Its Lights Out At Albert Park: The First Race Of The F1 Championship Season

Watching Formula One is a stimulating experience for most car and motorsport enthusiasts. If you are a fan of fast cars, power-packed races, and stunning racetracks then you have to tune in to the Australian Grand Prix. It is the most anticipated race of the season. The Australian Grand Prix is the season opener and sets the tempo for the F1 season ahead, many fans deem this as the ‘race you cannot miss’. Formula One being a very exclusive event you still have fans from all over the country and the world travel to Melbourne to visit Albert Park to witness the round 1 of the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Typical attendance over the weekend in Australia is around 300 000 spectators, with a crowd in excess of 100 000 on race day. This year marks the 25th Formula 1 race to have been held at Albert Park, since its debut in 1996, which was won by Damon Hill in a Renault. Melbourne began hosting the Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit (Albert Park) in 1996, taking over from Adelaide, which hosted the race from 1985-1995.The Albert Park circuit in Melbourne held non-championship Grand Prix races in the fifties. A revised circuit joined the world championship calendar in 1996. At the same time, the race moved from being the last race of the season to the first and has normally held the opening race of the season since then.

Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at Albert Park, scoring four wins (2000,2001,2002,2004). Sebastian Vettel, who won at Albert Park in 2011,2017 and 2018 could equal Schumacher’s tally at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, however, due to the COVID-19 situation will have to wait until next time… The Albert Park circuit is semi-permanent, meaning it's not a full-time racing venue. For most of the year, the roads that make up the bulk of the race track are open to the public and anyone can drive on them.

The Albert Park circuit is one of the faster circuits on the F1 race calendar. The track is well laid out allowing for drivers to race at high speeds. Albert Park can get bumpy and has some uneven surfaces as well. The bumpy nature of the track requires drivers to have a very good front suspension set up allowing them to have maximum control while cornering and combating slippery surfaces.

‘All men are created equal, but some work harder in pre-season’. F1 drivers need to go through a rigorous 8-week program that will get them into shape for the upcoming season. This includes taking care of their physical, psychological, and most importantly their diets too. Race teams work tirelessly in pre-season too, giving the best race drivers in the world the means to go on and win the prestigious F1 World Championship. Being the first race of the year, the Australian Grand Prix is filled with excitement and anticipation and certainly, a must-watch for all car, motorsport fans across the globe!