The Melbourne Grand Prix 2024 is just around the corner, with practice kicking off this Friday. It’s already been a big year for Formula 1, which included everything from a sexting scandal to the shocking news that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes, and now the action is right here in Australia.
So from the pit stop to the race track, here’s everything you need to know on how to make sure you don’t miss a moment.
When is the Melbourne Grand Prix?
We’re getting close to this year’s Melbourne Grand Prix dates. F1 practices will begin at 12:30pm on Friday, running through until 1:30pm Saturday, and qualifying will run from 4pm-5pm on Saturday. As for the big race itself, the Australian Grand Prix start time is 3pm on Sunday March 24, with racing lasting about three hours.
Friday, March 22
12.30pm-1.30pm: F1 Practice 1
2pm – 2pm: Formula 3 Qualifying
4pm-5pm: F1 Practice 2
5.30pm – 6pm: Formula 2 Qualifying
Saturday, March 23
11.15am – 12pm: Formula 3 Sprint Race
12.30pm-1.30pm: F1 Practice 3
2.15pm – 3.05pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
4pm-5pm: F1 Qualifying
Sunday, March 24
9.05am – 9.50am: Formula 3 Feature Race
11.35am – 12.35pm: Formula 2 Feature Race
1pm-1.30pm: F1 drivers’ parade
3pm-6pm: F1 race (58 laps)
Where to watch the Melbourne Formula 1
You can catch every moment of the Australian Grand Prix, including the practices, qualifying and race, live on Foxtel and Kayo.
Sunday’s race will also be broadcast free-to-air on Channel 10 and streaming service 10 Play.
If you want to see the action in person, tickets are always an option. A very limited number of race tickets remain available through the Formula 1 website, but experience packages are currently sold out.
Otherwise, those in Melbourne can head down to Federal Square to see The Atrium get taken over by the Williams F1 Racing team. The free event will not only screen all the action on Saturday and Sunday, but also offers a chance for fans to interact with the team and see its heritage, before testing their skills on a professional F1 eSports simulator.
What does the Melbourne Grand Prix circuit look like?
The circuit is 5.278km long, meaning drivers cover 306.124 km over 58 laps. The Melbourne Grand Prix map shows a 14-corner circuit that uses a mixture of existing roads around Albert Park, mainly Aughtie Drive and Lakeside Drive, as well as a quick trip through the Lakeside Stadium car park.
Who will be racing in the 2024 Melbourne F1?
Current driver standings have Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in first place with 51 points. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) is in second place with 36 points, followed by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) coming in third with 28 points.
Other drivers currently in the top ten include George Russell (4th, Mercedes), Oscar Piastri (5th, McLaren), Carlos Sainz (6th, Ferrari), Fernando Alonso (7th, Aston Martin), Lando Norris (8th, McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (9th, Mercedes) and Oliver Bearman (10th, Ferrari).
Melbourne Grand Prix track: Your questions answered
Is the Melbourne Grand Prix track permanent?
The Melbourne F1 track is made up entirely of public roads and carparks, meaning it is only there temporarily before things go back to normal. But it’s no easy task to set up, taking about 290,000 man hours over four weeks to bring the circuit up to F1 standards, including barriers, grandstands and fencing.
Is Albert Park a good track?
The track is considered by drivers to be fairly demanding and tricky, being one of the fastest on the Formula 1 calendar and also containing many challenging corners. However, it remains very popular among fans and drivers alike.
What is the top speed of the F1 track in Melbourne?
Top speeds recorded at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit can exceed 330 kmh. Sergio Perez bagged the circuit’s top speed in 2023 when he hit 341kmh, and even managed to average 333kmh on his fastest 15 laps.
How long does it take to do a lap of Albert Park?
The fastest time to cover the track was set by Max Verstappen at 1:16.73 in the lead up to the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. However, the fastest in-race record was set by teammate Sergio Perez in 2023, at 1:20.235.
