Your guide to the Australian Grand Prix - Presented by OKX
“We’re determined to improve the car and unlock as much performance as possible”
G’day! How ya goin’?
We’re stoked! That’s because we’re racing at the Albert Park Circuit, which takes a bunch of our favourite parts of a racing location and puts them all together in one place. A beautiful park, located on the beach, surrounded by high-rise buildings in the heart of Australia’s second-largest city. And it’s a city that absolutely adores motor racing.
Whilst we make the (approximately) 16,911.96km-long trip from England to Melbourne – that’s around 3,206 laps of the Albert Park Circuit – we’ve prepared a fact file full of information on the Australian Grand Prix for you. It features a guide to the circuit, the key stats, some fit tips, and quotes from drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Team Principal Andrea Stella.
Critical info
| Round | 3 |
| Where | Albert Park Circuit |
| When | 31 March - 2 April |
| Lights out | 15:00 local / 06:00 MTC |
| Follow | TEAMStream and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio |
"I’m looking forward to being back in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. I made my Formula 1 debut at Albert Park in 2019, so it’s a special race for me and one I scored points at last year on the new circuit layout.
"After a frustrating weekend in Jeddah, I've been looking forward to getting back on track to make some positive steps forward. I’ve spent time at the factory working hard with the team to prepare myself and the sessions we’ve put in on the sim have been beneficial. The focus is on improving race by race and we’re going to fight hard with the aim of securing a successful result this weekend."
"It's great to be heading to Melbourne for my home grand prix. I grew up in the suburbs of the city and it is a special feeling to be returning as an F1 driver. It is set to be a fantastic atmosphere and I can’t wait to get there and be a part of it. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the home crowd and all of the papaya fans. This will be the first time that I've raced at Albert Park and I’m sure it will be an experience that I remember. The weather is usually changeable here so it could be an interesting one.
"Securing a starting position of P8 in my second-ever F1 quali and ticking another box by finishing a full grand prix was extremely satisfying in Jeddah, although Sunday was not seamless. There is a long way to go this season. We’ll keep on pushing hard as a team and my learning curve continues."
Aussie rules
Call us psychic, but in last year’s preview, we estimated that alterations to Albert Park would make the circuit around five seconds quicker a lap, and we were pretty much spot on, with the fastest lap in the 2022 Australian Grand Prix 5.32s quicker than in 2019.
The 2022 layout changes – the first since F1’s debut at the track in 1996 – aimed to improve overtaking and make one of F1’s fastest circuits even faster: width was adjusted, corners were removed, and the notoriously bumpy surface was made smoother.
Set around Melbourne’s Albert Park, the greenery surrounding the 5.275km temporary circuit gives it something of a purpose-built feel, unlike tracks such as Monaco and Azerbaijan, which are very much set within the streets of a city. However, it still retains many of the defining characteristics of a classic street circuit, such as the unforgiving nature of the barriers that enclose various parts of the track.
Track evolution is another reminder that the tarmac is also used by road cars, with lap times improving throughout the weekend as debris is swept clear of the racing line and the cars lay down more rubber.
Another reminder is the towering Melbourne skyline, which, combined with the stunning Albert Park Lake, makes for a great backdrop to racing.
Australia from the archives
Last time out
It’s been a tricky start to the season with a difficult season opener in Bahrain followed up by our fair share of misfortune in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Oscar made contact with Gasly on the opening lap, and the resulting debris struck Lando. Both drivers were forced to pit for a new nosebox and returned at the back of the field. Although Oscar managed to make it up to 15th and Lando 17th, there was too much to do to be able to turn it around.
We performed well on this circuit last year, with Lando and Daniel Ricciardo finishing fifth and sixth at the end of an entertaining race. Heading to Australia for Oscar’s first home race as an F1 driver, we’ll be fighting for a more positive result than in Rounds 1 and 2.
Setting the scene
Known as Australia’s sports and culture capital, Melbourne is an outstanding location to stage a grand prix. It’s the country’s second-largest city and is particularly famous for its art and music scenes. Australia as a whole is renowned for its stunning sandy beaches, and the Albert Park Circuit is based within a couple of kilometres of the beautiful St Kilda beach. Although it’s currently Autumn in Australia, so temperatures won’t be at their hottest. In terms of food, Australians are famous for their barbecuing abilities, so we’d suggest sampling some of their open-air cooking.
"We are pleased to be returning to Melbourne and the Australian Grand Prix. This will be Oscar’s first home race in his Formula 1 career, and we look forward to getting back to the passionate Australian fans and scoring the first points of this 2023 season.
"It was a bittersweet experience last time out. We were pleased to see Oscar make Q3 in Jeddah, and we could have been competitive in the race. However, we had to change the front wings on both cars after one lap, which put us in a difficult position.
"We’re determined to improve the car and unlock as much performance as possible throughout the season. The season is long and there will be plenty of opportunities, starting from the next round at Albert Park."
Set your alarms
| Free Practice 1 | 18:30 PT / 02:30 BST / 12:30 AET |
| Free Practice 2 | 22:00 PT / 06:00 BST / 16:00 AET |
| Free Practice 3 | 18:30 PT / 02:30 BST / 12:30 AET |
| Qualifying | 22:00 PT / 06:00 BST / 16:00 AET |
| Race | 22:00 PT / 06:00 BST / 15:00 AET |
Stat pack
-
We’re the most successful team at the circuit for Formula 1 Grand Prix wins, with 11
-
Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, David Coulthard, Mika Häkkinen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have all won the Australia Grand Prix in McLaren colours
-
Senna’s final F1 victory came in the 1993 Australian Grand Prix
-
Coulthard’s final F1 victory came in Australia in 2003. He started 11th, which makes him the lowest starting driver to have won an F1 race at Albert Park
-
Lando made his F1 racing debut at Albert Park in 2019
-
Prost secured his second F1 World Championship title in Australia in 1986
-
This will be Oscar’s first home race for McLaren, but he has never previously raced on the Albert Park Circuit
The fit: Oscar's Aussie range
With this being Oscar’s first home race, you’ll doubtlessly want to show your support for our awesome Aussie by wearing some of his first McLaren merch. Oscar was born in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, and his Australian range is inspired by his hometown.
Oscar attended his first Australian Grand Prix in 2014, and we bet he’d love to have been kitted out in one of his eden green tees, or, if the weather required it, the matching hoodie, both complete with his racing number 81.
