Formula 1: Sky Sports

F1 coverage of the 1st Practice Session for the first Race meeting of the 2013 Formula One season, The Australia Grand Prix, from the Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne.

Because Albert Park is used just once a year, when the teams arrive its surface is greener than Shrek on his first day at work. That, combined with the walls that encroach on the circuit, regularly makes for a thrilling race. There might not be much overtaking, dirt off the racing line limits that, but as the circuit on the calendar most likely to see a safety car period it all adds up to make for an unpredictable race. In the last 15 years that the race has been held in Melbourne, no less than ten different drivers have been victorious.

When Formula One came to Australia in 1985 it set up home in Adelaide. However, ex-racer-turned-entrepreneur Bob Jane wanted a race in Melbourne. He created a huge 'thunderdome' and invented the AUSCAR series, bringing NASCAR action to Australia. The desire to have a race in Melbourne did not wane. Despite the popular end of season slot for the Adelaide race, pressure was growing from the Melbourne motor sport community, and in 1992 Jeff Kennett was elected the new premier of the State of Victoria. He immediately set about improving Melbourne's profile. First on his list was the Australian Grand Prix. An agreement was reached with Formula One in 1993, but the contract with Adelaide did not expire until 1995, so Kennett had plenty of time to prepare. A track was developed in Melbourne's beautiful Albert Park, part of it using closed-off public roads, and in 1996 the city held the first round of the world championship. Since then the race has become very popular with drivers and fans alike, and the party atmosphere of Melbourne keeps them coming back year after year.<

Sepang's spectacular grandstand provides the backdrop to a circuit that is one of the most challenging of the year. As well as the physical punishment the drivers receive, due to the high temperatures and humidity, there are several corners which are off-camber, making braking difficult and the perfect racing line a bit of an art.

In the mid 1990s, Malaysia was undergoing a huge change. Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's Prime Minister was determined that by 2020, the country would be a fully industrialised nation. The best way to do this, it was thought, was through the auto trade. The nation's number one oil company, Petronas, began investing heavily in Formula One with Sauber, and Malaysia's national car company, Proton, bought Lotus Engineering. The most extravagant part of the plan however was the building of a multimedia 'supercorridor', linking Kuala Lumpur's new international airport with the capital city itself. Mahathir ordered that a Grand Prix track be constructed too, and not just any track. He wanted to create a track that would be the envy of the world in terms of its facilities and technology. What he got was the Sepang International Circuit, and on its 1999 debut it did not disappoint. Designed by Hermann Tilke, Sepang is one of the most technical circuits in Formula One. The combination of long high-speed straights, and tight twisting complexes make the track very complicated, but also perfect for overtaking as the track itself is very wide. The drivers love it and, along with Malaysia's distinct atmosphere, it makes for an experience unique in Formula One.

Laid out to resemble the Chinese character `Shang' - meaning `high' - the Shanghai International Circuit's first corner complex is among the trickiest in F1 - a demanding 270 degree right-handed corner combination which requires an aggressive flat-out entry, braking through the corner which tightens up towards the end. Then there's a sudden change of direction, and the bend unwinds itself. Teams, therefore, lean towards oversteer when setting up their cars.

The Shanghai International Circuit was designed as the race circuit for the new millennium. And the modern track, with its stunning architecture, has achieved its goal of becoming China's gateway to the world of Formula One racing since it debuted on the calendar in 2004. Circuit architects Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl on their creation: ôThe 5.4 kilometre racing track is shaped like the Chinese character 'shang', which stands for 'high' or 'above'. Other symbols represented in the architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. Here, nature and technology are carefully used to create harmony between the elements.ö Not only is the course remarkable for its change of acceleration and deceleration within different winding turns, making high demands on the driver as well as the car, but also for its high-speed straights. These offer crucial overtaking opportunities and give an intense and exciting motorsport experience to the spectators. The main grandstand with 29,000 seats provides a spectacular view of almost 80 percent of the circuit.

The 2004 Grand Prix of Bahrain marked the first ever round of the FIA Formula One World Championship to be held in the Middle East and the official culmination of a multi-million dollar project started back in September 2002 when the Kingdom of Bahrain signed a long-term deal to host the event. Located at Sakhir, 30 km south-west of the island's capital, Manama, the Hermann Tilke designed circuit contains no less than five track layouts within one complex. Construction began in November 2002 and in the months prior to its March 2004 completion, work was going on around the clock. Over 12,000 tonnes of stone were used in the build, a third of it Welsh granite, chosen for the track surface due to its excellent adhesive qualities. The original 5.412 km Grand Prix circuit was designed with the spectator in mind, with 50,000 grandstand seats, all providing excellent views. Those spectators (a total of 100,000 over a race weekend) get to see the cars heading into the external desert area, before coming back into the oasis-styled infield. Up to 500 journalists can also witness the action from the venue's purpose-built media center. A revised 'endurance' track layout was used for the 2010 event, with an additional complex starting at Turn Four extending the lap to 23 corners and 6.299 km, but the event is expected to return to the original track configuration for 2012. It offers the driver a unique experience in the way the circuit's width varies at the end of the different straights. This allows for diverse racing lines, and the 15-corner design provides at least three genuine overtaking opportunities.

The Formula One teams are no strangers to Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya; not only have they raced there every year since 1991, they also conduct extensive testing at the venue. Familiarity does not, however, lessen the challenge for car or driver. Barcelona's mix of high and low-speed corners, plus its abrasive and rather bumpy track surface, makes for a physically and mechanically taxing race. Tyre wear is particularly high and the varying winds that cut across the circuit mean an optimum set-up can be hard to find. For spectators Elf corner is among the best places to watch, as it is one of the track's few overtaking opportunities. For the drivers it is the final two turns, known collectively as New Holland, which provide one of the biggest challenges of the season. A fast exit is essential in order to maximise speed down the start-finish straight into Elf. 2013 marks the 23rd time Barcelona has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher has been the most successful driver at the circuit, with a total of six victories. Among the other current drivers, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa have all won there.

The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning. Like the Indy 500 or Le Mans, it stands alone, almost distinct from the sport from which it was born. A combination of precision driving, technical excellence and sheer bravery is required to win in Monte Carlo, facets which highlight the differences between the great and the good in Formula One. The Armco barrier-lined circuit leaves no margin for error, demanding more concentration that any other Formula One track. Cars run with maximum downforce and brakes are worked hard. Overtaking is next to impossible so qualifying in Monaco is more critical than at any other Grand Prix. The Portier corner is key to achieving a good lap time around Monaco. It is preceded by the Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula One, and followed by the tunnel, one of the few flat-out sections of the track. Some great names have ended their races in the barriers here, most notably Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. To win in Monaco places a driver's name on a list that includes many of history's all-time greats. Both Graham Hill, the man nicknamed 'Mr Monaco', and Schumacher have won it five times, Alain Prost took four victories, whilst Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart each won here three times. But the record of wins in the Principality resides with the Senna, who won in Monte Carlo six times. The race has been a regular fixture of the world championship since 1955, but in that time the circuit has changed remarkably little. Slight alterations were made for the 2003 event, in particular a new, gentler entry to the Rascasse corner, with even bigger changes in 2004, with a new pit complex and increased spectator capacity.