The Australian Grand Prix is making a welcome return this weekend after being canceled the previous two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic
The Australian Grand Prix became a part of the Formula One World Championship in 1985. The initial editions of the Grand Prix were held in Adelaide before it moved to the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne in 1996. Even before it was incorporated into the F1 World Championship, the Australian GP used to be a regular feature of the country’s sporting calendar. The very first Australian Grand Prix was held in 1928 at Phillip Island. In its illustrious history, the Australian Grand Prix has been held a total of 84 times.
The Australian GP was last held in 2019. It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, Mercedes dominated the race with Valtteri Bottas winning it followed by team-mate Lewis Hamilton while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen occupied third place on the podium.
How challenging is it for the drivers to race at the Albert Park Circuit?
The Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne has been hosting the Australian GP continuously since 1996 with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021. The race this weekend is the 25th occasion that Albert Park will host the much-awaited Australian Grand Prix. It is a motorsport street circuit around Albert Park Lake, located around three kilometers south of Central Melbourne. The circuit has an FIA Grade 1 license. It spans a total length of 5.278 kilometers with 14 turns. It can support a crowd of 80,000 people.
Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver at the Albert Park Circuit among the ones on the starting grid this weekend. The 4-time world champion has won the Australian GP in Melbourne three times – 2011, 2017, and 2018. Vettel is closely followed by Lewis Hamilton, who has won it two times – 2008 and 2015.
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