The Season Opener at Albert Park Circuit F1 of the Australian Grand Prix in 2026 will happen from March 5 to March 8 in Melbourne. It is the first race of the Formula 1 season. The track length is 5.278 km, and drivers will complete 58 laps on Sunday. The event lasts four days with practice, qualifying, support races, and entertainment. It will also start the new 2026 Formula 1 rules era.
Albert Park Circuit F1 Melbourne Track History
The Albert Park Circuit is a famous race track in Melbourne, Australia. It is built around Albert Park Lake and is used every year for the Australian Grand Prix in Formula One. The track is about 5.278 km long with 58 laps in a full Grand Prix race, and it has space for about 125,000 spectators.
It first opened in 1953, then closed and was rebuilt for F1 in 1996. The surface is smooth asphalt, and the circuit has 14 corners today after changes to improve racing. Drivers need to be fast and skilled because the track has medium to high-speed sections. Each year, the roads are turned into the full race layout with barriers and stands for the big event that usually draws huge crowds.
Albert Park Circuit F1 lap records and fastest race laps list
The Albert Park Circuit has official race lap records for many racing series. In Formula 1, the fastest race lap on the current layout is by Charles Leclerc with a time of 1 minute 19.813 seconds, set on 24 March 2024 during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
On the older layout, the F1 record was set by Michael Schumacher with 1:24.125 in 2004. In Formula 2, Dennis Hauger set a record lap of 1:28.694. In Formula 3, Gabriel Bortoleto recorded 1:33.025. These records show how fast different race cars perform at this track.
Albert Park Circuit F1 Main Events and Race History
The Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne hosts many major motorsport events every year. The biggest is the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, a four-day event held in March with practice, qualifying, and the main race. At the same time, support races like the FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 3 Championship, Supercars Championship Melbourne SuperSprint, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship also race on the track during the same weekend.
Older events at Albert Park have included Aussie Racing Cars (2007–2009), Australian Formula 4 and Formula Ford, Australian GT Championship, S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, and Porsche Supercup, among others. These races bring different cars and drivers to race around the park roads. The circuit began hosting big events like the Australian Grand Prix from 1996 and continues to be a centre of top motor racing.
2026 Australian Grand Prix Top Drivers and Teams Preview
The 2026 Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix will happen from March 5 to 8 at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. Top drivers include Max Verstappen for Red Bull Racing, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell for Mercedes, and Charles Leclerc with Carlos Sainz for Ferrari. Newcomers like Arvid Lindblad for Red Bull and Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi (formerly Sauber) will race for the first time. McLaren has Lando Norris and local favorite Oscar Piastri. Haas has Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, while Alpine fields Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan. The race is key for points, adapting to 2026 regulations, and chasing fastest laps and records.
ALSO READ: Record Of India At R. Premadasa Stadium Ahead Of IND vs PAK
