Albert Park Circuit

Albert Park Circuit

Location	Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (UTC+11:00 DST)
Coordinates	37°50′59″S 144°58′6″E / 37.84972°S 144.96833°E / -37.84972; 144.96833Coordinates: 37°50′59″S 144°58′6″E / 37.84972°S 144.96833°E / -37.84972; 144.96833
Capacity	80,000[1][2]
FIA Grade	1
Opened	20 November 1953 Re-opened: 7 March 1996
Major events	Formula One Australian Grand Prix (1996–2019) Supercars Championship Melbourne 400 (2018–2019) Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship Australian GT Championship Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific Australian Formula 4 Championship
GP Circuit (2021)
Length	5.280[3] km (3.281 mi)
Turns	14
GP Circuit (1996–2020)
Length	5.303 km (3.296 mi)
Turns	16
Race lap record	1:24.125 ( Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)
Original Circuit (1953–1958)
Length	5.027 km (3.124 mi)
Turns	9
Race lap record	1:50.0 ( Stirling Moss, Cooper–Climax, 1958, Formula Libre)

The Albert Park Circuit is a motorsport street circuit around Albert Park Lake, three kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a circuit for the traditional Formula One season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the supporting Supercars Championship Melbourne 400 and other associated support races. The circuit has an FIA Grade 1 license.^[4] Although the entire track consists of normally public roads, each sector includes medium to high-speed characteristics more commonly associated with dedicated racetracks facilitated by grass and gravel run-off safety zones that are reconstructed annually. However, the circuit also has characteristics of a street circuit's enclosed nature due to concrete barriers annually built along the Lakeside Drive curve, in particular, where run-off is not available due to the proximity of the lake shore.^[5]

Design[]

A satellite view of the circuit just before race weekend 2018

The circuit uses everyday sections of road that circle Albert Park Lake, a small man-altered lake (originally a large lagoon formed as part of the ancient Yarra River course) just south of the Central Business District of Melbourne. The road sections that are used were rebuilt before the inaugural event in 1996 to ensure consistency and smoothness. As a result, compared to other circuits that are held on public roads, the Albert Park track has quite a smooth surface. Before 2007 there existed only a few other places on the Formula 1 calendar with a body of water close to the track. Many of the new tracks, such as Valencia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi are close to a body of water.

The course is considered to be quite fast and relatively easy to drive, drivers having commented that the consistent placement of corners allows them to easily learn the circuit and achieve competitive times. However, the flat terrain around the lake, coupled with a track design that features few true straights, means that the track is not conducive to overtaking or easy spectating unless in possession of a grandstand seat.^[5]

Each year, most of the trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, grandstands, and other motorsport infrastructure are erected approximately two months before the Grand Prix weekend and removed within 6 weeks after the event. The land around the circuit (including a large aquatic centre, a golf course, a Lakeside Stadium, some restaurants, and rowing boathouses) has restricted access during that entire period. Dissent is still prevalent among nearby residents and users of those other facilities, and some still maintain a silent protest against the event. Nevertheless, the event is reasonably popular in Melbourne and Australia (with a large European population and a general interest in motorsport). Middle Park, the home of South Melbourne FC was demolished in 1994 due to expansion at Albert Park.^[6]

On 4 July 2008, F1 announced that more than 300,000 people attended the four-day Melbourne Grand Prix, though actual ticket sales were later disputed by the local media. There has never been a night race at Albert Park, although the 2009 and 2010 events both started at 5:00 p.m. local time. The current contract for the Grand Prix at the circuit concludes in 2025.^[7]

Following the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the track underwent layout changes, the most notable part is the modification of the Turn 9-10 complex from a heavy right-left corner to a fast-sweeping right-left corner into Turns 11 and 12. Further modifications include the widening of the pit lane by 2 metres and the reprofiling of Turn 13.^[8] Also, some corners will be widened such as Turn 1, Turn 3, Turn 6, Turn 7, and Turn 15; and it is expected that these modifications will reduce qualifying lap times by as much as 5 seconds.^[9]

A lap in a Formula One car (1996–2020 layout)[]

Starting on the Walker Straight, Turn 1 is a tight right-hander, followed by a quick flick to the left in Turn 2. A short straight follows, in which the cars accelerate up to 300 km/h, before Turn 3 is taken at a third of that speed. Two successive short straights lead to the left and right-handers of Turns 4 and 5, and the end of Sector 1. The next straight lasts for half a kilometre, before a 90-degree right in Turn 6. Turn 7, a small leftwards kink, leads onto a sweeping right-hander. Turns 9 and 10, a car park when not in use, form the Clark Chicane, before the long lakeside sweep right up to Turn 11, on which the cars reach 300 km/h. The next two corners are the fastest on the circuit, with drivers taking this chicane at up to 225 km/h, sustaining g-forces up to 3.5g. The straight that follows, with a small right kink in the middle, is a DRS zone (the detection point was shortly before Turn 11), before another 90-degree right in the form of Turn 13, called Ascari. After another short straight, the right-hander of Turn 14 leads to the slowest corner on the track, a tight left. The pit lane entry is located halfway between this corner and the next, a faster right-hander, which together form an extended chicane, and lead back onto the Walker Straight.^[5] The track is known for being bumpy, and in even slightly wet weather, is notoriously slippery.^[10]

Everyday access[]

The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in December 2017, while open to the public

During the nine months of the year when the track is not required for Grand Prix preparation or the race weekend, most of the track can be driven by ordinary street-registered vehicles either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Only the sections between turns 3, 4, and 5, then 5 and 6, differ significantly from the race track configuration. Turn 4 is replaced by a car park access road running directly from turns 3 to 5. Between turns 5 and 6, the road is blocked. It is possible to drive from turn 5 on to Albert Road and back on to the track at turn 7 though three sets of lights control the flow of this option. The only set of lights on the actual track is halfway between turns 12 and 13, where drivers using Queens Road are catered for. The chicanes at turns 11 and 12 are considerably more open than that used in the Grand Prix, using the escape roads. Turn 9 is also a car park and traffic is directed down another escape road.

