New 5-day Grand Prix fan zone to take over iconic Melbourne Park Oval for first time
A brand new fan site is set to be introduced at Melbourne Park Oval during the Grand Prix, giving fans a chance to get up close with drivers and watch every race live on big screens.
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Formula One action will take over the heart of Melbourne’s iconic sporting precinct with a new fan site to be introduced for next month’s Australian Grand Prix.
A dedicated F1 live precinct will be unveiled at Melbourne Park Oval for the season opening race at Albert Park.
F1 stars such as Aussie Oscar Piastri and new Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton will visit the site in the lead-up to the March 13-16 sporting showpiece, with all days of the event including Sunday’s race shown live on big screens.
The free “F1 Melbourne Fan Festival” will kick off on March 12, running for five days in a precinct used as Glam Slam Oval during the Australian Open.
Australian Grand Prix chief executive Travis Auld said the race “taking over Melbourne” at the new site would help build excitement for this year’s event and satisfy fans who had missed out on tickets.
“Race week is such an exciting time in the city, and this festival will be an extension of the incredible offerings already available within the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit,’’ he said.
Official F1 Fan Festivals have previously been staged in conjunction with the Las Vegas, Spanish, Italian and Japanese Grands Prix.
But it will be the first time one has been staged for the Australian Grand Prix, with two screens 6.6m wide and 3.5m tall showing the live action.
Fans will get the chance to watch driver interviews and Q and A sessions on stage, see an F1 car up close, access a gaming lounge and pose for virtual driver selfies as part of the activation.
The festival will have food and drink options, as well as unique F1 experiences such as a “Blast Lane’’ which recreates the sensation of putting car through its paces in a wind tunnel.
The Herald Sun last year revealed plans to bring the Grand Prix to the city, spreading Grand Prix fever further than Albert Park in a strategy to rev up the race’s impact on businesses.
The fan site is the first significant step towards expanding a major Melbourne event which has sold out its key days for the past three years.
Mr Auld said the new event would transform the space into a buzzing F1 space packed with atmosphere.
Tickets to this year’s Saturday qualifying session and Sunday’s race have already sold out, though a small amount of new tickets are expected to go on sale in coming weeks.
Sports Minister Steve Dimopoulos said: “No other city in the world has an international Grand Slam, a Formula One Grand Prix, and soon regular season NFL games.’’
mailto:peter.rolfe@news.com.au
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