Australian F1 Grand Prix - 2010

Circuit Information And Race Programme

The 2010 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix

Although a temporary installation, the Albert Park Formula One Circuit is unlike any other circuit, set in a beautiful park around a huge artificial lake, just to the south of Melbourne! Located close to the city centre and easily accessible by public tram.
Melbourne itself is a diverse mix of cultures and provides a great welcome every year, to people from all over the world. Famed for it's shopping and in particular for its variety of nightlife, including the largest Casino in the Southern hemisphere, Melbourne offers you a unique experience to be savoured. Not surprisingly, the drivers voted the Australian Formula One GP, as the best Formula 1 Grand Prix for 2004!

Formula One Circuit Information

General

The organisers have mastered the art of erecting excellent circuit facilities overnight, just outside the central business area of Melbourne and near the beachside district of St. Kilda.
Albert Park is neither a full time race circuit nor a street circuit, running as it does, on purpose-made roads around the park. The parkland setting and the warm Melbourne weather, combine to make the race circuit a very pleasant venue to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix from. The track surface is as green as the surrounding park; after a year of pedestrians, cycles and horses passing over the track, the grip level is poor, although it will improve throughout the race weekend. The circuit winds over roadways around the park and features a good combination of high-, medium- and low-speed corners, including a couple of chicanes and some rather difficult overtaking areas in braking zones.

What the drivers say

Most racing drivers love going to Australia, the atmosphere is nice, and it's usually the first race of the Formula 1 season. The circuit is a mix of high-speed straights and tight corners and good brakes and grip become important factors. Overtaking is quite difficult here, with the two best overtaking chances at the end of the pits straight and through the left flick of Turn 11. The track surface is very smooth, resulting in relatively low grip, particularly at the start of the weekend. Throughout the weekend however, the grip tends to pick up rapidly and it is not uncommon for the cars to be quicker during the race through the slow corners, than they have been during qualifying. Traction is of great importance and reliability is also usually an issue.

Event Program And Information

General event information

The 2010 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix is set to take place from March 26 to March 29, and promises to be a spectacular battle between the great names in F1 racing.

The event will offer something for everyone; from roving entertainers and rides, to a post-race rock concert by the legendary rock band, 'The Who'.

2010 will see the return of the V8 Supercars, an event that proved to be popular in the past. A new format will be introduced; Ford will take on Holden to battle it out for top honours in the V8 Supercars Manufacturers' Challenge.

Although not yet finalised for 2010, we have included last year's Formula 1 GP racing program, to give you an idea of what the event program could look like. We do not expect any other major changes from the previous GP program and information below.
Please take note that the following program is the previous year's Formula 1 program information, and will change for 2010. Known changes are indicated in red.

Thursday
0830	Gates open to public
0915-0930	V8 Supercars	Prizewinners hot laps
0930-0950	Aussie Racing Cars	Practice
1010-1030	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Practice
1045-1105	Australian GT	Practice
1115-1135	The Ultimate Speed Comparison	Practice - All cars
1145-1205	Historic	Demonstration
1205-1215	Red Berets Parachute Display
1220-1240	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Qualifying
1300-1320	Aussie Racing Cars	Qualifying
1340-1400	Australian GT	Qualifying
1420-1450	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Practice
1510-1530	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Race 1 (8 laps)
1540-1550	The Ultimate Speed Comparison	Demonstration #1
1600-1620	Australian GT	Race 1 (8 laps)
1625-1635	Navy Squirrel Helicopter Aerial Display
1640-1710	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Qualifying
1730-1750	Aussie Racing Cars	Race 1 (8 laps)
1900	Gates closed to public
FRIDAY MARCH 14
0830	Gates open to public
0900-0920	Celebrity Challenge	Qualifying 1
1000-1130	Formula One Practice Session 1
1140-1150	The Ultimate Speed Comparison	Demonstration #2
1155-1210	Historic	Demonstration
1215-1230	Celebrity Challenge	Qualifying 2
1230-1240	Red Berets Parachute Display
1245-1325	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Top 10 Shootout
1345-1355	Navy Squirrel Helicopter Aerial Display
1400-1530	Formula One Practice Session 2
1555-1625	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Race 1 (15 laps)
1635-1645	Porsche 917/30	Demonstration
1655-1710	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Race 2 (6 laps)
1725-1740	Australian GT	Race 2 (6 laps)
1750-1805	Aussie Racing Cars	Race 2 (6 laps)
1900	Gates closed to public
SATURDAY MARCH 15
0830	Gates open to public
0918-0930	Grand Prix Rally	Parade (2 laps)
0950-1000	Porsche 917/30	Demonstration
1005-1025	Historic	Demonstration
1040-1055	RAAF Roulettes Aerial Display
1100-1200	Formula One Practice Session 3
1215-1225	Navy Squirrel Helicopter Aerial Display
1230-1240	On Track	Demonstration
1250-1305	Celebrity Challenge	Race 1 (5 laps)
1310-1320	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge Drivers' Parade
1315-1325	Red Berets Parachute Display
1340-1350	RAAF F/A-18 Jet Aerial Display
1400-1500	Formula One Qualifying Session
1530-1600	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Race 2 (15 laps)
1615-1635	Aussie Racing Cars	Race 3 (8 laps)
1650-1700	The Ultimate Speed Comparison	Demonstration #3
1710-1730	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Race 3 (8 laps)
1745-1805	Australian GT	Race 3 (8 laps)
1900	Gates closed to public
SUNDAY MARCH 16
0830	Gates open to public
0950-1005	Historic And Exotic Marques	Parade Laps
1025-1035	The Ultimate Speed Comparison	Demonstration #4
1045-1100	Aussie Racing Cars	Race 4 (6 laps)
1120-1135	Australian GT	Race 4 (6 laps)
1155-1210	Cleanevent Carrera Cup	Race 4 (6 laps)
1230-1245	Celebrity Challenge	Race 2 (5 laps)
1250-1255	Celebrity Challenge	Parade
1250-1300	Navy Squirrel Helicopter Aerial Display
1310-1350	V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge	Race 3 (19 laps)
1355	Formula One Drivers' Photo
1400-1410	Formula One Drivers' Parade
1410	On Track	Parade lap
1420	On Track	Demonstration
1425-1435	Red Berets Parachute Display
1440-1450	RAAF Roulettes Aerial Display
1500	Formula One - Pit Lane Open
1510-1520	RAAF F/A-18 Jet Aerial Display
1515	Formula One - Pit Lane Closed & Grid Formation
1520-1522	National Anthem
1522	Qantas Jet Flyover
1530	Formula 1™ Ing Australian Grand Prix - 58 Laps	The 2010 Grand Prix starts at 1700
2200	Gates closed to public