Record crowd prompts Australian GP seating rethink
All grandstands at Albert Park have been redesigned to hold more people following the record Australian Grand Prix crowd earlier this year.
The 2022 Australian GP drew what was a record crowd of the Melbourne era with a four-day attendance of 419,114.
That eclipsed the previous four-day record of 401,000 set in 1996, the year the AGP moved from Adelaide to Melbourne.
In response to the record, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced that grandstand capacity has been bolstered for 2023.
Thanks to a redesign of the grandstand areas the seated capacity will increase from 39,000 to 44,000 across the 16 grandstands within the Albert Park precinct.
Tickets for the newly-redesigned grandstands are on sale as part of a phased release, with phase two then starting on 6 December. For full information visit Motorsport Tickets.
"In 2022 we saw grandstand seats sell out in record time and with the 2023 event on track to follow suit, make sure you jump online nice and early to avoid missing out," said Samantha O'Hearn, the AGPC's Senior Manager – Product and Customer Experience.
The new overall attendance record set this April included individual records for the Friday and Saturday while the race day attendance was the third-highest on record.
A number of factors were attributed to the huge crowd, including Formula 1's general upswing in popularity, as well as what was effectively a three-year break between Australian GPs due to the global health crisis.
Fans behind a barrier
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Melbourne was also one of the Australian cities worst affected by COVID-19 in terms of lockdowns, with locals embracing the return of international events.
The record came despite earlier predictions from the AGPC that labour shortages would be a limiting factor on overall crowd numbers for the 2022 running of the event.
The 2023 Australian Grand Prix, set to take place on 30 March-2 April, is the first of a new deal between F1 and the AGPC for Melbourne to host the race until 2035.
Formula 2 and Formula 3 will join the support bill for the first time next year alongside Supercars, which will stage its second round of the 2023 season at Albert Park.
Jeddah reveals F1 track tweaks ahead of 2023 Saudi Arabian GP
The physical focus bringing out the best of an F1 midfield star
Toyota WRC boss Latvala plotting rally return
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala is plotting a competitive rally return with an outing behind the wheel of Toyota’s new Rally2 GR Yaris.
No Ferrari number one driver, but Vasseur won't hesitate to "take action"
New Ferrari Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur says there will be no number one driver at the team this season, but he won't hesitate to "take action" if needed.
Aitken ends Williams F1 role to focus on sportscars
Jack Aitken has announced he and the Williams Formula 1 team have parted ways ahead of the 2023 season as he pursues a career in sportscar racing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.