TRACK ESSENTIALS:

ALBERT PARK
ALBERT PARK, MELBOURNE

THURSDAY, 22 MARCH 2018
To
SUNDAY, 25 MARCH 2018

CIRCUIT LENGTH - 5.303KM KILOMETRES
CIRCUIT DIRECTION - CLOCKWISE
AVERAGE SPEED - 164 KM/PH
MAXIMUM SPEED - 265 KM/PH
FASTEST POINT -
SLOWEST POINT -

The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street-based circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a couple of kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used once a year as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and V8 Supercar Support Races.

The circuit utilises everyday sections of road that circle Albert Park Lake, a small man-made lake 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, Albert Park is quite smooth as a racing surface and picturesque as there are only a few other places on the Formula 1 calendar where there is a body of water close to a racing track.

As a racing track of interest to drivers, it is considered 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 the track design, means that the track is not conducive to overtaking.

Each year, most of the trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, grandstands and other motorsport infrastructure are erected from approximately 3 months prior to the grand prix weekend and removed within 6 weeks after the event.