2026 Australian Grand Prix Breaks Melbourne Attendance Record

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix took place in front of a crowd of over 483,000 – the largest number in Albert Park’s history on the F1 calendar.

The season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix had a weekend crowd of 483,934, setting a new record for Melbourne’s best-attended Formula 1 weekend in its history on the calendar. It ranks as the third best-attended weekend on record in the sport’s history.

The race, the first under the sport’s new-for-2026 regulations, was won by George Russell who led home Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the team’s first 1-2 result at the Australian Grand Prix since 2019.

There was heartbreak for the Melbourne crowd, as local hero Oscar Piastri – a big factor in increased attendances at the event in recent years – crashed out on his way to the grid. As a result of Piastri’s crash, this was the first Australian Grand Prix in which no Australian drivers took the start since 2001. For the first time, Piastri was honoured with a grandstand named in his honour in 2026. The stand, located on the main straight, sold out in no time when tickets went on sale last August.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the first F1 event in Melbourne. Albert Park became host of the Australian Grand Prix in 1996, taking the event from Adelaide. The last race in Adelaide, in 1995, remains the best-attended F1 weekend of all time, with a total crowd of 520,000.

Year-On-Year Attendance Increases by 20,000

With increased capacity this year, weekend attendance at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix increased by almost 20,000 compared to twelve months ago. The 2025 attendance figure was 465,498.

Record numbers attended on both Thursday and Friday. Attendance rose by over 14,000 on Thursday, which featured on-track action only from F1’s support categories, including Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercars. With over 134,000 at Albert Park on Saturday, it was the second best-attended qualifying day in the circuit’s history.

Daily Attendances at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix

Thursday – 86,210

Friday – 125,725

Saturday – 134,130

Sunday – 136,935

Race day at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix had a Sunday attendance of close to 137,000. It was not quite a sell-out, with Australian Grand Prix CEO Tom Mottram noting before the weekend that capacity at the venue was increased to 141,000.

Fan access at Albert Park was improved ahead of the 2026 race weekend, thanks to the opening of the new Anzac Station, which opened in November 2025. Within the circuit, the main overpass over the main straight was tripled in capacity, with fans noting less congestion in the area at peak times when compared to previous years.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Likely to be Cancelled

Formula 1’s upcoming races in the Middle East look increasingly unlikely to take place. The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for April 12, and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, set to take place on April 19, are both set to be cancelled as a result of the ongoing Iran war.

The conflict already led to a Pirelli tyre test at Bahrain International Circuit earlier this month being cancelled, while the World Endurance Championship’s race in Qatar – which was set to take place on the last weekend in March – has also been called off.

If the Formula 1 races do not take place, it means that there will be a full month without racing between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. With only a month until the races were due to take place and a congested latter half of the season, it is not expected that the two Middle East races will be replaced or rescheduled on the calendar, cutting the number of Grands Prix in 2026 to 22.

Official confirmation about the status of the two races is expected in the coming weeks.