Australian GP set to get occasional season opener status

Melbourne will get to host the F1 season opener on a few occasions during its new 10 year deal.

The Australian Grand Prix will, once again, get to host a Formula 1 season opener in the not too distant future. Melbourne was once unshakeable as the venue to kick off a new F1 season, but has fallen out of favour in the past decade with Bahrain assuming the responsibility.

On Wednesday, F1 confirmed a new 10 year deal which will keep Melbourne on the calendar until 2035. As part of that new deal, Albert Park will be the season opener for at least five of the 10 years.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation have confirmed they will host the season opener in 2024 and 2025, and on a further three, yet to be determined, occasions.

On the years where it doesn’t host the season opener, a slot within the first three rounds is still the most likely – similar to the arrangement for 2022.

“One of the things that happens is that it’s difficult enough [for us] to juggle four days of activity at Albert Park,” said AGPC CEO Andrew Westacott, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

“Formula 1 has to juggle 23 races on a calendar. At the start of the season, taking into account Ramadan, taking into account Easter, taking into account other scheduling constraints, five races to headline the start of the season in Melbourne is a great result. And that’s the guaranteed minimum.

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