Albert Park Circuit celebrates its 27th year in F1

The Australian Grand Prix appeared on the Formula 1 calendar in 1996, replacing the city of Adelaide which previously hosted the race. For many years, the event was held at the beginning of the season, serving as a baptism of fire for many renowned drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The latter even made history by becoming the youngest driver to participate in an F1 race on this circuit in 2015, at just 17 years old.

The sensational start of Mark Webber in 2002 also remains etched in the memories, as he clinched an impressive 5th place for his first laps in F1, carried by the enthusiastic support of the fans.

The Melbourne Grand Prix could have taken place in the middle of the night. Bernie Ecclestone had considered turning the Grand Prix into a night race to attract more spectators. However, the idea was abandoned because the cost of lighting would have been prohibitive for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. Therefore, the race continues to take place under the Australian sun’s rays.

New changes

Since 2022, the Albert Park circuit has been redesigned to offer drivers a more intense and faster racing experience. Shorter by 28 meters, the circuit features wider turns, notably at turns 1 and 6, allowing drivers to reach impressive speeds. A new 1.3 km straight has been added after the removal of the chicane at turns 9 and 10, giving drivers the opportunity to exceed 330 km/h. Additionally, the pit lane has been widened to allow for an increased speed limit, raising it from 60 to 80 km/h.

Before these changes, Max Verstappen had encountered some difficulties at this circuit: “Albert Park is not the easiest circuit to overtake on, we will do our best but the straights are not long enough and many corners leading onto straights are at 90 degrees, making overtaking complicated,” explained Max Verstappen in 2018 on Red Bull’s microphone.

After this adaptation, most of the drivers agree, these modifications are beneficial: « We were allowed to share our ideas and suggestions. We may not all have been aligned on the same ideas, but I think the goal was to improve the spectacle on Sundays. That’s what I had in mind when I gave my opinion. So we really tried to exploit certain areas to allow for more drafting and offer more overtaking opportunities under braking, » said Daniel Ricciardo to the YouTube channel F1 Australian Grand Prix. » Damon Hill, on the other hand, expressed some reservations: « I’ve said in the past that the circuit needed bigger stops, bigger braking zones, but they made it more open and very fast » regretted the former driver for racingnews365. Nevertheless, he adds: « I love it. It reminds me a bit of a kart track, quite slippery. There’s not much G-force in the corners, but it’s quite tricky. »

A pleasant circuit for the drivers

For drivers or Formula 1 fans, the Melbourne circuit is one of the gems of the Formula 1 calendar. During an interview for Red Bull, Sergio Pérez expressed his love for this place: “It’s a fantastic city. One of my favorites. I recommend you go running or cycling to enjoy it as much as you can.”

The Australian Grand Prix is often the first step towards winning a world championship title. No less than 13 of the 24 winners of the Melbourne Grand Prix have subsequently reached the top of the podium at the end of the season. This inaugural success can change the course of a career, as evidenced by Sebastian Vettel’s victory in 2011, which marked the beginning of a victorious season for Red Bull Racing.

Since 2022, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc holds the lap record in 1 min 20 s 260.