Melbourne hosts the Formula One curtain-raiser for the 2019 season this weekend with Sebastian Vettel looking to equal a record set by the great Michael Schumacher.

Vettel has enjoyed great success in Australia during his career and has won the last two editions of the race for Ferrari.

A third consecutive triumph would see him move level with Schumacher in two aspects at the Australian Grand Prix, most wins and back-to-back successes.

While Vettel will again look to win for Ferrari, the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen and Carlos Sainz Jr will hope to impress for their new teams.

With the help of Opta data, we look at some of the key numbers around the first race of 2019.

22 - No country has hosted the first F1 race of the season more often than Australia (this will be the 22nd time).

0 - No Australian driver has ever earned pole position, reached the podium, and won the Australian GP (34 Grands Prix).

1 - Ferrari driver Vettel is one win away from equalling Schumacher as the driver with the most wins (four) and most back-to-back victories (3 - 2000-02) at the Australian GP.

7 - Lewis Hamilton has started from pole position seven times at the Australian GP, more often than any other driver in this race (including five in the Hybrid Era). 

16,277 - Red Bull will race in Australia with their youngest two drivers ever in a single F1 grand prix (Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly – 16,277 days combined).

1 - Should Charles Leclerc not finish at the Australian GP, he would be the first to retire in his debut race for Ferrari since Schumacher in 1996 (Australia).

6 - No driver has recorded as many fastest laps in Melbourne (6) as Raikkonen, more than at any other Grand Prix in his professional career.

2 - Reigning world champion Hamilton has finished in second place in his last three races in Australia; only in Valencia (European GP) has he finished runner-up on as many consecutive occasions (2008-10).

5 - Verstappen comes into this race having finished on the podium on five consecutive occasions, his best run on the podium since his F1 career began.

986 - Ricciardo is just 14 shy of 1,000 points in his Formula 1 career, and can surpass the figure with a podium finish; he would become just the second Australian to reach as many points in the sport (Mark Webber - 1047.5).