Reuters, Melbourne, March 26: Formula One is a sport known for a cacophony of noise but on Sunday, the growl of the engines will fall silent for a minute to remember the victims of recent natural disasters in Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
The silence would be observed on the starting grid at Albert Park before the Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the new season, organisers said on Friday.
More than 10,000 people were killed and 17,500 remain missing after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan two weeks ago.
The victims were remembered by a majority of the teams on the first day of practice on Friday, including seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, who wore the Japanese flag on his helmet.
Both Ferrari cars had stickers on the front with a Japanese flag and the words 'Don't give up Japan' written in the local script.
'We wanted to show that Japan was in the thoughts of all of us at Ferrari, which is why we ran with a sticker dedicated to the people of a country that has brought a lot to Formula One, where our sport has a great following,' Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said.
New Zealand's second city of Christchurch was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 22, which killed at least 166 people and destroyed large parts of the city.
Summer floods and cyclones killed more than 35 people and swamped more than 30,000 homes in the northern Australian state of Queensland.
Renault driver Robert Kubica, who suffered career-threatening arm, leg and hand injuries in a crash during a minor rally in Italy on Feb. 6, was also remembered by an 'RK' on the helmet of Nick Heidfeld, the driver who replaced him in the team.