Circuit info
Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit
Interesting facts
Albert Park runs through a real lakeside city park in southern Melbourne, closed off for the race weekend and used the rest of the year by joggers, cyclists and rowers around the lake's facilities. The park already hosted the Australian Grand Prix between 1953 and 1958, back then run anti-clockwise; earlier plans for a circuit in 1934 and 1937 were blocked by local opposition. The modern race's move here in 1996 was a purely political decision: Victoria's state government announced the switch from Adelaide in December 1993, days after a South Australian election, with no parliamentary debate, and passed a special act exempting the event from ordinary planning and environmental law - the 'Save Albert Park' protest group still campaigns against it today. At the first modern-era race in 1996, newly-crowned IndyCar champion Jacques Villeneuve took pole on his Formula 1 debut and led much of the way, only for teammate Damon Hill to catch and pass him after an oil leak. In 2016, Fernando Alonso's McLaren was launched into the air at around 300 km/h after a collision, rolling several times under an estimated 46g of force; he walked away with only minor injuries. The 2023 race became the first in Formula 1 history to be stopped by three separate red flags; after the chaotic final restart, Carlos Sainz was given a five-second penalty that he himself called 'the most unfair penalty I've ever seen.' For many years it opened the season, so this is where the Formula 1 calendar traditionally began each spring; the 2024 race drew a record crowd of 452,055. You'll find it in Melbourne, Australia. On the calendar since 1996, this circuit has hosted 29 races, the latest in 2026. Damon Hill took the inaugural win here in 1996. George Russell won here most recently, in 2026. The most successful driver at this circuit is Michael Schumacher, with 4 wins. Ferrari is the dominant constructor at this circuit, with 10 wins. Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap here, 1:19.813 (Ferrari, 2024). The highest speed measured over a race weekend here was 337 km/h.