Albert Park Circuit
Australian Grand Prix
Is the Australian Grand Prix Good for Racing?
Albert Park races better than it did before 2022, but passing still happens in only a few places. The rebuild removed the Turn 9-10 chicane and widened four corners, and F1 counted 45 overtakes in the 2025 race.
The lap on the right shows why the moves bunch up. George Russell‘s pole lap was flat out for 65% of the distance with just five braking zones, so Turn 3 and Turn 11 do most of the work. The 2026 opener still had a proper fight, with Charles Leclerc jumping from fourth to lead at Turn 1.
Albert Park Circuit
Strategy Factors
2026 Australian Grand Prix
What to Look Out for at the Australian Grand Prix
The race often turns on a neutralization. Safety Cars and Virtual Safety Cars each appeared in four of the six Grands Prix before 2026, and at 19.3s a pit stop is cheap enough to gamble on one.
Mercedes won 2026 that way. Both cars came in under the lap 11 VSC while Ferrari stayed out, and Ferrari never got the lead back.
Pole sits just 271m from the Turn 1 braking point, so the start is short and crowded. Early-autumn weather can also bring rain. The 2027 race moves to April and adds Albert Park’s first Sprint.
F1's preview gives the 19.3s pit loss, the Safety Car and VSC record over six races and the 271m run to Turn 1.
Race report on the two Virtual Safety Cars, Mercedes stopping under the first one and Ferrari staying out.
2026 Australian Grand Prix Results and Pay
Select A Row To Explore Details
22 Drivers
| # | Details | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  George Russell Mercedes | Mercedes | $34m | $50m | $40m | 25 | |
George Russell Salary
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| 2 |  Kimi AntonelliMercedes | Mercedes | $3.4m | $15.4m | $18m | 18 | |
Kimi Antonelli Salary
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| 3 |  Charles Leclerc Ferrari | Ferrari | $34m | $46m | $70m | 15 | |
Charles Leclerc Salary
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| 4 |  Lewis HamiltonFerrari | Ferrari | $60m | $70m | $580m | 12 | |
Lewis Hamilton Salary
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| 5 |  Lando Norris McLaren | McLaren | $30m | $69.5m | $80m | 10 | |
Lando Norris Salary
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| 6 |  Max Verstappen Red Bull | Red Bull | $70m | $90m | $200m | 8 | |
Max Verstappen Salary
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| 7 |  Oliver Bearman Haas | Haas | $1m | $1.5m | $1m | 6 | |
Oliver Bearman Salary
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| 8 |  Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls | Racing Bulls | $500k-1m | $1m-1.5m | $1m | 4 | |
Arvid Lindblad Salary
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| 9 |  Gabriel Bortoleto Audi | Audi | $2m | $3m | $3m | 2 | |
Gabriel Bortoleto Salary
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| 10 |  Pierre Gasly Alpine | Alpine | $18.2m | $29.6m | $33m | 1 | |
Pierre Gasly Salary
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| 11 |  Esteban OconHaas | Haas | $7m | $9m | $21m | 0 | |
Esteban Ocon Salary
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| 12 |  Alex Albon Williams | Williams | $12m | $15m | $15m | 0 | |
Alex Albon Salary
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| 13 |  Liam LawsonRacing Bulls | Racing Bulls | $1m | $2m | $2m | 0 | |
Liam Lawson Salary
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| 14 |  Franco ColapintoAlpine | Alpine | $500k-1m | $1.5m-2m | $5m | 0 | |
Franco Colapinto Salary
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| 15 |  Carlos SainzWilliams | Williams | $13m | $16m | $50m | 0 | |
Carlos Sainz Salary
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| 16 |  Sergio Pérez Cadillac | Cadillac | $10m | $11.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Sergio Pérez Salary
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| 17 |  Lance Stroll Aston Martin | Aston Martin | $12m | $13.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Lance Stroll Salary
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| 18 |  Fernando AlonsoAston Martin | Aston Martin | $20m | $22.5m | $260m | 0 | |
Fernando Alonso Salary
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| 19 |  Valtteri BottasCadillac | Cadillac | $5m | $7m | $40m | 0 | |
Valtteri Bottas Salary
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| 20 |  Isack HadjarRed Bull | Red Bull | $7.5m | $9.5m | $1m | 0 | |
Isack Hadjar Salary
