Melbourne adds an additional grandstand
If Bernie Ecclestone takes delight in creating uncertainty about the future of the Australian Grand Prix, local officials have decided to build an additional grandstand to meet demand, a sign that the event remains as popular as ever.
The traditional capacity of the Albert Park event is 80,000 spectators. The fact that the urban circuit is temporary presents the disadvantage of having to set up and dismantle all the infrastructure to accommodate the teams and spectators.
This nevertheless offers the opportunity to further adjust hosting capacities according to demand. This is how the organizers decided to add a grandstand with 844 seats between the pit exit and the first corner.
Andrew Westacott, the CEO of the Australian GP Corporation, stated: “Due to the very high demand, our existing grandstands are almost at maximum capacity. We are therefore delighted to announce that we will be building a new grandstand at Turn 1. With less than two weeks before the country’s premier international automotive event takes place, Australians are supporting the sport like never before.”
This is all the more important for the promoter because ticket sales are the only source of revenue not retained by Bernie Ecclestone’s FOM. If the cost of installing this new grandstand is less than the revenue it will generate (which is certainly the case), it will reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers, which had reached 50 million Australian dollars in 2011. It also adds arguments in terms of exposure (and therefore valuation) for sponsors present at the edge of the circuit, compared to other circuits (Valencia, Shanghai…) where the stands are largely empty…
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
