Australian Grand Prix - 2021 Latest News, Winners, Qualifying, Circuits, Track

The Australian Grand Prix technically originated in 1953 at the Albert Park Circuit, and Doug Whiteford took the win. However, it was a non-championship race, and the Australian Grand Prix was not integrated until 1985 in Adelaide. Williams driver Keke Rosberg became the first Australian Grand Prix winner in the F1 championship.

The first F1 championship winner at Albert Park was Damon Hill in 1996, again for Williams F1. Since then, Formula One has been a regular visitor in Melbourne. It is also worth mentioning that the Albert Park circuit has been the season-opening race, 21 times out of 24 races.

The 2021 event was originally scheduled to open the season in March but has been moved to November due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Effect of COVID-19

The Australian Grand Prix was supposed to kick off the 2020 Formula One Season. However, the race down under was called off before it could really take off. The Pandemic meant a delayed start to the F1 season, with Albert Park, unfortunately, missing out on the 2020 calendar.

Since 1996 it has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne every year, with the exception of 2020 when the race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most Winners

Most Constructor's Winners

Australian Grand Prix Circuit Details 

The circuit utilizes parts of the public roads surrounding the Albert Park Lake. The road sections were rebuilt ahead of the 1996 race to ensure consistency and smoothness. This is where the Albert Park circuit differs from other street-going circuits.

The track itself appears fast and relatively easy to drive. The drivers have even praised the circuit for being easy to learn and achieve competitive times. 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.

Each year, most of the motorsport infrastructure is constructed two months ahead of the Grand Prix weekend. Following that, they are removed within six weeks.

The land around the circuit has restricted access during that entire period. However, there usually is some amount of dissent from local residents. Nevertheless, the event is reasonably popular in Melbourne and Australia.

Australian Grand Prix Tickets

Tickets are mostly available on the official Formula One website.