Australian F1 Grand Prix renewed until 2035 | GRR

In addition to the extra years, the race Down Under will also feature Formula 2 and Formula 3 support races for the first time from next year. Traditionally the Australian round has been supported by local Australian Motorsport including the V8 Supercars series.

The new deal sees an extra ten years added onto Melbourne’s existing contract, which had been due to run out in 2025. This season’s Australian Grand Prix, the first since the 2020 race was cancelled at short notice at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, became the largest sporting event in Australian history with 419,000 fans descending on Albert Park over three days.

Albert Park has hosted the Australian round since 1996, when it took over from the Adelaide street circuit. It hosted the opening F1 race of the season every year from its first race until 2019, except for a move in 2012 to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games.

Speaking after the announcement 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 favourite 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.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.