|
Albert Park in Melbourne was used for a non-Championship Australian GP as early as 1953, the first year the circuit was used. As the name suggests, it was laid out in a park and ran around a lake. Melbourne boasts that it is the sporting capital of Australia, it had hosted the Olympic games, and city officials and businessmen lured the Australian GP away from Melbourne from 1996.
A medium-fast circuit with some extremely long sweeping curves over its 2.349 miles, Albert Park immediately became as popular as the slower circuit at Adelaide had been. The main difference wa that whereas Adelaide had hosted the final race of the year, Melbourne hosted the opening round therefore, 1995-6, two Australian GPs were run consecutively.
Giancarlo Fisichella describes a lap of the Melbourne circuit: "In qualifying I approach turns 1 & 2 (Brabham Stand) at over 185 mph (300 kph) and have to brake very hard (over 4g) down to 75 mph (120 kph) in 2nd gear. I then accelerate along Aughtie Drive up to turn 3, a tight right-hander which forms part of a complex of 3 corners (turns 3,4 & 5) taken respectively in 1st, 3rd and 4th gears. It's important to get a smooth rhythm through this section so as to maintain speed for a good exit.
I then accelerate to Turn 6 reaching around 175 mph (280 kph) in 5th gear before dropping down to 2nd gear for this right-hand corner. Then the long sweeping right-hand turn 8 (Lauda Stand) which I take flat, leads to turn 9 (Clark Stand) where I need to brake heavily down to 60 mph (100 kph) in 2nd gear.
Another long sweeping curve (Turn 10) leads to turns 11 and 12 (Waite Stand) which form one of the most challenging parts of the circuit as I have to take them in 5th gear at just under 125 mph (200 kph). You need good high speed stability and change of direction for these two corners. Leading up to turn 13 (Ascari Stand) the car reaches nearly 185 mph (300 kph) before I brake hard again to 2nd gear to take the corner at around 70mph (115 kph).
There is then a short straight that leads to turn 14 (Stewart Stand) where I reach 4th gear and hold it throughout the 110 mph (180 kph) turn. Very shortly after this turn I brake down to the slowest corner, turn 15 (Prost Stand) which is taken at around 45 mph (70 kph) in 1st gear.
This is very quickly followed by the 100 mph (160 kph) 3rd gear final corner (Turn 16) which leads back on to the pit straight."
|
