AutoAction
FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SIGN UP

BIGGEST ATTENDANCE ON THE CARDS FOR AUSGP

Biggest attendance on the cards for Australian Grand Prix - Image: Motorsport Images

By Dan McCarthy

In what is tipped to be one of, if not the biggest aggregate attendance that the Australian Grand Prix has ever had, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced that Saturday general admission tickets have sold out.

It is the first time ever that both the Saturday and Sunday park pass (general admission) ticket allocations have been exhausted since Melbourne started hosting the Grand Prix in 1996.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Westacott believes the event will get close and could even break the record attendance of 401,000, set the first year in 1996.

“We expect that we’re going to have the biggest or one of the biggest aggregate crowds in the history of the event, we won’t surpass the opening round numbers in 1996 of 154,000 on Sunday,” he said in a press conference attended by AUTO ACTION.

“But we expect to have about the second or third highest attendance on a Sunday, possibly the highest attendance ever on a Saturday on a Friday and maybe that also moves into Thursday, as well as we move closer to the event.”

In recent years the Albert Park circuit contained 12 grandstands, however it will boast 17 when the Formula 1 cars return to Melbourne in just over two weeks’ time.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula explained that the 2022 event will be something special.

“The new stands give you a sense of the interest in and demand for tickets at the Australian Grand Prix,” he said.

“This year and after the incredible 2021 season, it’s little wonder that the AGPC and the Australian Grand Prix is being very, very keenly sought after and there’s a great deal of fan excitement about the race, which is only a couple of weeks away now.

“This is a major global event, Albert Park and all of Melbourne will be absolutely buzzing between the eighth and the 10th of April.”

Westacott agreed, saying that many other things have been added to make the 2022 edition the best yet, after two COVID-19 enforced cancelations the last two years.

“In addition to those additional grandstands,” Westacott said. “We’re putting new hospitality facilities to coincide with the locations that we’ve modified on this wonderful circuit, we’ve got up to 41 Superscreens to enhance the viewing for the new fans coming along.”

With tickets exhausted for Saturday and Sunday of this year’s Grand Prix, Friday is still a good viewing opportunity with two hours of F1 action across two practice sessions. Not only are general admission tickets still available on Friday, but grandstand tickets which cost a maximum of $91.

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the current issue of Auto Action.