When the F1 circus comes to town
It all begins with an idea.
Albert Park lights up once a year to host the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and it’s a crazy, exciting experience for all involved. Here’s my ultimate guide to Melbourne when the F1 is in town, which is usually at the start of the F1 calendar in March.
Grandstand or General Admission?
Before you head to Melbourne, you need to decide what type of tickets you want. General Admission tickets (GA) give holders access to everywhere except for the grandstands around Albert Park to watch every practice session, qualifying and the race.
These tickets were perfect for my ten friends and I to see the cars on tracks from somewhere different every session (we’re big fans of Turn 10) but there is a lot of standing, walking and people.
GA tickets come to $180 for 4 days, we got concession prices for $110 from presale (an absolute steal for the university students).
If you want reserved seating for the weekend, the Australian Grand Prix has 20 grandstands around the circuit that each vary from $327 at the cheapest in the Waite Grandstand to $602 at the most expensive at the Prost Premium Grandstand for the whole weekend.
Each has their positive and negatives, but tickets will go on sale soon after the 2023 Provisional Calendar goes live.
How to get to Albert Park Circuit
Albert Park Circuit is 5.6km from the CBD and 12 minutes on the tram that travels from Southern Cross train station multiple times every hour.
On the Formula 1 weekend, the schedules do change, and lines wrap around the blocks to get in – but if you leave yourself at least an hour, you’ll make it to the circuit with the crowd.
And trust me, you’ll make some fun friends as well, I looked out for people wearing the same merch as me.
General Admission ticket holders will get off first, right next to the Melbourne Sports Centre and Gate Four while if you have a grandstand ticket, you’ll want to stay on the tram till you can get off at Gate One.
Getting to Melbourne
From Sydney, the flight to Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport is an hour and a half or if you’re brave, you and your friends can drive for the 10-hour trip if you step on the throttle.
“Bringing a car for 10 people was a great idea; we could park, pay $25 for all-day parking and stay out of the city for a cheaper weekend,” said Haylee Hulbert, whose first Grand Prix experience was this year.
Flights around the weekend do inflate, but Jetstar can get you round trips for under $200 if you get in early.
Staying in Melbourne
Suburbs surrounding Albert Park include St Kilda, Melbourne CBD, Prahran and Port Melbourne but if you can find somewhere that you can walk to and from the track, this will be the life saviour of your trip since the tram gets SUPER busy at the end of each day.
These suburbs also have your restaurants and food for the weekend – since Albert Park only has food trucks stationed around the circuit.
“If you can afford to cash out the money, most of the drivers stay in the Crowne Casino and/or the Pullman Hotel, so if you want to catch a glimpse of the drivers, this is your best bet,” said Nadine Armstrong, Motorsport Journalist for Drive.com.au who has been to the F1 in Melbourne every year since 2012.
“But do remember, be respectful if you ever approach the drivers and team members!”
HOT TIP FROM SOPH
Melbourne is one of the only tracks in the year with a specific walk, dubbed ‘Melbourne Walk’, up to the Paddock that every driver and team member will walk through. So come prepared early in the morning (or stake out late like we did) with a sharpie and something to sign, you're very likely to see your favourite drivers.