Australian GP was a template for modern F1. But where does it fit on the calendar?

It’s clearly a city that is proud of that aspect of its offering, and far from viewing the race as something that simply has to fit into the wider picture, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation made a significant investment to try and improve the hardest part of all – the track itself.

Perhaps that eagerness is driven by the knowledge of how quickly the race could disappear from its grasp, given the way Melbourne swooped in back in the mid-1990s itself, but it has to be admired. There has long been one thing missing from Albert Park and that’s great racing, with the event itself and atmosphere never in question.

And the circuit changes did see an improvement in racing. There were moves into Turn 1, others into Turn 3 and cars heading side-by-side at top speed towards the rapid change of direction at what is now Turn 9 and Turn 10, resulting in more than one off-track moment. It appeared to be a less popular spot, but the reprofiled Turn 11 also enticed the odd dive to the inside under braking.

The whole thing was the dream scenario for F1’s owners, because it completely fits the template of what Liberty Media wants to the sport to be. A huge, well-run grand prix in the middle of a major global city. where hundreds of thousands of people flock for their country’s biggest event of the year.

Throw in some good racing and there’s very little that Melbourne is missing. Given the success of this year’s race, it really would seem like a stretch to believe any potential talks with Sydney would be allowed to progress far, as Victoria will surely double down on its investment.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can be learned. While Melbourne might provide a template to other locations in terms of how to be a successful sporting city, it still remains a heck of a long way from any other grand prix on the calendar. To have it as a standalone race – and not the first of the year at the very least – is crazy.

F1 is in the very early stages of its record-breaking 23-race calendar that has drawn significant amounts of criticism from many who work in the sport due to the demands it is placing on them. And yet in just the third round they are already being physically tested by a journey that is literally halfway across the world (you’ll struggle to find any route that took less than 24 hours in each direction) for just six hours of track action.

“I think Melbourne as a season opener was really cool, because everybody came out here early,” George Russell admitted at the weekend. “And it was a lot of excitement and anticipation, but I think having Melbourne in between races, especially as a standalone is too tough for the teams and everybody. People came out on Saturdays and Sundays to get acclimatised to the conditions, to the time zone change and it’s just too much I think.

“I think it needs to be thought about more. I think there’s no reason why we couldn’t do it back-to-back with one of the Middle Eastern races. But it feels like another double header for all of the teams with the amount of time they spend in this part of the world. And as the season is getting longer and longer, we need to find a better balance.”

It might seem like a small point, but it’s an important one, as F1 looks to continue its growth. The race itself is a massive highlight of which the sport should be proud, but it’s got to help it by being sensible with its scheduling.

There’s not a lot else Melbourne can do, and it shouldn’t have to. If an event like that can’t be a commercial success and a mainstay on the calendar, then the sport has a real problem.