Race in Park - Melbourne in front of the start into the Formula1 season 2013

In less then 48 hours is the start of the Formula1-era two without Michael Schuhmacher and we are tense if the World-Champion Sebastian Vettel,  will still be the fastest driver with the best car on race circuit.

One time a year the Albert Park in Melbourne is the location for the most expected F1-race of the season. 

Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne

Here starts the new World-Cup season and it is home of the Grand-Prix circus in March. 

This is not a permanent speedway. The track is on regular roads around the artificial lake at the Albert Park. 

The racing course will be build in three month before the event and rebuild in six weeks after the event. But what happen exactly before the teams and the driver arrives at this circuit?

Construction sets everywhere around the circuit.

I have been in the city at Yarra River and visited the Albert Park in front of the racing weekend last year. 

I will show you a few sights behind the scenes:

The pictures where taken two weeks ahead of the Grand-Prix. They show the big effort, which is neccessary for preparing the regular roads and surroundings into a safe highspeed racing-track.

Security fences with stacks of tires in front.

Regularly the Park with its lake in the middle is an eldorado for oarsmen and people doing jogging or inliner skating. 

I was visiting the Park around lunch-time and it was already very hot for walking around. You could feel the heat from the sun and the heated asphalt.

heated asphalt and curves

Nevertheless I encountered plenty of exhausted people doing sport in the middle of the day. Although here is nearly no shadow along the ways for strollers, runners, cyclists and inline skaters. 

Of course, this road I was walking will be used for the racing course as well. So every pole and every traffic sign has to be removed. 

Even if the road is already closed for traffic, there is no reason to think this road is safe for walking along. In short distances rolling heavy loaded trucks with special accessories for securing the circuit.

It is an enormous effort to transform such an regular Park in a racing course for only one weekend. Security fences, crash barriers, terraces and pedestrian bridges have to be constructed. 

A few security fences are build already, but a lot more have to build till the race.

Although it doesn't look like a Grand-Prix course yet, I can truly imagine how the pilots cut a corner for getting the best lap time. 

Stacks of tires

This will be the last season with the well known incredible sound of the V8-engines. Because of the new regulations in 2014, they have to use the more economical V6-aggregats. 

Though, the racing teams worked and developed their new cars for more than six month already. But it is always not clear which of the teams is the favorite for the new season. But for winning the World-Cup it is necessary to have a good start in Down Under and Asia, where the first races will be held.

They have to remove plenty of traffic signs and poles. Standing in this curve on the circuit and knowing racing cars will drive with more than 250km/h in this corner gives me a weird feeling.

The old stacks of tires are looking much bigger and massive than in TV. They are fixed together with chains and screws for better protecting the drivers in case of an accident and against flying over the safety fences till the audience.

Trucks with some elements, here a part of a footbridge.

Plattforms for the audience.

Run-off areas and boundaries have to be renewed. The track is 5,3km long and during this heat is it easier to use a bicycle.

The speed-limit will be a bit low for Formula1. 

Normally the speed-limit in the pit-lane is already 100km/h, but here in Melbourne is is 60km/h. 

Because this pit-lane is one of the shortest in the calendar.

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An interesting bridge. Are they using one way in each bridge?

Green areas haven't been natural everywhere in the park. 

The track has been extended at the exit of some curves. This allows the drivers to push through these curves with higher speed.

Are this window places similar inquired like the one in Monaco?

The Melbourne Connvention and Exhibition Centre is closeby.

Lakeside stadium and the aquatic center along Albert Park.

Before I went to the Albert Park, I was visiting the Botanical garden nearby. If you are around Melbourne, have a look at this wonderful garden and take a guided tour to learn about the Aborigines and their land.

Guided Tour at the Botanical garden in Melbourne.

And if you like to see how they rebuild Albert Park in a regeneration area for  sportspeople again, don't forget to come back after the race.