Sat around the picturesque Albert Park lake and right on the doorstep of the Melbourne city, the Albert Park circuit is a popular part of the F1 calendar since its first race in 1996.
Taking over from the Adelaide street circuit, Melbourne’s Grand Prix offers plenty for the travelling spectator.
The race has provided some memorable moments over the years, most iconic being local hero Mark Webber’s5th place on his 2002 debut. Despite Daniel Ricciardo departing the grid, Australian fans will undoubtedly put their full support behind Melbourne local Oscar Piastri.
The partisan crowd are passionate and knowledgeable, and sell-out crowds ensure an amazing atmosphere all weekend long. An exciting addition for 2023 is the F2 and F3 coming down under for the first time, ensuring crowds will have plenty of racing to enjoy over the weekend.
Whether it is the race weekend itself, exploring the colourful streets of Melbourne or trying the diverse range of food, there is something for everyone.
Albert Park first hosted racing in 1953 when the Light Car Club of Australia secured use of the circuit for that year's Australian Grand Prix. After decades of silence due to local opposition, Melbourne businessman Ron Walker worked to bring the Australian Grand Prix back in 1996, with the decision announced in December 1993. For the modern F1 era, the road sections used for the circuit were rebuilt before the inaugural event in 1996 to ensure consistency and smoothness, making it comparatively smoother than other street circuits.
The circuit was built utilizing a combination of public roads and a car park within the park. Construction began in 1995, with the circuit design carefully planned to minimize disruption to the park's existing ecosystem. Today, the circuit uses public roads for the majority of its length, save for a small section which runs through what is usually a parking area.
The course is considered to be quite fast and relatively easy to drive, with drivers commenting that the consistent placement of corners allows them to easily learn the circuit and achieve competitive times. Drivers appreciate the smooth surface and the circuit's fast, flowing nature, though the proximity of barriers demands precision and skill. Drivers frequently praise Albert Park for being fun yet demanding, requiring precision and adaptability to master its high-speed sections and tricky braking zones.
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. This led to major layout changes made to the circuit ahead of the 2021 season to improve overtaking opportunities.
Michael Schumacher holds the record with 4 wins at Albert Park (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), followed by Sebastian Vettel with 3 victories.
Martin Brundle's 1996 barrel-roll on the opening lap of Albert Park's first F1 race lasted less than two minutes, but nearly three decades later, the memories of that shunt still burn bright. Brundle raced for just 1 minute 56 seconds before launching off the back of Johnny Herbert's Sauber at Turn 3, his Jordan becoming a disintegrating mass of twisted metal. After escaping uninjured and obtaining medical clearance, Brundle returned for the restart in the spare car.
Another dramatic moment came in 2002 when a dramatic first-lap crash eliminated eight of the 22 cars, with Ralf Schumacher's Williams launching over the rear of Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari and triggering a Turn 1 pile-up. Despite these incidents, the 2009 race saw Jenson Button win for Brawn GP in their first-ever race, marking a fairy-tale start for the underdog team.
Albert Park is a well-liked circuit among drivers for its fast flowing layout. Turns 11 and 12 are the fastest corners on the circuit and the two that the drivers enjoy the most, with cars experiencing g-forces of up to 4.5g. The combination of smooth tarmac, flowing corners, and technical challenges creates an engaging driving experience that tests both skill and car control.
The Australian Grand Prix attracts around 450,000 spectators over four days each year, with the event held early in the season in March. For 2025, race organisers introduced four new precincts: Melbourne Junction (food and hospitality), Lakeside (Crown Lakeside Festival with live music and fan forums), Pit Stop Park (family-friendly fan zone), and Motorsport Straight (paddock access for support races).
The Button and Clark grandstands offer fans a rare chance to see F1 cars at speed with a magnificent backdrop of Albert Park Lake. The Melbourne Walk offers access to drivers as they enter and exit the circuit, and is now open to all ticket holders including general admission.
Beyond the circuit, Melbourne offers world-class entertainment. Lygon Street in Carlton is a popular café strip where local cafes and pizzerias fly the flag for Ferrari during Grand Prix weekend.
Chapel Street in South Yarra near Albert Park is known for upmarket shopping, restaurants, and nightlife, with many of Melbourne's best clubs located on the street.
Melbourne is also renowned for its multicultural dining scene with Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines available throughout the city.
Attendees are encouraged to use public transport due to limited parking, with trains, trams, and buses offering connectivity to the circuit and surrounding areas. Free tram services run from Southern Cross Station and Flinders Street Station to the circuit.
The biggest grandstand on track, the Fangio Grandstand is perched right on the grid meaning you won’t miss a second of the pre-race action. Depending on exactly where your seats are will mean which team’s pit box you will have the best view of the weekend, but rest assured you will be able to see the whole pit-lane from your seats.
As spectators are allowed on track for the post-race celebrations, sitting in the Fangio stand ensures you will be in the best spot to either enter the track and watch the podium, or witness the champagne-spraying from your seats themselves. The Fangio stand is in the main section of grandstands on the circuit, meaning all amenities are always close by.
Just past the pit building is the Moss Grandstand, where you will enjoy views of the pre-race buildup on the grid, the podium and the all-important run into turn 1. One of the four slated DRS zones at Albert Park, turn 1 is where a large amount of the on-track action and overtaking happens.
With multiple giant screens spread across the start/finish straight, you will never miss a moment of the action – and being a street circuit – you feel right on top of the cars from your seats along this section of track. There are plenty of food and drink options directly behind the stands on the main straight.
