2026 Australian Grand Prix Breaks Melbourne Attendance Report

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix passed off in entrance of a crowd of over 483,000 – the most important quantity in Albert Park’s historical past on the F1 calendar.

The season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix had a weekend crowd of 483,934, setting a brand new report for Melbourne’s best-attended Components 1 weekend in its historical past on the calendar. It ranks because the third best-attended weekend on report within the sport’s historical past.

The race, the primary beneath the game’s new-for-2026 rules, was received by George Russell who led residence Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli within the staff’s first 1-2 end result on the Australian Grand Prix since 2019.

There was heartbreak for the Melbourne crowd, as native hero Oscar Piastri – a giant think about elevated attendances on the occasion lately – crashed out on his option to the grid. On account of Piastri’s crash, this was the primary Australian Grand Prix during which no Australian drivers took the beginning since 2001. For the primary time, Piastri was honoured with a grandstand named in his honour in 2026. The stand, positioned on the principle straight, bought out very quickly when tickets went on sale final August.

This yr marked the thirtieth anniversary of the primary F1 occasion in Melbourne. Albert Park turned host of the Australian Grand Prix in 1996, taking the occasion from Adelaide. The final race in Adelaide, in 1995, stays the best-attended F1 weekend of all time, with a complete crowd of 520,000.

12 months-On-12 months Attendance Will increase by 20,000

With elevated capability this yr, weekend attendance on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix elevated by nearly 20,000 in comparison with twelve months in the past. The 2025 attendance determine was 465,498.

Report numbers attended on each Thursday and Friday. Attendance rose by over 14,000 on Thursday, which featured on-track motion solely from F1’s assist classes, together with Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercars. With over 134,000 at Albert Park on Saturday, it was the second best-attended qualifying day within the circuit’s historical past.

Day by day Attendances on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix

Thursday – 86,210

Friday – 125,725

Saturday – 134,130

Sunday – 136,935

Race day on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix had a Sunday attendance of near 137,000. It was not fairly a sell-out, with Australian Grand Prix CEO Tom Mottram noting earlier than the weekend that capability on the venue was elevated to 141,000.

Fan entry at Albert Park was improved forward of the 2026 race weekend, because of the opening of the brand new Anzac Station, which opened in November 2025. Throughout the circuit, the principle overpass over the principle straight was tripled in capability, with followers noting much less congestion within the space at peak occasions when in comparison with earlier years.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Prone to be Cancelled

Components 1’s upcoming races within the Center East look more and more unlikely to happen. The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for April 12, and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, set to happen on April 19, are each set to be cancelled because of the continued Iran battle.

The battle already led to a Pirelli tyre check at Bahrain Worldwide Circuit earlier this month being cancelled, whereas the World Endurance Championship’s race in Qatar – which was set to happen on the final weekend in March – has additionally been known as off.

If the Components 1 races don’t happen, it signifies that there will probably be a full month with out racing between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on Might 3. With solely a month till the races have been on account of happen and a congested latter half of the season, it isn’t anticipated that the 2 Center East races will probably be changed or rescheduled on the calendar, reducing the variety of Grands Prix in 2026 to 22.

Official affirmation in regards to the standing of the 2 races is predicted within the coming weeks.

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