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
Capacity	80,000[1][2]
FIA Grade	1
Opened	20 November 1953; Re-opened: 7 March 1996
Major events	Formula One; Australian Grand Prix; Supercars Championship; Melbourne 400; Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship ; Australian GT Championship ; Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific ; Australian Formula 4 Championship
Length	5.303 km (3.296 mi)
Turns	16
Race lap record	1:24.125 ( Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)
Original circuit
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 licence.[3] 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.[4]

Design

A satellite view of the circuit just prior to 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 prior to 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.[4]

Each year, most of the trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, grandstands and other motorsport infrastructure are erected approximately two months prior to the Grand Prix weekend and removed within 6 weeks after the event. 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 local residents and users of those others 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.[5]

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, however, 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.[6]

A lap in a Formula One car

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 before this corner and the next, a faster right hander, which together form an extended chicane, and lead back onto the Walker Straight.[4] The track is known for being bumpy, and in even slightly wet weather, is notoriously slippery.[7]

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 two 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