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Formula 1 motor racing arrived in Adelaide, Australia in 1985. It was not until 1996 that the Australian Grand Prix race came to Melbourne. Melbourne won the rights to host the Formula 1 race due to having offered a better financial deal than that of Adelaide. Subscribe to our Free F1 RSS Feed and get all the latest Formula 1 Circuit information. |
Australian F1 Grand Prix Circuit Profile:Albert Park, Melbourne
Albert Park - Circuit Examination:Albert Park is a great place for a Formula 1 motor race with its exciting mix of street circuit and road sections held within the park itself, which is located close to the heart of Melbourne's city centre. The majority of Formula 1 drivers find the Albert Park race track relatively easy to learn and master, mainly because most of the corners are just ninety degree hairpins. The main problem F1 drivers can encounter at this circuit is that when racing a one-off affair the surface can be very dirty, especially at the beginning of the weekend when the track is covered in leaves. None of the fast corners and tight hairpins has names. Instead the various stands around the track are named after various Formula One Grand Prix greats of the past. A Quick Lap Around Albert Park, Melbourne:Along the pit straight at 180mph the cars approach two 45 degree right and left hand turns at the Jones and Brabham stands. The first is taken in 3rd gear at around 70mph before accelerating to 100mph for the next and then up to 175mph for the short straight. A sharp right-left sends the F1 cars past the Whiteford stand. A third gear right-hander opens onto a shallow left curve that takes the track past the Marina stand before swinging right in a 155mph fifth gear bend. Next comes the second gear Clark chicane which covers the entrance to a long sweeping section that curves around the edge of the lake. Changing down to 4th gear and 90mph the cars swing past the Waite stand, flick up to 6th and fly past the Hill stand at 175mph. Heavy braking brings speeds down to 70mph for the third gear Ascari right-hander, before getting back up to 4th and 130mph for a sweep through Stewart and into the most difficult part of the Albert Park track. A slow second gear left-hander and a fourth gear right send the cars past the Prost stand and back onto the pit straight. Albert Park F1 Race Strategy:Like the all street circuits, Albert Park being no exception, cars have to high amount of downforce in order to generate grip around the tight hairpins. Whereas, the bumpy track tends to force F1 constructors to adopt medium/soft suspension settings in an effort to provide more stability during braking while being able to extend tyre wear. Albert Park can be tough on tyres and most teams opt to run a two-pit-stop strategy. Formula One drivers usually enjoy the Melbourne grand prix track more than most street circuits because the excellent run-off areas, which allow them to push the F1 cars to their limit. Corner 1 is arguably the best spot for overtaking, although other chicanes such as the Clark chicane do offer opportunity to those who are one with their car. |
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