As if Melbourne hasnโt already been sufficiently kicked in the nuggets across these last two years, the NSW state government is reportedly planning to make a bid for the Australian Grand Prix โ replacing Albert Park with the streets of Sydney. You read that correctly. If all goes to plan, the world of Formula 1 (and beyond) could be tuning in to spectate the Sydney Grand Prix.
The โsensitive high-level talksโ currently underway within the Perrottet administration was initially broken by Seven Newsโฆ and to mixed reception. While Sydney natives are obviously drooling at the mere prospect alone, thereโs considerable fightback from more than a few interested parties; chief among them is the actual Australian GP chief himself, Andrew Westacott, who has โvowed to fight tooth and nailโ against Sydneyโs third attempt to taste F1 glory when Melbourneโs race rights contract finally expires in 2025.
โWe have got a commitment to stage the race with F1 and the Victorian government on April 10 next year,โ says Andrew Westacott.
โWe expect that this is going to occur. We are very close with F1 and have a relationship that goes back decades. We have a relationship that will see us host the event here until 2025, and we want to look to the future as well.โ
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โWe are happening next year and it will continue to happen. Our remit is to look beyond 2025.โ
By all accounts, the pitch for this so-called Sydney Grand Prix involves a street race a la Monaco, situated along the Harbour Bridge to highlight the iconic scenery. Crossing the Harbour Bridge itself, however, has apparently been ruled out due to both safety concerns and the logistical nightmare it would pose (traffic is already shocking enough).
As previously mentioned, this wouldnโt exactly be the first time Sydney has come for Melbourneโs F1 throne; the latter of which has comfortably retained said throne since 1996, taking over from Adelaide which held the honour from 1985 up until 1995.
In 2010, Premier Kristina Keneally announced a bid to host the Australian Grand Prix at Homebush, potentially during the night. Ahead of the 2015 state election, Premier Mike Baird reportedly set aside $180 million to accommodate for the annual race event from 2021 onwards. While the total cost has never been officially been confirmed, Fox Sports reveals taxpayers shelled out $34 million back in 2013 โ and the cost has only increased since.
โYou canโt take your eye off the ball and you canโt be complacent in the world of major events. We are not complacent,โ adds Westacott.
โIt will be three years between events when April comes around, so our job is to make sure that everyone gets behind the event and it shows itโs worth for the Victorian visitor economy.โ
Vacating its spot as the season opener for 2022, next yearโs Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to occur on April 10th as the F1 calendarโs third race (after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).
