The Australian Grand Prix. Image credit: unsplash
Aussies love sports of all kinds, but we have a special spot for Formula 1. The Australian Grand Prix was first held in the country back in 1928 and has been a staple on the F1 Championship since 1985.
Fans from across the world have been disappointed by not seeing the Aussie race for the last two years, but the nail-biting end to the end of the 2021 season has more than made up for it. With just a couple of more races to go, the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen is tight.
With such an exciting battle, many fans are using online bookmakers to make their predictions on who will win, placing bets on the driver they think will come out on top. The savvy betters are also taking advantage of the myriad of free bet offer to get even more value.
Off the track though, there has been a lot of talk about the future of the Australian Grand Prix, with a Sydney tv station reporting that the New South of Wales government was considering a bid to host the race.
Originally run in Adelaide, the race saw many spectacular events including Schumacher hitting Hill in 1994, and Senna running into the back of Mansell a couple of years earlier. However, since 1996, F1 cars have been turning their wheels in anger around the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.
While some locals are still disappointed by the move, most fans are happy with the current Melbourne track.
This isn’t the first time that Sydney has attempted to steal the Grand Prix. In 2005, Mark Webber did demo runs in Williams FW27 across the Sydney Harbor Bridge as part of a promotional campaign. Rumors began to fly then that the race might be moving.
Melbourne has a contract to host the Australian Grand Prix until 2025, so the earliest the race could move would be 2026.
Given that the NSW’s rationale for wanting the race to boost short-term tourism, this seems unworkable given that 2026 wouldn’t achieve what they’re looking for.
On top of that, the boss of the Australian Grand Prix, Andrew Westacott, has dismissed these rumors. He said the news report had been a surprise to him and that the contract means it won’t be moving for at least four more years.
After that, he still wants the race to remain in Melbourne, and that he hopes the strong relationship he and his team have with F1 can help to ensure that happens.