F1
The Australian F1 Grand Prix is back at Albert Park after two consecutive cancellations. To celebrate, we’re taking a tour of the circuit, which has been extensively renovated for this season.
- Construction: 1953
- First F1 Race: 1996
- Location: Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia
- Length: 5.29 km
- Total race length: 307,574 km
- Longest straightaway: 1.3 km
- Number of turns: 14
- Number of DRS zones: 4
- Average speed: 160 km/h
- Number of laps: 58
- Most wins: Michael Schumacher (4)
- Past winners: Damon Hill (1996), David Coulthard (1996, 2003), Mika Häkkinen (1998), Eddie Irvine (1999), Michael Schumacher (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), Giancarlo Fisichella (2005), Fernando Alonso (2006), Kimi Räikkönen (2007, 2013), Lewis Hamilton (2008, 2015), Jenson Button (2009, 2010, 2012), Sebastian Vettel (2011, 2017, 2018), Nico Rosberg (2014, 2016), Valtteri Bottas (2019), Charles Leclerc (2022).
- Fastest lap record: Charles Leclerc (1 min 20 s 260 in 2022)
This semi-urban circuit (semi because it contains sections designed specifically for the Grand Prix), is located in the suburban Albert Park as the name implies, in Melbourne. While we can find in it some children’s attractions (like a traditional small castle), the big kids at play here are those that race at speeds higher than 300 km/h each year. There will be there once again on April 2nd of this season.
The 2023 Australia Grand Prix
The Australia Grand Prix is the third stop on the 2023 F1 schedule. Red Bull Racing will aim to be on the podium for the third consecutive stop. At the season opener in Bahrain, Max Verstappen topped the podium, with fellow teammate Sergio Pérez finishing in second. The two racers swapped podium places at the following race in Saudia Arabia.
The track of big premieres
First appearing on the calendar in 1996 – the Australian Grand Prix was up until then organized in Adelaide – this track has often been the stage of the first race of the season. Because of this, we’ve naturally seen many prominent racers debut here, such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, the later would go on to become the youngest F1 racer of all time in 2015 at 17 years old. We’re also reminded of the crazy beginnings of Mark Webber who, inspired by the public in 2002, managed to snatch the 5th place for his first track laps in F1.
Furthermore, can you believe this race could have taken place at night? This was what Bernie Ecclestone wanted in 2007 to boost audiences. Why couldn’t this happen? Because the Australian Grand Prix Corporation estimated that the cost of lighting the track would simply be too much. The GP continues to be raced under the sweet Australian sun, fortunately for the pilots.
A brand new (and faster) circuit since 2022
“The Albert Park is not the easiest circuit to overtake on, we’ve done our best, but the straightaways are not long enough and lot of the turns leading up to them are at a sharp 90-degree angle. This complicates passing other cars quite a lot,” explained Max Verstappen in 2018 about this track which is as pretty as it is technical, but not really known for super exciting races.
Heard by the Gods of F1 (like a good number of other F1 pilots throughout the years), Max took advantage of the new and improved circuit in 2022 (before having to call the race on a mechanical failure after 38 turns). 28 meters shorter, the Albert Park 2.0 proposes wider turns (notably turn 1 and 6, which gained 7.5 meters allowing to tackle it at a minimum of 219km/h versus the prior 149 km/h), a brand new 1.3 km long straightaway (after the suppression of the chicane between turn 9 and 10) which allows drivers to top speeds of 330km/h, and last but not least, a wider pit lane that increases the speed limit from 60 to 80 km/h. In short, with faster rhythm and more possible trajectories, things are getting fun – for us and for the pilots.
What do the pilots think?
They’re happy about the changes, in large part because many of them were consulted on it, like Australia-native Daniel Ricciardo: “We were authorized to spitball our idea and suggestions,” he explains on the Australian Grand Prix’s YouTube channel. “We were maybe not all aligned on the same ideas, but I think out common goal was to improve the Sunday spectacle. This is what I had in mind when I gave my input. We really tried to exploit certain zones to allow more opportunities to overtake.”
Damon Hill, World Champion of 1996 and Melbourne victor, brings a bit of bittersweetness in his comments appearing in the column of racingnews365: “I’ve said in the past that the circuit needed bigger stops [including bigger zones for breaking], but instead they made it more open and way faster,” he explains regretting the missed overtaking opportunities. Nevertheless, he does not deny his love for the circuit: “I love it. It makes me think a bit of a kart track, pretty slippery. There isn’t a lot of G Force, but it’s still tricky.”
The same feeling is echoed by Sergio Pérez, who is not only interested in Melbourne because of F1: “It’s a really wonderful city. One of my favourites. I recommend you go for a run or biking around to make the most out of it”. Duly noted, Checo.
Verstappen: a victory for a new title?
This is a fact: winning an early Grand Prix lets you set the expectation for the rest of the season. 13 of the 24 winners at Albert Park also placed on the highest step of the podium at the end of the season. This was the case for Sebastian Vettel in 2011 in what remains the last victory under Red Bull Racing in Australia.
We hope that Max Versteppen bring the crown home once again this season. After all, Mad Max (an Australian film after all) will race down the urban streets for the second time this year, but this time as World Champion.
See you on April 2nd to find out!
