The FIA has confirmed key safety modifications to Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit ahead of next month’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, following significant crashes during last year’s race.
In the 2024 edition of the race, George Russell suffered a heavy crash at Turn 6 after being caught out by Fernando Alonso braking earlier than expected.
His Mercedes veered off-track before being thrown back onto the racing line. The incident followed a crash in free practice by Williams’ Alex Albon at the same section, raising concerns over the corner’s design and safety.
Addressing Turn 6 and 7 Safety Concerns
Several potential solutions had been considered, including re-profiling the corner to reduce speeds, replacing the gravel trap with an asphalt run-off area, or adjusting the barriers to prevent cars from bouncing back onto the track.
Ultimately, the FIA opted for the latter, modifying the barrier positioning to mitigate the risk of vehicles being propelled back onto the racing line after an impact.
Additionally, the kerbs at Turns 6 and 7 have been replaced with a single specification of a negative kerb, which sits lower than the track surface.
This adjustment eliminates the transition from negative to positive kerbs, a factor that previously contributed to cars becoming unsettled and unstable.
Furthermore, the existing gravel trap has been extended to the edge of the new kerbs to enhance run-off safety.
FIA Statement on Circuit Changes
An FIA spokesperson confirmed the changes, stating:
“Following a review of last year’s event at Albert Park, several changes to Turn 6 and Turn 7 have been approved in collaboration with the local ASN and the grand prix organisers.
“The kerb at the exit of Turn 6 through entry and apex of Turn 7 has been replaced with a single specification of negative kerb.
“This adjustment removes the transition from negative to positive kerb that was present in this area, which previously had been addressed by local modification (grinding) of the kerb to provide a smoother transition between kerb types. The intent is to remove the possibility of this transition destabilizing a car.
“Additionally, the gravel trap now extends to the back of the kerb and the barrier on the left-hand side of Turn 7 has also been moved and re-profiled to mitigate the possibility of a car coming to rest in a position near the racing line following an impact with the energy-absorbing barrier in this area.
“These changes were proposed based on feedback from the FIA Safety Department following their ongoing analysis of all circuits, as well as input from drivers and teams. They aim to provide improvement in safety whilst maintaining corner dynamics and exciting racing.”
Driver Feedback and Corner Dynamics
These changes are expected to be welcomed by the drivers who had already raised concerns about the corner’s safety during last year’s drivers’ briefing.
Despite the crashes, drivers acknowledged the corner’s exciting nature.
“The corner [itself] is amazing, probably one of the best corners on that circuit, so I wouldn’t want to see that corner change,” Russell said after his crash, quoted by Motorsport.com.
“But all circuits that have the barriers in certain positions, if it’s going to propel you back onto the circuit, that’s obviously not good.”
The FIA’s modifications aim to address the safety concerns while preserving the challenging character of the corner.
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