F1 draws huge Melbourne crowd
The 2026 Australian Grand Prix pulled in over 480,000 fans in Melbourne — a raw indicator of F1's growing live demand even as the global calendar shifts. (manofmany.com) Two Middle East races were recently axed and South Australia has formally pitched to F1’s CEO to return a race to Adelaide, sparking a real calendar scramble for promoters. (readmotorsport.com)
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation reported 483,934 spectators across the four‑day 2026 Albert Park event, the largest total in the Melbourne era of the race. (us.speedcafe.com) That Melbourne total remains short of the all‑time Australian Grand Prix attendance of about 520,000 recorded at Adelaide in 1995. (drive.com.au) Organisers pointed to transport and precinct upgrades — including the Metro Tunnel’s new Anzac Station, a pedestrian bridge and a floating walkway — as factors that allowed higher daily capacities and smoother crowd movement. (austadiums.com) Formula 1 officially confirmed the Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir) and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah), scheduled for April, “will not take place in April” after safety and operational assessments. (formula1.com) F1 said alternatives were evaluated but no April substitutions would be made, a decision that reduces the 2026 calendar to 22 races and leaves a five‑week gap between the Japanese and Miami rounds. (formula1.com) South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas disclosed he personally rang Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to pitch Adelaide as a replacement venue after the cancellations, saying “you’ve got to be in it to win it.” (speedcafe.com)
