(Motorsports news) The Australian Grand Prix will remain on the F1 Calendar until 2035, following a deal to extend its agreement beyond 2025 by a further 10 years. In addition, Formula 2 and Formula 3 will also join the race weekend schedule for the first time in 2023. This year more than 419,000 fans visited Albert Park for the 2022 Australian Grand Prix in April, making it the largest ever crowd for a weekend sporting event in Australian sporting history .
Albert Park has hosted F1 races since 1996, as significant investments were made over the past two years in order to improve the track for faster racing, fan experience and facilities while further improvements, including a revised paddock and pit lane, are planned in the future in order to continue the circuit’s modernisation. The date of next year’s Australian Grand Prix will be decided later on but in most likelihood it will be back as the first race of the season. It will be under the subject to World MotorSport Council’s approval. As part of the deal for the revamped Albert Park circuit, they have a contract that will open the Formula 1 season a minimum of five times. The Australian Grand Prix will be the season-opener in 2024 and 2025 and then another three are yet-to-be-determined.
The 2023 Grand Prix date is yet to be finalised, however this announcement is a clear indication that the first round will be in Melbourn, if not the first race then they have a slot inside the first three races likely each year of the new agreement. Australia has long been a tradition in F1 to start the season, however this year, due to pandemic-induced absence, it was pushed back to the third round. But it had little effect on crowds with near-record numbers filing through the Albert Parks over the four days of a marvellous spectale.In this year's Australian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc won the race and capped off a memorable weekend for the Ferrari team as home favourite Daniel Riccardo finished 8th as it was one of the two races where he has got points for the team.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “I am delighted to confirm that Melbourne and the Albert Park circuit will continue to be on the Formula 1 calendar until 2035. The race has always been a favourite for the fans, drivers and the teams and Melbourne is an incredible and vibrant international city that is a perfect match for our sport.
“This year we saw huge crowds and passionate fans at the Grand Prix, and we are very excited by the future in Australia as our sport continues to grow. I want to thank the Victorian Government, Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria and Martin Pakula, Minister for Tourism, Sport & Major Events for their tireless support for the event in Melbourne, as well as Andrew Westacott and Paul Little from the AGPC for making this already long-term partnership secure for the future. We are all looking forward to being back in Melbourne next season with all our fans.”
Martin Pakula, Minister for Tourism, Sport & Major Events, Victorian Government, said: “The Australian Grand Prix has never been bigger, with more than 419,000 people flocking to Albert Park for this year’s race. We know how important this event is to our economy and that’s why we’ve delivered the longest extension for the race since it has been held in Melbourne.”
Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, said: “This is a sensational announcement that is simply great for Melbourne and Victoria. It builds on our rich motor sport history as well as Melbourne’s love of big sporting events and provides aspiration to the next generation of Aussie racing stars. We’re proud of our strong relationship with Formula 1 and together we will grow the sport in Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Everyone at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation looks forward to taking the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to new levels over the course of the next 13 years.”
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