Australian Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott says changes to the Albert Park track to make this year’s race faster have helped drive a sellout crowd, while the smash hit Netflix series Drive to Survive is credited with boosting ticket sales to women from 25 to 40 per cent.

Global Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali agreed the sport was appealing to a new audience, which had helped increase television viewers to a record 1.5 billion last year. New rules had made all of this year’s races faster.