Nestled in the Melbourne suburb of Albert Park, the Albert Park Circuit is a beloved street circuit designed specifically for motorsports.
Home to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, the entire track runs on public roads, where each sector boasts medium to high-speed sections more commonly seen at dedicated racetracks. These characteristics are mirrored by grass and gravel run-off safety areas that are reconstructed each year to maximise safety for the drivers. Despite this, the circuit retains a closed street circuit feel, more commonly seen at places like Baku, thanks to concrete barriers built along the Lakeside Drive curve each year. In this area, there are no run-off areas, creating a unique and exciting challenge for drivers.
Albert Park Circuit
| First Grand Prix | 1996 Australian Grand Prix |
| Number of Laps | 58 |
| Circuit Length | 5.278km |
| Race Distance | 306.124 km |
| Lap Record | 1:20.235 Sergio Pérez (2023) |
Circuit
When was the Albert Park Circuit built?
Before World War II, efforts were made to hold motor racing events in Albert Park. These attempts included a failed 1934 race due to opposition, and an unsuccessful motorcycle race in 1937. It was not until 1953 that the Light Car Club of Australia successfully secured the use of the circuit for that year’s Australian Grand Prix. This event marked the start of the 1953 Australian Grand Prix and became the only venue to host the event in both World Championship and non-World Championship formats. The earlier configuration of the current circuit was used for the race on two occasions during the 1950s, where the racing was conducted in an anti-clockwise direction, as opposed to the current clockwise direction.
Today the circuit encircles Albert Park Lake, a man-made body of water that was originally a large lagoon created by the Yarra River. The Albert Park Circuit incorporates everyday sections of road, which were specially rebuilt prior to the first ‘official’ F1 race in 1996 to guarantee consistency and a level surface. As a consequence, the Albert Park track boasts a smoother track surface compared to other circuits that use public roads.
Every year, everything from trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, and grandstands are assembled two months before Grand Prix weekend. The setup is then dismantled within six weeks following the event.
The Grand Prix is renowned for attracting large crowds of more than 270,000 fans. The 2022 Grand Prix was no exception. It was in huge demand with an exceptional turnout of 419,114 people, following the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A whopping 128,294 fans attended on Sunday’s raceday.
When was the first Australian Grand Prix?
The Australian Grand Prix has a history spanning back to its inception at Phillip Island in 1928 and has raced at 23 different tracks in that time. However, the Australian Grand Prix officially joined the Formula One World Championship in 1985, where it raced at the Adelaide Street Circuit, known as a challenging, demanding and tricky circuit, which held its last Formula One race in 1995.
Since 1996, the Australian Grand Prix has been held at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit. A race that involved an infamous crash at Turn 3 when Martin Brundle catapulted off the rear of Johnny Herbert’s Sauber.
Aside from cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Albert Park Circuit will be on the Formula One calendar for many more years until at least 2035.
Albert Park Circuit lap record
The official lap record for the current F1 Grand Prix circuit layout is 1:20.235, set by Sergio Pérez during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix driving for Red Bull Racing.
