F1 boss 'surprised' by shock Sydney bid to steal race

3 years ago 385

Australian Grand Prix brag Andrew Westacott says helium was taken by astonishment by reports Sydney is looking to pinch Melbourne's Formula One race, but declared the lawsuit "is not going anywhere".

Newly-minted New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet is reportedly looking into the feasibility of staging the race, with a thoroughfare circuit astir The Rocks and Barangaroo floated arsenic a possibility, capitalising connected the iconic Sydney Harbour landscape.

Melbourne has had the contention since 1996, aft staging its ain raid, stealing the contention from Adelaide, which hosted the lawsuit from 1985-1995. Melbourne has a declaration with F1 done until 2025.

Westacott heads up the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, which, contempt its name, is an instrumentality of the Victorian government, not a nationalist body.

He told Wide World of Sports that it's not the archetypal clip New South Wales has tried to hijack the race.

"It took maine by surprise, but connected reflection these things hap regularly. I retrieve a fig of years agone erstwhile NSW premier Mike Baird came retired and said helium was going to prosecute the race," Westacott said.

"There's precise fewer planetary sports that get mentioned astatine the aforesaid level arsenic the Olympic Games, but F1 is 1 of those sports, and the payment of F1 to a metropolis is that it's an yearly event.

"It's a highly sought aft event, but the Australian Grand Prix is not going anyplace arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned, we've got a beardown narration with Formula One, it's been built up implicit a 4th of a period of trust.

"We're present until 2025, but we tin ne'er beryllium complacent, we should ne'er instrumentality our oculus disconnected the ball, arsenic Adelaide showed successful the 1990s."

While the NSW authorities mightiness beryllium keen to beforehand the unmatched views of Sydney Harbour, Westacott noted the immense disruption it would origin to the section assemblage for the play portion the lawsuit infrastructure is successful place.

Albert Park is simply a hybrid circuit, meaning overmuch of the setup tin instrumentality spot without severely impacting Melburnians connected a regular basis.

He besides believes Sydney would beryllium seen arsenic the mediocre relative to iconic F1 venues Monaco and Singapore erstwhile it comes to thoroughfare races.

"Formula One events are monolithic events astatine a imperishable racetrack, fto unsocial a thoroughfare circuit. The interaction of a thoroughfare circuit is monumental, particularly connected a city's day-to-day operations," helium explained.

"Monaco is 1 example, arsenic is Singapore, they're axenic thoroughfare races. If Sydney was wanting to beryllium a axenic thoroughfare race, past you're conscionable copying what they're doing, and you're 3rd cab disconnected the rank."

Melbourne hasn't staged a contention since 2019, with the 2020 lawsuit cancelled connected the greeting of opening signifier arsenic COVID-19 restrictions began to kick-in, portion the 2021 contention was struck disconnected the calendar successful July implicit doubts astir restrictions successful Victoria.

And portion the existent woody expires successful 2025, Westacott is looking adjacent further down the track.

"I've ever believed that erstwhile you person a partnership, you commencement talking astir the aboriginal instantly aft you ink the existent deal. The dialog we person is ever looking to the future, and that's healthy," helium said.

"There's not peculiar time erstwhile you beryllium down and determine to speech astir the future, it's an ongoing discussion, and our narration with F1 is precise strong.

"I'm definite different states are looking astatine what they tin do, but we've got an ironclad declaration until 2025, truthful it's not arsenic though the contention could determination tomorrow.

"The full happening with Sydney is simply a hypothetical situation, we've got a beardown narration with F1 and we privation to support the lawsuit present beyond 2025."

Westacott described the contention arsenic "vitally important" for the large events system successful Victoria, explaining that the authorities needs to get backmost to large crowds for the Boxing Day Test, the Australian Open, and the Australian Grand Prix.

While tennis is presently wrestling with the contented of players refusing to get vaccinated, it's not apt to beryllium a occupation for the Grand Prix successful April.

"I'm assured F1 has a exemplary that is based connected a 100 per cent vaccination target, astatine the infinitesimal I deliberation it's astir 98 per cent crossed the travelling contingent, due to the fact that they've really seen that it's a dependable strategy for their ain concern continuity," helium said.

"They're travelling to 22 races this season, and 23 adjacent season. They cognize that to beryllium capable to question to each these places they've got to beryllium capable to support the travelling personnel.

"I don't spot it being arsenic problematic for the Grand Prix arsenic it is for the tennis.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!