Melbourne F1 Tickets

History of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1985, where it was held in Adelaide before being replaced by Albert Park, the circuit we know and love today, in 1996. Adelaide was often the final event in the F1 calendar, but the move to Melbourne brought it to one of the first races of each season. As a result, Albert Park has seen the first-ever races of Jacques Villeneuve, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen. In 2024, the Melbourne Grand Prix sold out for the first time, so it’s recommended to secure your tickets today. Grab your Australian Grand Prix tickets for 2026 to see Hadjar’s first race for Red Bull, the debut of Lindblad (Racing Bulls) and the entrance of the new F1 team Cadillac with experienced drivers Bottas and Perez.

The news of the Australian GP moving to Albert Park in Melbourne was met with protests. ‘Save Albert Park’ resisted the GP on the basis of a public park being shut for over a week per year and that the economic benefits were rarely seen by the locals.

After Melbourne’s unsuccessful bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the city was motivated to host a major sporting event and former F1 President, Bernie Ecclestone, suggested the deal with Melbourne took less than 10 minutes to complete.

Albert Park has held the Australian Grand Prix ever since the deal was agreed – and over 400,000 people attended the opening weekend. Made up of public roads and a car park, it was inspired by the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix.

In 2020, at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire paddock was in Australia and preparing to race. Ferrari and AlphaTauri were concerned about leaving their quarantine zone in Italy and a mechanic for McLaren tested positive. The plan was to run the event without spectators, but with two hours to go, the entire Grand Prix was cancelled.

Extended restrictions meant there was no Australian Grand Prix in 2021. When the paddock returned in 2022, the track had been reworked and re-surfaced to encourage overtaking and higher speeds.

Last year’s event was the first Australian Grand Prix to ever sell out of tickets, with a record 450,000 spectators making it the highest-attended sporting event in Melbourne – and fourth highest-attended race in F1 history. So the best time to grab your tickets for Melbourne F1 2026 is right now!

How to Buy Melbourne F1 Grand Prix 2026 Tickets

Fanatix is the place to secure your 2026 Melbourne Grand Prix tickets.

Australian Grand Prix Information

2026 Melbourne Grand Prix Schedule

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix runs from March 6-8. Times provided are local:

• Friday 6th 12:30-13:30: Practice 1
• Friday 6th 16:00-17:00: Practice 2
• Saturday 7th 12:30-13:30: Practice 3
• Saturday 7th 16:00-17:00: Qualifying
• Sunday 8th 15:00: Race

Previous Winners

2025 Australian Grand Prix Summary

Lando Norris won a chaotic Melbourne Grand Prix after a masterclass in strategy and wet-weather driving. Despite a late-race mistake that allowed Max Verstappen to close the gap, Norris held on to secure his fifth career victory, while George Russell claimed third for Mercedes.
The race was defined by late-race drama when a heavy downpour on lap 44 caught out the leaders. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc stayed out on slick tires for too long, a decision that proved disastrous and dropped them down the order, with Hamilton eventually finishing 10th. In contrast, 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli surged from 16th on the grid to finish a remarkable fourth after a penalty for an unsafe release was overturned.
Earlier in the race, multiple interruptions saw several drivers fail to finish. Jack Doohan, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto all crashed out in separate incidents. Oscar Piastri also suffered a spin during the rain but recovered to finish ahead of Hamilton, helping McLaren solidify their championship lead alongside Norris’s victory.

Repeat winners

4 – Michael Schumacher (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004)
3 – Jenson Button (2009, 2010, 2012)
3 – Sebastian Vettel (2011, 2017, 2018)
2 – Alain Prost (1986, 1988)
2 – Gerhard Berger (1987, 1992)
2 – Ayrton Senna (1991, 1993)
2 – Damon Hill (1995, 1996)
2 – David Coulthard (1997, 2003)
2 – Kimi Räikkönen (2007, 2013)
2 – Lewis Hamilton (2008, 2015)
2 – Nico Rosberg (2014, 2016)

Circuit information

Location: Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, 3206
Surface: Asphalt
Length: 5.278 km (3.280 miles)
Turns: 14
Direction: Clockwise
Capacity: 125,000 (44,000 seating)

Best grandstands at the Australian Grand Prix

Main Straight (Fangio Grandstand)

• TV screens, allocated seating and partially covered
• The place to be for the buildup of a race. You won’t see much overtaking here, due to a relatively short start/finish straight, but it’s ideal for witnessing the podium celebrations
• Cheaper than other grandstands and close to food, drink and merchandise vendors

Turns 1 & 2 (Moss, Jones & Brabham Grandstands)

• TV screen & allocated seating
• The best place for overtaking opportunities. Most of the dramatic action at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix took place here
• The Moss grandstand is the most affordable option of the three, offering great views without the frills of Brabham
• The Jones Grandstand has good views, but they’re limited by Melbourne’s low-hanging trees, so try not to sit too high

Turn 3 (Hill & Ricciardo Grandstands)

• TV screens, allocated seating, partially covered
• Perfect overtaking hotspot and a common place for drama
• The Ricciardo Grandstand doesn’t have any gravel traps in front of the barrier, so you feel incredibly close to the action
• These are not the cheapest tickets, but are far cheaper than options at Turns 1 & 2

Travelling to Melbourne

Key information

• There is no parking at the Australian GP – we don’t recommend driving
• More than 4,800 extra tram services will be running as often as every 1-2 minutes – these are free with your Grand Prix ticket
• Flights will likely arrive at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL)
• More uncommon flights may arrive at Avalon Airport (AVV), which can be cheaper but it’s 34 miles from the circuit, compared to just 12 miles from MEL
• A Myki card is the best way to pay for any additional travel on buses, trams or trains. Simply touch on and off and payment will be deducted from your pre-loaded balance

Bus

• From Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL), take the 478, 482 or 901 buses and expect the journey to take approximately 60 minutes
• Shuttle buses are available during race weekends and run every 15 minutes, taking approximately 30 minutes from the airport

Taxi

• Taxis are quite expensive in Melbourne. Journeys start at AU$4.20 plus AU$1.62 per kilometre
• It’s common for you to be asked for your fare before the journey
• A taxi or Uber from MEL to the circuit will cost approximately AU$65 and will take around 30 minutes
• A taxi or Uber from AVV to the circuit will cost approximately AU$80-120
• For a rapid exit from the circuit, leave via Gates 1 and 2 on Canterbury Road, Gates 3 and 5 on Albert Road, Gate 8 on St Kilda Road or Gate 10 on Fitzroy Street and jump in a taxi. There’ll be a surcharge, but it can be less hectic than the tram

Tram

• The most popular way for F1 fans to navigate Melbourne
• Get real-time updates using the tramTRACKER app
• There is a free tram for all ticket holders
• Trams depart every 3-5 minutes during a race weekend

Home driver to look out for

Oscar Piastri
Team: McLaren Racing
Car number: 81
Seasons active (races driven at the start of the season): 4 (70)
Wins: 9
Podiums: 26
Pole positions: 6
Fastest laps: 9
2023 Australian GP result: P8
2024 Australian GP result: P4
2025 Australian GP result: P9
2025 Championship position: 3th (410 points)