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Circuit

Albert Park Circuit

Melbourne, Australia

Albert Park runs around a lake in a city park, a semi-permanent circuit that is smooth, quick and flowing, with a rhythm that rewards a driver willing to commit. Walls and grass edges sit close in places, so the margins tighten the harder you push, and the fast run through the middle of the lap asks for real confidence in the car. The quick changes of direction reward a car that turns in cleanly and settles fast.

Set close to central Melbourne, the circuit has a distinctive character: part street track, part road course, lined by trees and grandstands full of a passionate local crowd. It is a place drivers tend to enjoy, a fast lap on a scenic layout that flatters commitment and precision rather than outright power.

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Albert Park circuit facts

Lap record
1:19.813Charles Leclerc, 2024
First Grand Prix
1996

The gap, in metres

2026 Qualifying here. Every driver’s time gap converted to the distance it actually puts them behind at racing speed. The field covers 1932.8 m from first to last.

0100m200m300m400m500m600m700m800m900m1000m1100m1200m1300m1400m1500m1600m1700m1800m1900m2000mGeorge Russell, Mercedes: reference1George Russellreference lapKimi Antonelli, Mercedes: +0.293 = 24.1 m2Kimi Antonelli24.1 mIsack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing: +0.785 = 64.5 m3Isack Hadjar64.5 mCharles Leclerc, Ferrari: +0.809 = 66.5 m4Charles Leclerc66.5 mOscar Piastri, McLaren: +0.862 = 70.9 m5Oscar Piastri70.9 mLando Norris, McLaren: +0.957 = 78.7 m6Lando Norris78.7 mLewis Hamilton, Ferrari: +0.960 = 78.9 m7Lewis Hamilton78.9 mLiam Lawson, Racing Bulls: +1.476 = 121.4 m8Liam Lawson121.4 mGabriel Bortoleto, Audi: +1.703 = 140.0 m9Gabriel Bortoleto140.0 mNico Hulkenberg, Audi: +1.785 = 146.8 m10Nico Hulkenberg146.8 mOliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team: +1.793 = 147.4 m11Oliver Bearman147.4 mEsteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team: +1.973 = 162.2 m12Esteban Ocon162.2 mPierre Gasly, Alpine: +1.983 = 163.0 m13Pierre Gasly163.0 mAlexander Albon, Williams: +2.423 = 199.2 m14Alexander Albon199.2 mFranco Colapinto, Alpine: +2.682 = 220.5 m15Franco Colapinto220.5 mArvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls: +2.729 = 224.4 m16Arvid Lindblad224.4 mFernando Alonso, Aston Martin: +3.451 = 283.7 m17Fernando Alonso283.7 mSergio Perez, Cadillac: +4.087 = 336.0 m18Sergio Perez336.0 mValtteri Bottas, Cadillac: +4.726 = 388.6 m19Valtteri Bottas388.6 mMax Verstappen, Red Bull Racing: +23.507 = 1932.8 m20Max Verstappen1932.8 m
See the full 2026 Qualifying in 3D

On the radio here

1,048 messages recorded at this circuit, 2018 to 2025.

Every session drawn to scale

The radio archive, season by season