L'Albert Park it is a non-permanent city circuit that winds through the center of the city of Melbourne, in Australia. It hosts the Australian Grand Prix Of F1 since 1996. The track was created by connecting the perimeter roads of the lake of the park of the same name. The route is approximately 5,278 kilometers long. The type of track, with many curves and few long straights, requires a high aerodynamic load, which above all causes considerable tire wear.
Over the years the track has undergone changes but the most important ones have come recently. In 2021 the pit lane it was widened by two meters and the chicane that includes turns 9 and 10 was removed to make the section of the circuit faster via a new 1.3 km straight, the longest on the track. Other changes concern the widening of some curves, such as the eleventh (in the third sector) which was widened in the incoming drawing.
Due to the subsequent cancellation of the Grand Prix due to the problems dictated by the pandemic COVID-19, the new changes have been applied starting from the 2022 season, with the Ferrari Of Charles Leclerc to dominate the race. The track, in layout current, it has a length of 5278 meters and winds through 14 curves: 9 on the right and 5 on the left.
After the aforementioned changes to the general layout, the route was characterized by the presence of four DRS zones. It is the first Formula One circuit to offer such a large number of areas for the use of the mobile wing.
Albert Park – Melbourne: numbers and useful information
Address:
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Albert Park, 220 Albert Road, South Melbourne, Tel: (61) 399258 7100 Fax: (61) 399699 372
Event organisation:
CAMS LIMITED, 851 Dandenong Rd, MALVERN EAST, VIC 3145/PO Box 147, CAULFIELD EAST, Vic 3145 – AUS
Tel: (61) 39593 7777 Fax: (61) 39593 7700
Email: tims@cams.com.au
Website: www.grandprix.com.au
Number of laps in the race: 58
Circuit length: 5,278 kilometers.
Race distance: 306,124 kilometers.
Lap record
In competition: 1.20.260 (Charles Leclerc – Ferrari, 2022)
Qualifying: 1'16″732 (Max Verstappen – Red Bull, 2023)
Australian F1 GP: roll of honour
Year | Pilot | Stable |
1996 | Damon Hill | Williams |
1997 | David Coulthard | McLaren |
1998 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren |
1999 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari |
2000 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2001 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2002 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2003 | David Coulthard | McLaren |
2004 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2005 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault |
2006 | Fernando Alonso | Renault |
2007 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari |
2008 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren |
2009 | Jenson Button | Brawn GP |
2010 | Jenson Button | McLaren |
2011 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull |
2012 | Jenson Button | McLaren |
2013 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus |
2014 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
2015 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2016 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
2017 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
2018 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
2019 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
2020 | Not disputed | |
2021 | ||
2022 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
Albert Park: victories by driver in F1
victories | pilot | year(s)/vehicle |
4 | Michael Schumacher | 2000/Ferrari 2001/Ferrari 2002/Ferrari 2004/Ferrari |
3 | Jenson Button | 2009/Brawn GP 2010/McLaren 2012/McLaren |
3 | Sebastian Vettel | 2011/Red Bull 2017/Ferrari 2018/Ferrari |
2 | David Coulthard | 1997/McLaren 2003/McLaren |
2 | Kimi Räikkönen | 2007/Ferrari 2013/Lotus |
2 | Lewis Hamilton | 2008/McLaren 2015/Mercedes |
2 | Nico Rosberg | 2014/Mercedes 2016/Mercedes |
1 | Damon Hill | 1996/Williams |
1 | Mika Häkkinen | 1998/McLaren |
1 | Eddie Irvine | 1999/Ferrari |
1 | Giancarlo Fisichella | 2005/Renault |
1 | Fernando Alonso | 2006/Renault |
1 | Valtteri Bottas | 2019/Mercedes |
1 | Charles Leclerc | 2022/Ferrari |
1 | Max Verstappen | 2023/Red Bull |
Australian GP Formula 1: victories by team
victories | team | year / pilot |
9 | Ferrari | 1999/Eddie Irvine 2000/Michael Schumacher 2001/Michael Schumacher 2002/Michael Schumacher 2004/Michael Schumacher 2007/Kimi Räikkönen 2017/Sebastian Vettel 2018/Sebastian Vettel 2022/Charles Leclerc |
6 | McLaren | 1997/David Coulthard 1998/Mika Häkkinen 2003/David Coulthard 2008/Lewis Hamilton 2010/Jenson Button 2012/Jenson Button |
4 | Mercedes | 2014/Nico Rosberg 2015/Lewis Hamilton 2016/Nico Rosberg 2019/Valtteri Bottas |
2 | Renault | 2005/Giancarlo Fisichella 2006/Fernando Alonso |
2 | Red Bull | 2011/Sebastian Vettel 2023/Max Verstappen |
1 | Williams | 1996/Damon Hill |
1 | Brawn GP | 2009/Jenson Button |
1 | Lotus | 2013/Kimi Räikkönen |
Photo credits: F1