Albert Park, located about three kilometers south of Melbourne’s city center, has been the venue for the Australian Grand Prix since 1996. Before that, this Formula 1 race was held in Adelaide and Calder Park, another location in Melbourne. The Australian GP was won by Max Verstappen in 2023.
For many years, it was the traditional season opener, a position Australia lost since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Nevertheless, the organization managed to secure a contract until 2035. The event, with over 400,000 visitors, is very popular among Australians, fans in general, and Formula 1 itself.
Challenging Overtakes, Infamous for Severe Crashes
The circuit itself is quite fast for a semi-street circuit, although it is not very suitable for real overtaking. The starting position is very decisive for the final result, only with a strategic stunt or a safety car situation can positions be won. Serious crashes, like that of Fernando Alonso in 2016, are rare. Jacques Villeneuve experienced a severe crash in 2001 when he hit Ralf Schumacher at high speed. A marshal was hit in the chest by a flying wheel and did not survive the impact.
Some Facts about the Australian GP:
- Opening: 1996
- First race: 1996
- Location: Melbourne
- Length: 5.278 km
- Number of turns: 14
- Most victories: Michael Schumacher (4)
- Lap record: Charles Leclerc (1.19.813 in 2024)
The Last Winners of the Australian GP:
- 2024: Carlos Sainz
- 2023: Max Verstappen
- 2022: Charles Leclerc
- 2019: Valtteri Bottas
- 2018: Sebastian Vettel
The Grand Prix was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Battlefield in Turn 1
The 2002 edition was perhaps the most memorable. At the start, Ralf Schumacher hit someone from behind and lifted off the ground, with Rubens Barrichello being the unfortunate one. Besides the two, six other drivers had to visit the pits due to various accidents in turn 1. Michael Schumacher fought a beautiful battle with Juan Pablo Montoya and won, while Mark Webber scored his first points in his Minardi debut in front of a home crowd.
In the modern F1 era, Michael Schumacher is the most successful in the Australian Grand Prix with four victories. Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button each won three times. McLaren is the most successful with 11 victories in Australia, followed by Ferrari with 10 victories.
GP Australia: Summary of 2022 and 2023
Charles Leclerc won the 2022 edition on a slightly modified layout. The Ferrari driver finished ahead of Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez and George Russell. Max Verstappen dropped out in the final stages with a defective fuel system. In 2023, Max Verstappen won for the first time in Australia. It was a messy race, with a total of three red flags. Alex Albon caused the first red flag, Kevin Magnussen the second, and many things went wrong at the restart after this flag. This eventually resulted in the last red flag. Verstappen kept his cool and crossed the finish line first. He was followed by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
The Rise of a New Team
In 2009, Formula 1 decided to change everything. Completely new rules were introduced to significantly slow down the teams. Such changes often cause a shake-up in the rankings, and this was certainly the case in 2009. A team that should have gone bankrupt rose in Melbourne. Ross Brawn’s team, Brawn GP, managed to get everything in order just in time. They barely made it to the race, but they had a unique design that year. They had a ‘double diffuser’, something that established teams (Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull) claimed was illegal. The Brawns were unstoppable and achieved a 1-2 in Australia. Ultimately, Brawn won both the World Championship for drivers (Jenson Button) and the constructors’ championship that year.
