$20 MILLION UPGRADE FOR AGP TRACK

A $20 million upgrade of the Australian Grand Prix circuit is underway, with changes set to make it one of the top five fastest tracks in Formula 1.

Seven of the Albert Park lakeside street course’s corners are being modified to increase overtaking opportunities and make the layout much quicker.

Work is in progress to change the track well ahead of the postponed AGP, rescheduled for November 18-21.

Two corners have been removed, cutting it from 16 to 14 turns and marginally reducing the lap length from 5.303 km to 5.280 km.

The modifications are the second phase of a three-stage upgrade of the Albert Park circuit, which has hosted the F1 AGP since 1996.

The current Turn 13 is in the process of being widened by three metres and will be made notably tighter.

The final phase will be a complete resurface in time for the 2022 Melbourne GP, which could revert to its traditional F1 season-opening slot in March.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott confirmed the complete overhaul, including the resurfacing, would cost around $20 million – a relative bargain these days.

“In round figures, it’s a $20 million project,” Westacott told AUTO ACTION. “If you look at it overall, it’s very good value. Normal suburban roads are resurfaced every 10-15 years. This track, which is also a public road, will have lasted 26 years.

“It’s a great project for Victoria, which is supplying all the materials, and supporting 219 local jobs.”

Left to right: Andrew Westacott Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Mark Skaife iEDM Motorsport Director, Tom Priest iEDM Director and Amy Hill GM Operations of the AGPC.

The main revisions to the track are the widening of Turn 6, the removal of the Turn 9/10 chicane and the reprofiling of Turn 13.

Eliminating the Turn 9/10 chicane will open up the possibility of a new DRS zone, with F1 speeds reaching 330 km/h, and an overtaking opportunity into the left/right jink that is the original Turn 11/12 complex.

It is hoped that the removal of the Turn 9-10 chicane will improve overtaking.

There have also been changes to Turns 1, 3 and 15 to make the track racier.

Overall, the changes are projected to cut five seconds from F1 qualifying times.

The qualifying lap average speed will increase from 236 km/h to 251 km/h, putting Albert Park into the top five fastest F1 circuits, including Monza, Spa and Silverstone.

Turn 6 has been widened by seven and a half metres.

The modifications are endorsed by Supercars legend Mark Skaife, working with Australian circuit design specialist iEDM, which is the Albert Park upgrade project manager.

Skaife thinks the revised layout will make the racing better for all categories, including Supercars.

The changes are also backed by Australian F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who was consulted on the re-design.

The first phase of the Albert Park upgrade was widening the pit lane, which was completed in December.

It should allow the F1 pit lane transit speed to increase from 60 km/h to 80 km/h, reducing the penalty of strategic tyre changes.

The new track surface will be designed to increase tyre degradation, adding a further strategic element.

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The new Albert Park Circuit layout