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| 21 |  Oscar PiastriMcLaren | McLaren | $13m | $40.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Oscar Piastri Salary
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| 22 |  Nico HülkenbergAudi | Audi | $7m | $9.9m | $10m | 0 | |
Nico Hülkenberg Salary
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Select A Row To Explore Details
11 Teams
| # | Details | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MercedesRussell, Antonelli | Russell, Antonelli | $6.4bn | $839m | $37.4m | 43 | |
Mercedes F1 Team Value
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| 2 | FerrariLeclerc, Hamilton | Leclerc, Hamilton | $7.1bn | $670m | $94m | 27 | |
Ferrari F1 Team Value
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| 3 | McLarenNorris, Piastri | Norris, Piastri | $5.2bn | $647m | $43m | 10 | |
McLaren F1 Team Value
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| 4 | Red BullVerstappen, Hadjar | Verstappen, Hadjar | $4.9bn | $618m | $77.5m | 8 | |
Red Bull F1 Team Value
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| 5 | HaasBearman, Ocon | Bearman, Ocon | $1.9bn | $150m | $8m | 6 | |
Haas F1 Team Value
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| 6 | Racing BullsLindblad, Lawson | Lindblad, Lawson | $2.4bn | $318m | $1.5m-2m | 4 | |
Racing Bulls F1 Team Value
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| 7 | AudiBortoleto, Hülkenberg | Bortoleto, Hülkenberg | $2.6bn | $240m | $9m | 2 | |
Audi F1 Team Value
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| 8 | AlpineGasly, Colapinto | Gasly, Colapinto | $2.6bn | $316m | $18.7m-19.2m | 1 | |
Alpine F1 Team Value
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| 9 | WilliamsAlbon, Sainz | Albon, Sainz | $2.7bn | $323m | $25m | 0 | |
Williams F1 Team Value
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| 10 | CadillacPérez, Bottas | Pérez, Bottas | $1.6bn | Not Yet Filed | $15m | 0 | |
Cadillac F1 Team Value
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| 11 | Aston MartinStroll, Alonso | Stroll, Alonso | $3.5bn | $353m | $32m | 0 | |
Aston Martin F1 Team Value
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Australian Grand Prix Tire Strategy
The 2026 race turned into a one-stop run on the hard tire. Russell and Kimi Antonelli switched to hards on lap 11 and did the last 47 laps on them, while Oliver Bearman and Arvid Lindblad covered 40 laps on hards after stopping on lap 17.
Ferrari went long instead. Leclerc stayed on mediums until lap 24 and Lewis Hamilton until lap 27, yet Leclerc still finished 15.5s behind. Norris, Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto were the only top-10 finishers to stop twice. Pirelli brought C3, C4 and C5 and rates Albert Park as fairly gentle on tires.
Stint lengths and compounds for the top 10 finishers of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, as plotted in the chart.
Official classification used for the finishing order and gaps, including Leclerc's 15.5s deficit to the winner.
Albert Park Circuit Sector by Sector and Corner by Corner
Speeds, gears and braking points below come from George Russell‘s 1:18.518 pole lap in 2026 qualifying, the first under F1’s new rules. He was at full throttle for 65% of the lap and spent 9.6 seconds on the brakes across only five braking zones. His longest flat-out run lasted 15 seconds, and the slowest point was 94 km/h at Turn 13.
FastF1 timing data for George Russell's 1:18.518 pole lap, used for the speeds, gears, braking points and sector figures
The tighter white line and barrier at the Turn 2 exit for 2026
The five Straight Mode zones, including Turns 2-3 and Turns 5-6
The predicted rise in Turn 6 speed from about 149 km/h to 219 km/h
Edd Straw on Turns 9-10 being taken more slowly under the 2026 rules
Brembo's 2024 figures for Turn 11, 4.8 g and 173 kg of pedal load
Overtake mode activation at the entry to Turn 14
History of Albert Park
Albert Park staged Grand Prix racing in the 1950s, went more than 30 years without it, and became F1’s Australian home in 1996. The current contract keeps the race here until 2037.
Covers the 1950s races, F1's arrival in 1996 and the corner widening figures from the rebuild.
Supports the 1953 and 1956 winners, the COVID cancellations, the 2024 attendance record and the contract to 2035.
Explains the removal of the old Turn 9-10 chicane and lists the five Straight Mode zones and the detection point.
How Much Does the Albert Park Circuit Cost?
