G'day, mate, welcome to Australia! What you need to know ahead of the F1 race Down Under

The Australian Grand Prix is here, and the Formula 1 season is ready for the third round of what is shaping up to be one extraordinary season.

Though the two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are miles ahead of their rivals, the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso has proven to be the next quickest car, and all the signs point to the Spaniard possibly challenging the duo ahead of him.

And the Albert Park Circuit could be an opportunity for Alonso to ruffle a few Red Bull feathers. However, it will take a mammoth effort to disrupt Red Bull, who are comfortably on top.

Track history

The F1 Australian Grand Prix used to be held in Adelaide, but after its last appearance in 1995, the F1 circus moved to Melbourne at the start of the 1996 season - just four months after Adelaide. F1 and Australian officials signed the agreement for the city of Melbourne to host the sport in 1993, with it coming to fruition a few years later.

But the racetrack in Melbourne had a unique setup: it would be staged at the city's Albert Park, running through Aughtie Drive and Lakeside Drive, with a detour through the Lakeside Stadium's car park. The Albert Park Circuit was, then, effectively a street circuit, albeit with a slightly different nature to Monaco's - a street circuit the sport had been accustomed to at the time.

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The Australian GP first appeared on the F1 calendar in 1985, with Adelaide hosting the first 11 races and Melbourne the next 25. Covid-19 prevented the race from occurring in 2020 and 2021, but it returned with a vengeance last year.

While the circuit is exciting, it provides a unique challenge to drivers and teams, and the slightest