That old adage ‘there’s a first time for everything’ is trotted out all too often but, in these unprecedented times, it has arguably never been more apt. So here’s another ‘first’ for you, in just over a fortnight, Austria will host the inaugural race of a Formula 1 season and join an exclusive club of 10 other countries that have provided a spectacular starting point for an F1 season.
But just how well do you know your season-openers? We thought we’d put it to the test with 10 fiendishly tricky questions that will get your wheels turning and awake you from your lockdown slumber, so you’re ready to make a flying start to the 2020 campaign.
In the 1950s and 1970s, which country was most frequently the first destination on the F1 calendar?

The Monaco Grand Prix has kicked off the season on five separate occasions. In which year was the jewel in the F1 crown the inaugural race of the season for the very first time?

The South African Grand Prix has featured first on the F1 calendar on nine occasions, but how many of those races saw a McLaren driver stand on the podium?

Brazil hosted the inaugural grand prix of the season for a third time in 1984. Which McLaren driver won the race at the wheel of the MP4/2?

In 2006, the season began with the Bahrain Grand Prix and it is remembered for one of Kimi Räikkönen’s greatest drives. How many places did the Finn climb to score an unlikely podium?

Australia has been a regular on the F1 calendar since 1985, but how many times has it held the opening race of the season?
