Only 15 cars started the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, which could have become 13 had Sauber not been allowed to race due to ongoing court proceedings. It was the lowest number of cars to start a race since the 2005 United States Grand Prix, when safety concerns caused the teams running on Michelin tyres to pull out at the end of the formation lap, leaving just six Bridgestone-shod cars to take the start.
