Melbourne has become a firm favourite of the Formula 1 fraternity since it took over from Adelaide as the home of the Australian Grand Prix in 1996.

The switch caused consternation, for Adelaide had been hugely popular as both a venue and a racetrack.

In its end-of-season position, it played host to two unforgettable championship climaxes: Nigel Mansell's spectacular tyre blow-out in 1986 and Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill's controversial clash in '94.

For 1996 the race not only moved to Melbourne and a spectacular new lakeside track in Albert Park, but to the other end of the calendar, becoming the season opener.

Melbourne soon proved that it could match Adelaide for thrills and spills, as the inaugural race saw Jacques Villeneuve take pole position for his first GP, and ITV's Martin Brundle escape a massive first-lap crash in which his Jordan flew into a terrifying sequence of barrel rolls.

As the first chance to see where the balance of power lies at the start of the new season, Melbourne is always eagerly awaited.

Its high-speed layout punctuated by chicanes and dusty surface often leads to unpredictable and dramatic races, and punishes the slightest mistake with a trip into one of the ever-present concrete walls.

The safety car traditionally gets a lot of mileage in Melbourne…

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