Formula One returns to Australia and Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend much to the delight of fans Down Under.
One of the most recognised circuits on the F1 calendar, the Australian Grand Prix moved to this venue back in 1996 and has witnessed some famous moments ever since.
From Michael Schumacher's dominance to Mark Webber's dream home debut in 2002 and three wins in four years for Jenson Button, Albert Park has delivered the goods consistently and more entertainment is promised this weekend.
From circuit stats to previous results, The Sporting News tells you everything you need to know about the Australian Grand Prix and its history.
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Albert Park Circuit facts and layout
- First Grand Prix hosted: 1996
- Numbers of laps: 58
- Circuit length: 5.278km
- Total race distance: 306.124km
- Lap record: 1:20.260 by Charles Leclerc in 2022
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Five interesting facts about the Australian Grand Prix
- Since it was first run back in 1928, 23 different venues have been used to host the Australian Grand Prix.
- Due to its location in a Melbourne park, it takes around 290,000 man hours every year to erect the track and surroundings.
- The 2007 Australian Grand Prix was the only time, other than the first F1 race, where every driver on the podium was making their maiden appearance for their team. Kimi Raikkonen won on his Ferrari debut with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton both finishing in the top three for McLaren.
- No Australian has ever won a home Grand Prix.
- The lowest starting position from which a driver has won the Australian GP is 11th, achieved by both David Coulthard in 2003 and Eddie Irvine in 1999.
Full schedule for 2023 Australian Grand Prix
Here's the full list for the upcoming 2023 Australian Grand Prix, including start times for practice, qualifying and race day.
| Date | Session | Time (ET) | Time (BST) | Time (AEDT) |
| Friday, March 31 | Practice 1 | 21:30 (Thurs, Mar 30) | 02:30 | 12:30 |
| Friday, March 31 | Practice 2 | 01:00 | 06:00 | 16:00 |
| Saturday, April 1 | Practice 3 | 21:30 (Fri, March 31) | 02:30 | 12:30 |
| Saturday, April 1 | Qualifying | 01:00 | 06:00 | 16:00 |
| Sunday, April 2 | Race | 01:00 | 06:00 | 16:00 |
F1 2023 Australian Grand Prix ticket prices, availability
Despite most of the tickets for this year's Australian Grand Prix already being sold out, there are some options left for F1 lovers.
Fans can still purchase a four-day Park Pass for $250, while tickets for Friday's practice sessions can still be picked up for $105 for many of the track's grandstands.
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F1 2023 Australian Grand Prix TV channel, live stream
List of TV providers for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV Channel | Sky Sports F1 | ESPN/ABC | TSN (English); RDS (French) | Fox Sports |
List of live stream providers for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Live Stream | NOW TV / Sky Go app | ESPN+, Fubo | TSN Direct | Kayo |
Odds for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix
Just like on the first two race days of the season, Max Verstappen is the heavy favourite for this next race in Melbourne, just ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The pair are followed by Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso, who the bookmakers currently favour ahead of the rest of the pack with Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and George Russell all following quite a distant back.
Full list of odds for drivers to win the 2023 Australian Grand Prix
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), Neds (Australia) and Dafabet (India). Odds correct as of March 28.
| Driver | BetMGM | Sports Interaction |
SkyBet | Neds | Dafabet |
| Max Verstappen | -118 | 1.35 | 1/3 | 1.36 | 1.35 |
| Sergio Perez | +350 | 4.01 | 4/1 | 5.50 | 5.25 |
| Fernando Alonso | +500 | 9.00 | 9/1 | 9.00 | 9.00 |
| Lance Stroll | +1000 | 50.00 | 100/1 | 81.00 | 101.00 |
| Charles Leclerc | +1200 | 11.00 | 20/1 | 17.00 | 19.00 |
| Carlos Sainz | +2500 | 15.00 | 40/1 | 34.00 | 41.00 |
| George Russell | +2500 | 27.00 | 40/1 | 34.00 | 34.00 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +2500 | 23.00 | 25/1 | 23.00 | 26.00 |
| Lando Norris | +8000 | 751.00 | 750/1 | 751 | 901 |
| Esteban Ocon | +8000 | 257.00 | 250/1 | 251 | 401 |
| Pierre Gasly | +8000 | 257.00 | 250/1 | 251 | 401 |
| Oscar Piastri | +8000 | 751.00 | 1000/1 | 751 | 901 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +15000 | 1001.00 | 1000/1 | 1501 | 1251 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | +15000 | 1001.00 | 1000/1 | 1501 | 1251 |
| Alex Albon | +15000 | 2001.00 | 1500/1 | 1501 | 1501 |
| Zhou Guanyu | +20000 | 2001.00 | 1000/1 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +20000 | 1001.00 | 1000/1 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Nyck de Vries | +25000 | 2001.00 | 2000/1 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +25000 | 2001.00 | 2000/1 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Logan Sargeant | +25000 | 2001.00 | 2000/1 | 2001 | 2001 |
Past winners at the Australian Grand Prix
Here's a list of the previous 20 race winners by driver and constructor. The Australian Grand Prix was first held all the way back in 1928 before it first appeared of the official F1 calendar in 1985.
Ferrari have won this race the most times of any constructor with 13, while Michael Schumacher holds the most race victories of any driver during the F1 era with four.
| Year | Winning Driver | Winning Constructor |
| 2000 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 2001 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 2002 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 2003 | David Coulthard | McLaren |
| 2004 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 2005 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault |
| 2006 | Fernando Alonso | Renault |
| 2007 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari |
| 2008 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren |
| 2009 | Jenson Button | Brawn-Mercedes |
| 2010 | Jenson Button | McLaren |
| 2011 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull |
| 2012 | Jenson Button | McLaren |
| 2013 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari |
| 2014 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 2015 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2016 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 2017 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
| 2018 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
| 2019 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
| 2020 | Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021 | Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2022 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
Weather for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix
Over the years the Australian Grand Prix has experienced all kinds of different weather from hot and sunny conditions to heavy rain with strong gusts.
This time around it looks like Albert Park is set for mixed conditions throughout the race weekend.
Latest reports suggest that we could see spells of rain for practice, though both qualifying and the race should be largely dry with a risk of showers.