Melbourne has been established as an early season Formula 1 highlight since supremo Ron Walker won the race from Adelaide in 1996. If Adelaide was popular then Melbourne soon proved even more so. A party atmosphere and pre-season optimism combine with an excellent temporary circuit around the artificial lake in Albert Park. First suggested in 1934, the circuit hosted the Australian GP in 1954 and 1956, Stirling Moss’s Maserati 250F leading that latter race from start-to-finish in Melbourne’s Olympic year. Unlike many other such venues, it is fast and wide, allowing for good racing, and it is only a short tram ride from downtown Melbourne. It was here that Jacques Villeneuve almost won on his GP debut in 1996, and David Coulthard controversially ceded victory to McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen in 1998. Tragedy struck Melbourne in 2001 when debris from Villeneuve’s somersaulting car killed marshal Graham Beveridge. The race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 (when a faster revised layout was originally due to be adopted) due to the coronavirus pandemic.