The speed limit is generally 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph), while some short sections have a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph), which is still slower than an F1 car under pit lane speed restrictions. The back of the track, turns 7 to 13 inclusive, is known as Lakeside Drive. Double lines separate the two-way traffic along most of Lakeside Drive with short road islands approximately every 50 metres which means overtaking is illegal here. Black Swans live and breed in Albert Park, and frequently cross the road causing traffic delays, sometimes with up to five cygnets (young swans).

Approximately 80% of the track edge is lined with short parkland-style chain-linked fencing leaving normal drivers less room for error than F1 drivers have during race weekend. There is however substantial shoulder room between the outside of each lane and the fencing, which is used as parking along Aughtie Drive during the other nine months.

History[]

Albert Park Circuit (1953 to 1958)[]

Prior to World War 2, attempts were made to use Albert Park for motor racing. The first was in 1934 but failed due to opposition, and a similar attempt for a motorcycle race in 1937 similarly failed. Finally in 1953 the were able to secure use of the circuit for that year's Australian Grand Prix.^[11]

Start of the 1953 Australian Grand Prix.

Albert Park is the only venue to host the Australian Grand Prix in both World Championship and non-World Championship formats with an earlier configuration of the current circuit used for the race on two occasions during the 1950s. During this time racing was conducted in an anti-clockwise direction^[12] as opposed to the current circuit which runs clockwise.

Known as the Albert Park Circuit,^[13] the original 3.125 miles (5.029 km) course hosted a total of six race meetings:^[14]

• 21 November 1953^[13] - Featuring the 1953 Australian Grand Prix, won by Doug Whiteford^[14] (Talbot-Lago T26C)
• 26 & 27 March 1955^[15] - The first Moomba meeting, which involved an alliance with the Moomba festival and The Argus newspaper^[14] - featuring the Moomba TT, won by Doug Whiteford (Triumph TR2)^[16] and the Argus Trophy, also won by Doug Whiteford (Talbot-Lago)^[17]
• 11 March & 18 March 1956^[18] - The second Moomba meeting^[14] - featuring the 1956 Moomba TT, won by Tony Gaze (HWM Jaguar), and, on the second weekend, the 1956 Argus Trophy, won by Reg Hunt (Maserati 250F)^[18]
• 25 November & 2 December 1956^[19] - featuring the 1956 Australian Tourist Trophy, won by Stirling Moss (Maserati 300S) and, on the second weekend, the 1956 Australian Grand Prix, also won by Stirling Moss (Maserati 250F)^[20]
• 17^[21] & 24 March 1957 - The third Moomba meeting^[14] - featuring the Victorian Tourist Trophy^[21] won by Doug Whiteford (Maserati 300S),^[22] and the Victorian Trophy,^[23] won by Lex Davison (Ferrari 500).^[24] The Victorian Trophy was retrospectively designated as the second round of the 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship^[25]
• 23 & 30 November 1958^[26] - Featuring the 1958 Victorian Tourist Trophy, won by Doug Whiteford (Maserati 300S),^[27] and, on the second weekend, the 1958 Melbourne Grand Prix, (a round of the 1958 Australian Drivers' Championship), won by Stirling Moss (Cooper Coventry Climax)^[27]

1958 was the final year of the original incarnation of the circuit, with racing ending due to a negative campaign lead by the press.^[11]

Race lap records[]

As of 16 March 2019, the official race lap records at the Albert Park Circuit are listed as:^[28]

Class	Driver	Vehicle	Time	Date
Grand Prix Circuit (1996–2020): 5.303 km
Formula One	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari F2004	1:24.125	7 March 2004
Formula 3	Bruno Senna	Dallara F304 Spiess Opel	1:50.8640	3 March 2006
Supercars Championship	Scott McLaughlin	Ford FG X Falcon	1:54.6016	22 March 2018
Formula 5000	Ken Smith	Lola T430 Chevrolet	1:54.6975	28 March 2010
Australian GT	Craig Baird	Mercedes-AMG GT3	1:55.1134	17 March 2016
Porsche Carrera Cup	Ben Barker	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup	1:58.3646	26 March 2011
Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific	James Weiland	Ferrari 488 Challenge	1:59.1147	23 March 2018
Nations Cup	Paul Stokell	Lamborghini Diablo GTR	2:00.685	8 March 2003[29]
Formula Ford	Chaz Mostert	Spectrum 012 Ford	2:04.4805	27 March 2010
Group A	Terry Lawlor	Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R	2:10.8171	13 March 2015
Aussie Racing Cars	James Small	Commodore-Yamaha	2:16.0196	15 March 2008
Group C	Milton Seferis	Holden VH Commodore SS	2:18.9539	14 March 2015
SuperUtes	Grant Johnson		2:22.3877	1 April 2006
Original Circuit (1953–1958): 5.027 km
Formula Libre	Stirling Moss	Cooper Climax	1:50.0	30 November 1958
Sports car racing	Stirling Moss	Maserati 300S	1:55.8	25 November 1956[30]

See also[]

• Adelaide Street Circuit

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.

• Albert Park at Official Formula 1 website
• Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit Guide
• Albert Park Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Google Maps (Current Formula 1 Tracks)