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.
The gap, in metres
2026 Qualifying here. Each driver’s time gap converted to the distance it actually puts them behind at racing speed.
| # | Driver | Gap | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | reference | — |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | +0.293 | 24.1 m |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | +0.785 | 64.5 m |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | +0.809 | 66.5 m |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | +0.862 | 70.9 m |
| 6 | Lando Norris | +0.957 | 78.7 m |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | +0.960 | 78.9 m |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | +1.476 | 121.4 m |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | +1.703 | 140.0 m |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | +1.785 | 146.8 m |
Across the full field, George Russell to Max Verstappen covers 1932.8 m.
See the full 2026 Qualifying drawn to scaleOn the radio here
1,048 messages recorded at this circuit, 2018 to 2025.
- “They're okay. I mean little bits in the last sector I actually think have some dry patches But some bits are still pretty pretty wet 100% in throughout the minute. Definitely not close to the wet But if it stays like this, it will dry up at some point if it doesn't rain Okay, understood”Lando NORRIS · 2025 Race
- “If we accept the break, we might need to pit for new. Bear in mind, we would currently lose positions for doing that. Max, we're expecting the weather to start clearing in 10 minutes. If you can hold on.”Max VERSTAPPEN · 2025 Race
- “From the replays looks like doing lost it on straight just by putting a wheel on the white lines. Just watch the painted lines Yeah, I almost did the same So yeah, they're quite slippery”Kimi ANTONELLI · 2025 Race
- “To avoid the denied DRS, we suggest upshift and then DRS. Please leave it. Yes, please leave it. I'm running the car as we go, mate. Just leave me to it with the DRS. It's not an issue.”Lewis HAMILTON · 2025 Race