Australian Grand Prix sets new record for Formula 1 sports attendance, Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia – The 2022 Australian Grand Prix has broken the standard of attendance achieved by Formula One in the 2021 season and set a new record for the most attended weekend sporting event ever held in Melbourne .
An estimated 420,000 fans poured through the gates at Albert Park from Thursday to Sunday – an average of 105,000 spectators a day – to see the first race on the streets of Melbourne since 2019.
The weekend figure topping 400,000 was achieved at last year’s US Grand Prix in Austin, F1’s best attendance result in 2021. However, it fell short of the 520,000 fans who attended the Australian Grand Prix. 1995, the last race in Adelaide before F1 moved the event to Albert Park.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation director Andrew Westacott believes the numbers at this year’s event could be even bigger if they were allowed to sell more tickets. An estimated 25,000 fans missed out on race day tickets, with the event selling out months in advance.
On Friday, local hero Daniel Ricciardo said Albert Park was clearly the busiest he had ever seen.
“It’s always been pretty wild here, there’s no denying that,” he said. “But it looks like it’s been raised a notch, or two, or three. It’s definitely a good madness and there’s a lot of support and love. I think people just want to have the race back. again.”