AGP SET FOR BIGGEST CROWD IN 20 YEARS

Fans are set to flock to the 2022 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in huge numbers, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation predicting the biggest crowd figures in two decades.

Organisers have been forced to continue building pop up grandstands as ticket releases sell out in rapid time, prompting the use of new locations for seating areas to meet demand.

The inaugural grand prix at Albert Park in 1996 produced the all-time venue attendance record, with approximately 150,000 packing out the lakeside location that day.

The largest crowd since the turn of the millennium was recorded in 2004, 360,885 people making their way through the gates over the course of the event with 121,500 of those attending the Sunday race.

Speaking at today’s announcement of the grand prix support categories, Westacott said the AGPC were preparing for a crowd upwards of 120,000 people on race day this time around.

“We’re going to build a venue here for April 7-10 that is going to be able to cater for 120,000 to 140,000 people,” Westacott said.

“I doubt we’re going to get the record crowd because there were 150,000 people here in 1996, the first Melbourne Grand Prix.

“We’re going to get a better indication of what the final attendance is going to look like over the course the next two or three weeks.

“I will say that we will probably get the strongest crowds in two decades. We really do have strong ticket sales.”

“It does promise one of the biggest crowds that we’ve seen in Melbourne for a live sporting event in many a year.”

Melbourne last hosted Formula 1 in 2019, the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sunday generally draws around 100,000 people, but Westacott said his team were raring to meet the challenge of inflated numbers.

“There’s nerves, there’s excitement, there’s anticipation and there’s probably a little bit of fear as well from everyone in the Australian Grand Prix Corporation,” Westacott said.

“What we’re doing is we’re building three years of missed Formula 1 grands prix into one.

“This signifies Melbourne opening up which is vitally necessary for the economy and Victoria.

“There’s a massive number of tickets available for general admission. They range from children under 14 being free, $46 for a Friday ticket and around $100 for a ticket on the big day.”

The Australian Grand Prix will run from April 7-10, the headline Formula 1 action supported by the Supercars Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship and S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship.

In a change to the schedule, the Australian Grand Prix will start earlier in 2022, at 3pm local time.

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