Formula 1: Australian Grand Prix Track Guide

Ferrari Media

Formula 1 is back for its 75th season in 2025 and race one of 24 is around Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix.

​Melbourne is hosting the season opener for the first time since 2019, with five rookies making their debut into the series for the first time. Oliver Bearman (Haas), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Jack Doohan (Alpine), Isack Hadjar (RB) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) all making their F1 debut with Kimi, Isack and Gabriel completing the entire race weekend for the first time ever.

Not only are there five rookies to watch out for, but there are plenty of team and driver swaps, too, with Lewis Hamilton to Scuderia Ferrari, Carlos Sainz to Atlassian Williams Racing, Esteban Ocon to Haas, Nico Hulkenberg to Kick Sauber and Liam Lawson to Red Bull.

Samuel Costin / Red Bull Content Pool

Australian Grand Prix Past Records

• 2024 – Polesitter Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Race Winner Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2023 – Polesitter Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Race Winner Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Polesitter Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Race Winner Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2019 – Polesitter Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Race Winner Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• 2018 – Polesitter Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Race Winner Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

Track Stats

• First Grand Prix – 1996 (first Australian Grand Prix held at Adelaide in 1985)
• Track Length – 5.278km
• Lap record – 1m 19.813s, Charles Leclerc, 2024
• Most pole positions – Lewis Hamilton (8)
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher (4)
• Trivia – Almost a third of the field retired on the first lap back in 2002 when eight cars pulled out following a dramatic multi-car collision, triggered by Ralf Schumacher’s Williams flying over the back of Rubens Barrichello’s Ferrari
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 271 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2024 – 35
• Safety Car probability – 50%
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 67%
• Pit stop time loss – 19.3 seconds (including 2.5s stationary)

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Race Weekend Timings (UK)

Thursday March 13

• 9.50pm: F3 Practice 
• 11.00pm: F2 Practice

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Friday March 14

• 1.30am: Formula 1 Free Practice One
• 3.00am: F3 Qualifying
• 5.00am: Formula 1 Free Practice Two
• 6.30am: F2 Qualifying

Saturday March 15

• 12.15am: F3 Sprint Race
• 1.30am: Formula 1 Free Practice Three
• 3.15am: F2 Sprint Race
• 5am: AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix QUALIFYING
• 10.00pm: F3 Feature Race

Sunday March 16

• 12.25am: F2 Feature Race
• 4.00am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX