F1: Formula 1 to race in Melbourne until 2035 in new agreement (Update)

More details have emerged around the new agreement.

The official date for the 2023 race is yet to be confirmed but it’s unlikely to be the season-opener as it was from the inaugural race in Melbourne in 1996 to 2019 – bar two occasions.

A late March or early April date as the third or fourth round paired with another race in Asia is probable, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia likely to open the 2023 campaign before Ramadan starts on 22 March.

Formula 1 has also secured an agreement from Australian race organizers to upgrade paddock and pit lane facilities. Though the pit lane was widened and resurfaced along with the rest of the track for this year’s event, the pit building itself was constructed ahead of the first race in 1996. The temporary team hospitality and office units were last updated in 2019.

Melbourne is understood to have faced domestic competition, including a bid from Sydney. The fact that the extension was signed with three years remaining on the current contract gives some indication of how keen the Victorian city was to secure its long-term future.

Through 2015, Australia is guaranteed to be the season opener at least five of those years.

The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until 2035, following a deal to extend the race’s agreement beyond 2025 by a further 10 years. In addition, Formula 2 and Formula 3 will join the race weekend schedule for the first time from 2023.

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 Australia.

Albert Park has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, with significant investment made over the past two years in order to improve the circuit, fan experience and facilities – while further improvements, including to the paddock and pit lane, are planned in order to continue the circuit’s modernization.

The date of next year’s Australian Grand Prix will be provided in due course, and once the 2023 calendar is finalized, it will be subject to World Motor Sport Council approval.

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 favorite 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.”