Ever since the Melbourne circuit took over from Adelaide as the venue for the Australian Grand Prix, this race has taken the mantle of being the opening event of the season from being the last race of the year. In the last 14 years, Melbourne has opened the championship season 13 times. For 2010, Bahrain has snatched that honour away from the Australian track yet again.
Interestingly, ten of the fourteen race winners in Melbourne have gone on to win the Drivers’ World Championship of that year, including the 2006 season when the event was third on the timetable.
Located in Albert Park, the circuit surrounds an artificial lake and is laced with several high-speed and fast flowing corners. Due to this, overtaking is fairly difficult. However, a few turns do provide an opportunity for wheel-to-wheel racing, especially in the relatively slower third sector.
The Australian GP is scheduled in the twilight hours under the current contract starting at 5pm local time as opposed to the standard mid-afternoon period. The city has always fought for the event, not only to host the first race on the calendar but also in recent times due to strong opposition from the environmental lobby and financial concerns. Melbourne has overcome all its challenges and is set to hold a grand prix until 2015.