing on the podium, Ricciardo was disqualified for illegal fuel flow. Red Bull appealed, but it was dismissed close to a month later. Ricciardo would finish fourth twice more in his career, but never reach the podium again.
* DANIEL RICCIARDO, 2017
Much like Piastri this year, Ricciardo's nightmare started before he even reached the grid. His car broke down on the way out of the pits, and while Red Bull were able to fix it he missed the opening lap. Effectively out of the contest, Ricciardo found more mechanical troubles on lap 26 and retired from the race.
* DANIEL RICCIARDO, 2019
Another Ricciardo nightmare, with his life at Renault getting off to the worst possible start. After starting 12th on the grid, Ricciardo attempted to make a move off the line and went straight onto the grass to the right of the track. His car bounced up and down, hit a sunken bit of tarmac and lost its front wing.
* OSCAR PIASTRI, 2025
With McLaren the clear fastest car to start the season, Piastri looked every chance of a podium when he arrived for his season-opening home grand prix. Starting second on the grid, Piastri began pressuring Lando Norris before his team told him to hold and rain hit. It cleared and the McLarens again took a big lead, before a sudden downpour left both Norris and Piastri sliding off track. Norris held first spot, but Piastri had to fight to get back on track and finish ninth.
* OSCAR PIASTRI, 2026
The curse is officially confirmed on a disastrous day for Piastri. The 24-year-old qualified fifth but his times during the weekend suggested a podium was possible. That quickly became impossible when the Melburnian put it in the wall on the way from the pits to the grid. Piastri lost control as his McLaren come off the kerb on the way out of turn four and went straight into the barriers, taking all the air out of Albert Park.
13°C