Formula One Australian Grand Prix could move to Sydney
The international motorsport event could find a new home up north as soon as 2026, after nearly three decades in the Victorian capital.
The Australian Formula One Grand Prix could be shifted from Melbourne’s Albert Park to the streets of Sydney, if NSW bureaucrats get their way.
As first reported by the Daily Telegraph, a plan to poach the international motorsport event has been brewing for some time and now has the backing of local premier Dominic Perrottet.
“We’ve got the greatest cities in not just the country, but the world,” Mr Perrottet told local media this week.
“… And seriously, why would the Formula One want to stay in Melbourne when you can come here? We think we’re going to have a fighting chance to bring that event [to Sydney].”
Meanwhile, Tony Shepherd – the chairman of
Venues NSW, which operates public sports and entertainment venues in the state – said: “The people of New South Wales love motor racing as much as anybody and we have a world class city to stage it.“We would need to choose the route carefully to avoid disrupting people but it would be a great way to sell our city to the world.”
Melbourne has held the Australian Grand Prix every year since 1996 (barring 2020 and 2021, when the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and is currently under contract until 2025.
This means the earliest a Grand Prix could theoretically be held in Sydney would be 2026.
However, the Victorian government appears to be steadfast on retaining the event, and claims it is currently working with Formula One to extend its existing deal.
Despite the latest rhetoric from the people who could make a
Sydney Grand Prix happen, motorsport fans shouldn’t hold their breath just yet – claims of a move north break into the news cycle every few years, yet have so far failed to materialise on each occasion.You can follow all of Drive‘s Formula One coverage by clicking here.
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