Victoria's government put A$105.1m ($73.9m) into the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and A$102.3m ($71.9m) into the 2024 race, covering the gap between the event's revenue and its costs. The hosting fee is confidential, but PlanetF1 reported A$41m ($28.8m) for 2024. The biggest project is a new pit building, now budgeted at A$395m ($278m) after asbestos added A$115m ($80.8m).
How Much Does the New Albert Park Pit Building Cost?
A$395m ($278m), on the latest budget. Albert Park runs mostly on public roads around the lake, and no cost has been published for the original 1995-96 build. Its only permanent F1 structure is the pit building from 1995, which hasn't had a major upgrade since. That building is being replaced with 14 garages, a new race control and a 5,000-person Paddock Club. The budget was A$280m ($197m) until asbestos found across the site added A$115m ($80.8m). New garages are due for the 2027 race and the full building for 2028. Victoria's Auditor-General warned the overrun may force some scaling back, which could breach the F1 contract.
How Much Is the Australian Grand Prix Hosting Fee?
The fee is confidential, and the AGPC's annual reports don't itemize it. PlanetF1 put the 2024 fee at A$41m ($28.8m) in September 2026, citing annual reports, and estimated about A$48.1m ($33.8m) for 2026 by applying an 8% yearly escalator. It expects about A$60m ($42.2m) in 2027, including around A$8m ($5.6m) for the first Sprint, and more than A$110m ($77.3m) by 2037. The Victorian government pays through the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the state-owned body that promotes the race. The current deal, announced in December 2022, runs to 2037.
State funding of A$102.3m for 2024 and A$105.1m for 2025
The AGPC's revenue, spending and the government's A$102.313m contribution in 2023-24
The reported A$41m fee for 2024, the 8% escalator, the 2026 and 2027 estimates and the A$110m-plus forecast for 2037
The A$395m pit building budget, the A$280m original budget and the 2027-2028 timeline
The A$115m asbestos overrun and the Auditor-General's warning
The 1995 pit building and the new building's garages and Paddock Club
The extension to 2037, announced in December 2022
How Much Are Australian Grand Prix Tickets?
A four-day Park Pass costs AUD425 ($299), and grandstand seats start at AUD620 ($436) in the Button, Clark, Vettel, Waite and Webber stands, also for all four days. The top grandstand seat is a Piastri Premium on the main straight at AUD1,270 ($893), and three-day hospitality starts at AUD2,450 ($1,722) in the Lakeside Studio at Carousel. On 2027 prices, Melbourne is the 14th cheapest of the 23 races in our ticket price table.
Questions About Albert Park and the Australian Grand Prix
The 2022 changes made Albert Park faster and more flowing. Removing the Turn 9-10 chicane created a flat-out run of about 1.3km, and widening Turns 1, 3, 6 and 13 opened up more lines. Former driver Jolyon Palmer said it lifted the average speed of a lap that used to be more stop-start.
Albert Park’s two main overtaking spots are Turn 3 and Turn 11, both heavy braking zones at the end of fast sections. Turn 1 also produces moves on the opening lap because the widened corner allows several lines, and the five Straight Mode zones help a chasing driver stay close enough to try.
Older Albert Park lap records come from a different track. Before 2022 the lap had 16 corners, including the Turn 9-10 chicane, so times from that layout can’t be compared fairly with today’s 14-turn circuit. Charles Leclerc’s 1:19.813 from 2024 is the race lap record for the current layout.
Albert Park is a semi-permanent park circuit rather than a pure street track or a purpose-built venue. It runs on the roads around Albert Park Lake in Melbourne, a short way from the city center, and the 1950s races used a similar parkland course in the opposite direction.
Yes, the 2027 Australian Grand Prix is one of F1’s ten announced Sprint weekends, and it’ll be the first Sprint held at Albert Park. The race also moves to April 2-4, 2027, almost a month later than the March 6-8 slot it had in 2026.
Hosting the Australian Grand Prix cost Victoria’s government A$105.1m ($73.9m) in 2025 and A$102.3m ($71.9m) in 2024. The fee paid to F1 is confidential, but PlanetF1 reported A$41m ($28.8m) for 2024 and expects about A$60m ($42.2m) in 2027, when Albert Park adds a Sprint.
The new Albert Park pit building is budgeted at A$395m ($278m). The original plan was A$280m ($197m), but asbestos found across the site added A$115m ($80.8m). It replaces the 1995 pit building, with new garages due for the 2027 race and the full building, including a 5,000-person Paddock Club, for 2028.