The Australian Grand Prix remains until 2035!

Cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, the Australian Grand Prix can now breathe a sigh of relief as it secures its future in the pinnacle of motorsport. Indeed, the Melbourne track has been extended until 2035, a very long-term contract. Additionally, for the first time in its history, the Albert Park circuit will host the F3 and F2 races on its weekend starting in 2023. This will provide more spectacle for the spectators.

Martin Pakula, the Minister for Sport in the Victorian government, is delighted with this extension: The Australian Grand Prix has never been bigger, with nearly 419,000 spectators attending this year’s race. We know how important this event is for our country’s economy, which is why we have extended the largest contract extension for the Grand Prix since it was organized in Melbourne.

An extension of the contract mainly linked to two factors. The economic aspect is probably the most important because a boring race that brings in money will always be preferred to the opposite case. In fact, since 2018, the number of spectators has continued to increase. It was 295,000 in 2018, 324,000 in 2019, and finally 419,000 this year. This can be explained in particular by the growing popularity of Formula 1 but also by the decrease in ticket prices. A weekend pass went from €200 in 2019 to approximately €130 in 2022.

The spectacle aspect is also constantly improving. The 2017 edition of the Australian Grand Prix had only witnessed 2 overtakes, 5 in 2018, 12 in 2019, and finally 34 in 2022. This increase is the result of the addition of two new DRS zones and the removal of the old Turns 9 and 10 in order to lengthen the straight line before the fast chicane in the third sector and thus facilitate overtaking. These renovations have clearly paid off in making the race in Melbourne exciting.

The Australian Grand Prix has been organized in Melbourne since 1996. The first winner was Damon Hill, who later went on to win the world title driving for his Williams team. The Grand Prix is particularly known for being the opening race of the Formula 1 season, but also for forcing us Europeans to get up at dawn to watch it live.