Along with the Brabham Grandstand, the Jones Grandstand at Turns 1 and 2 is one of the most highly sought-after tickets. Sitting just on the outside of corner entry, the Jones stand is arguably the place where the spectators will see the most action.
Here you will witness cars race wheel-to-wheel at one of the most common overtaking spots on the track, cars exit pit lane into turn 1 and the all-important first lap. At the end of the straight, you will also have easy access to enter the track to witness the podium celebrations.
Opposite the Jones grandstand on the inside of the circuit, the Brabham stand also provides excellent views of the opening two corners. You will have many photo opportunities, such as the cars side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2 as well as slow speed close-ups of the cars flicking through the corners.
You will also have a great position to see the cars accelerate out of turn 2 and into the short straight and second DRS zone. Just to the stand’s right is the highly popular general admission hill where the atmosphere all weekend long is electric. On the inside of the circuit, you will also have a chance to explore and walk around the Albert Park lake between sessions.
Located on the exit of turn 5, the Stewart Grandstand is one of the closest stands to the track. With a large screen opposite, here you will see the cars take turn 5 almost flat, giving you a great view of the modern F1 machinery at their aerodynamic best.
Depending on where you are seated in the Stewart Grandstand, you can also see the cars brake for Turn 6. The closest entry gate to the Stewart Grandstand is Gate 3 with a few food, drink and merchandise options a short walk away.
The sheer popularity of the race has seen the need to have multiple new stands added around the track, the Button stand being one of these new additions. Sitting on the outside of the long back straight, the Button stand provides views of the cars coming out of Turn 8 as they head into the third of four DRS zones on the track.
Accessible by Gate 5, a giant screen is easily visible from this stand with multiple food, merchandise and drink options close by.
A little further down from the Button Grandstand and situated on the outside of Turns 8 and 9 you will find the Clark Grandstand. Similar to the Button Grandstand, you will see the cars at full throttle as they blast down the back straight before activating DRS, as well as picturesque views of the Albert Park lake.
This stand also is closest to the bridges both across the track and across the lake which provides access to the music stages and many food and drink options. A giant screen is visible from this stand.
Further along the first sector and at the exit of turn 3, the Hill Grandstand will give you a front-on view as the cars come down this short yet fast straight into an almost 90-degree corner.
Another overtaking spot – gravel on the exit of the corner adds another element for the drivers to factor in. Lap 1 action is never far away at this corner, and the Kids Zone is a short walk from your seats.
Similar to the Jones/Brabham grandstand setups, the Ricciardo stand sits on the inside of Turns 3 & 4, meaning you will have more of a view of corner exit rather than front-on corner entry. With substantial run off in the car park section of Turn 4, you will have views of the cars both attacking and defending overtakes after turn 3.
A giant screen is opposite, and with the Albert Park lake directly behind your seats, a photo opportunity of the local landscape is never far away.
At the fastest section of track, the Waite Grandstand is perched at this exciting double corner. What was once a fast and challenging set of corners is now even faster with the chicane a few corners earlier removed for the 2022 race.
F1 cars now are flat out from turn 6 through to braking at corner entry – right in front of your seats. With the Melbourne skyline directly behind you and the lake right in front of you, the Waite grandstand is one of the most popular stands at the Melbourne GP.
Situated outside of Turn 11 and opposite the Webber grandstand, here you will be in a good position for overtakes.
While it is one of the smallest grandstands on the track, the difference between the Vettel and Webber stand is that the Vettel stand will provide you a front on view of the cars exiting the 4th and final DRS zone of the track.
There is a large screen visible from any seat in this stand also, ensuring that you don’t miss any of the action elsewhere.
The Webber grandstand now provides views of a more likely overtaking spot than previous thanks to the corner being widened and re-profiled for the 2022 race.
At the end of the second-longest straight on the track, this stand on the inside of Turn 11 makes you feel right on top of the cars.
With the lake directly behind and a short walk to plenty of food, drink and merchandise stalls, the Webber grandstand is a good option for the budget conscious.
On the outside of Turn 12 and sitting behind (but not obstructed by) the Schumacher stand is the Lauda grandstand. Here you will see the cars at a decent speed into the final section of corners before the main straight.
Your major view here is Turn 12 itself, as the cars navigate the quick right hander before the slower Turn 13.
While not a traditional overtaking spot, the convenience of the Lauda stand being that it is one of the closest to the entry/exits (Gate 10) and is a short walk to the main Fanzone.
At the final two corners of the track, the Schumacher stand gives you a prime view of the cars at slow speed which means a spectacular photo opportunity is always available from your seats. Here you will also be able to see the cars enter pit-lane as well as accelerating out of the final corner and onto the start/finish straight.
Situated in the largest section of grandstands, the Fanzone and all drink, food, toilet and merchandise options are right on the doorstep of your seats.
Much like the F1 heroes these stands are named after, the Prost and Senna grandstands are a set of two stands not able to be separated on the track.
Next to each other on the exit of the last turn and start of the main straight, here you will have views of the cars flying through the tricky but fast final corner and accelerate onto the start/finish straight.
Racing here is as close as anywhere else on track, with these seats giving you a prime view of the first DRS zone on the track. You will also have clear views of the pit lane and many giant screens means you can keep on top of the action all weekend long.
Season opener with great weather and fun people
Travel to the most popular locations on the calendar to experience an F1 race
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