Formula 1 announced it had extended the Australian Grand Prix schedule to 2035 in Melbourne on Thursday. A story that has been going on (almost going on) since 1985.
Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 The race in Melbourne has been extended by ten years to 2035, the promoters of the world championship Formula 1 championship announced on Thursday. The Australian Grand Prix, held in Adelaide from 1985 to 1995, was moved to Melbourne the following year and has continued since then, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Since joining the calendar, Melbourne has used to start F1 seasons – with the exception of 2006, 2010 and 2022, when the championship started in Bahrain.
In 2023, in a still-to-be-finished calendar that could contain a record of 23 or 24 dates, Australia is unlikely to be the first Grand Prix of the year, designated sources close to negotiations between F1 and local promoters.” The race has always been considered a favourite among fans, drivers and teams. Melbourne is an incredible and vibrant international city that is perfect for our sport,” F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in a statement .
In 2023, Formula 2 and Formula 3 will be held in Melbourne for the first time on the same weekend as F1. As part of the new partnership, the Albert Park circuit will be refurbished, modernising the paddock and pits. Australia’s other major metropolis, Sydney, had wanted to retake the Grand Prix, but it was Melbourne’s offer that was favoured by F1.
“The Australian Grand Prix has never been more important, with over 419,000 people heading to Albert Park for this year’s race” – Charles Leclerc in Ferrari, Victorian Tourism Minister Martin Pakula Highlights of F1 in the press release. “We know how important this event is to our economy and that’s why we have secured the longest postponement of the race since it was held in Melbourne,” he applauded.