Melbourne fought hard to win the right to stage the Australian Grand Prix, overcoming stern protests from the environmental lobby, and provided a memorable first race in the superb settings of Albert Park. Facilities are excellent, and novel; a "shuttle boat" moves photographers around the vantage points using the major central lake.
Albert Park staged racing in the 1950s , including two events called the Australian Grand Prix but not counting towards the World Championship.
The new circuit presents a longer than average lap to grand prix drivers, with an interesting combination of fast, flowing corners, and a tight "hairpin" type bend system onto the start-finish straight.
