The Australian GP will the first race of the 2017 Formula One season and will take place on 26 March 2017, at the street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne.
Circuit info
The Albert Park circuit is a temporary track that is only used one time a year in order to host the Australian GP, which has been the first round of the Formula 1 championship ever since 1996, when the Grand Prix moved from Adelaide to Melbourne, except for 2006 and 2010. The circuit is made up of sections of the public road that circles the man-made Albert Park lake. The sections used were completely rebuilt in 1996 to ensure consistency and smoothness of the surface and, as a result, it is considered the smoothest of the road circuits currently in use.
Despite the fact that it is relatively fast, the circuit is generally considered to be easy to drive, having very few demanding corners and being instead filled with fast flowing turns. The flat terrain around the lake combined with the design means the circuit has very few proper straights making overtaking somewhat hard, but the two DRS zones have helped that in recent years.
Albert Park’s idyllic setting, relaxed environment, popular racing circuit and unexpected results have made it the perfect place for the first round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Circuit type Street
Circuit Length 5.303kms
Circuit Turns 16
Circuit Direction Clockwise
Capacity 80,000
Established 1996
Records and statistics
Wins (drivers):
SCHUMACHER Michael 4
BUTTON Jenson 3
PROST Alain 2
BERGER Gerhard 2
SENNA Ayrton 2
HILL Damon 2
COULTHARD David 2
RAIKKONEN Kimi 2
HAMILTON Lewis 2
ROSBERG Nico 2
Wins (teams)
McLaren 11
Ferrari 7
Williams 5
Mercedes 3
Renault 2
Lap Record: 1:24,125 min
Date: 7 April 2004
F1 Driver: Michael Schumacher
F1 Car: Ferrari F2004
Pole Record: 1:23,529 min
Date: 26 March 2011
F1 Car: Red Bull RB7 Renault
F1 Driver: Sebastian Vettel
Previous F1 GP Winners on Albert Park Circuit (from 2000 up to date):
2016 Nico Rosberg – Mercedes
2015 Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
2014 Nico Rosberg – Mercedes
2013 Kimi Raikkonen – Lotus-Renault
2012 Jenson Button – McLaren-Mercedes
2011 Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull-Renault
2010 Jenson Button – McLaren-Mercedes
2009 Jenson Button – Brawn-Mercedes
2008 Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
2007 Kimi Raikkonen – Ferrari
2006 Fernando Alonso – Renault
2005 Giancarlo Fisichella – Renault
2004 Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2003 David Coulthard – McLaren-Mercedes
2002 Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2001 Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2000 Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
Australian GP – Race Timetable (local time)
Friday March 24th
First Practice Session: 12:00 – 13:30
Second Practice Session: 16:00 – 17:30
Saterday March 25th
Third Practice Session: 14:00 – 15:00
Qualifying Session: 17:00 – 18:00
Sunday March 26th
Formula 1 RACE: 16:00 (58 Laps)
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