AUSTRALIA TO HOST F1 SEASON OPENER IN 2024 AND 2025

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major events Martin Pakula has announced that the Australian Grand Prix will be the season opener in 2024 and 2025 and a further three times as part of the 10-year extension of the event.

The Albert Park Street Circuit which has held the Grand Prix since 1996 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19) will continue to hold the event until 2035, with a minimum of five of the 13 to be season openers.

He also announced that along with the arrival of F2 and F3 as support categories, Supercars will remain on the schedule.

“The agreement involves a minimum of five first races (F1 season openers) over the 13-year period between now and 2035, including the opening race of the season in 2024 and 2025,” Pakula said.

“Also, in an exciting development the move of Formula 2 and Formula 3 to the Australian Grand Prix calendar from next year, but importantly, the retention of Supercars as well.”

Pakula went on to explain, that should the Australian Grand Prix not host the season opener it will be one of the first every year until the 2035 contract expires.

“In the other years if we’re not the opening race, we will be one of the first three races of the year,” he continued.

“This is an incredibly important announcement for the State of Victoria.

“The global competition for this event is hot. You can see the benefits of it for the first time in a few years we had over 90% hotel occupancy in Melbourne over the weekend of the F1, we had 10s of 1000s of visitors from interstate a massive contribution to overall gross state product close to $200 million.

“We are incredibly excited and proud to have been able to reach this agreement with Formula 1 management.”

Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott explained that this was a great outcome for Australia.

“Five races to headline the start of a season in Melbourne is a great result and that’s the guaranteed minimum,” Westacott said.

“We think that whether we’re Race 1, Race 2 or Race 3 in the season, as proven in 2022 is a really good outcome for Melbourne.”

Despite a record attendance at the Victorian event earlier this year, the international tourists were down significantly due to COVID, Westacott is confident that the introduction of F2 and F3 to the schedule will entice international tourists back to the Australian Grand Prix.

“We’re more than just four days of motorsport, we combine it with business, networking, sport and we also combine it with music and entertainment for the fans and that’s what brings people to our event.

“We’re going to continue to do that with the emergence of new drivers, great exciting racing for Formula 2, Formula 3, and having homegrown talent with Supercars. It (the event) promises to grow and grow and grow over the 13 years from now to 2035.”

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