Sydney considering F1 Australian GP bid

Webber in Sydney with Williams — Photo: © LAT Images

Australian Grand Prix

Sydney considering F1 Australian GP bid

Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996

Sam Hall

Thursday 21 October 2021 14:58

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New South Wales capital Sydney is considering a bid to take the Australian Grand Prix from Melbourne with a Monaco-style street layout.

The first official Formula 1 Australian GP was first run in 1985 in Adelaide where it remained until 1996 when the event moved to Melbourne.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott recently conceded the running of the 2022 Melbourne event was "make or break" for its future and Seven News revealing "high-level talks" over a Sydney switch have begun.

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Although the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge could not form part of the track for safety reasons, the track would wind around the harbour itself.

Should an official bid be tabled, it would be Sydney's third attempt to lure F1 away from Melbourne with talks in 2010 and 2015.

“We have got a commitment to stage the race with F1 and the Victorian government on April 10 next year,” Westacott told the Sydney Morning Herald.

NSW is considering a bold bid to steal the @F1 Grand Prix from Melbourne. 7NEWS can reveal high level talks are underway to potentially stage Australia's version of the famous Monaco race on our streets. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j #F1 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/2xvUYZJCDF
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) October 21, 2021

“We expect that this [outside interest] 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.

“We are happening next year and it will continue to happen. Our remit is to look beyond 2025.”

The current Albert Park layout has undergone a number of changes since it was last used in 2019 with a focus placed on improving the ability of cars to follow and pass.

South Australian circuit The Bend Motorsport Park has previously expressed interest in hosting F1 and made holds an FIA grade two safety licence, a grade short of the requirement.

A spokesperson for the circuit previously told GPFans Global: "The Bend can be upgraded to meet FIA Grade 1 requirements fairly rapidly as we have intentionally built the circuit with this in mind."