MOTORSPORT: 2023 Australian Grand Prix date locked in
Albert Park is likely to be the third event on a record-setting 24-event Formula 1 calendar next yearThe Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been locked in for 2023, with the event set for Albert Park from March 30 to April 2 – a week earlier than this year’s event.
Subject to final confirmation from the FIA, the round will be the third on a record-setting 2023 F1 calendar, falling behind a Middle Eastern swing through Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
In June it was announced that the AGP had signed a 10-year extension through to 2035, alongside a major revamp of the support categories, which for the first time in 2023 will feature both international F2 and F3 classes.
While Supercars are set to remain a feature of the event, the status of the Porsche Carrera Cup remains unknown, as S5000 has signalled it will not be returning to the undercard after debuting this year following the abbreviated 2020 meet.
Key to the long-term deal were the extensive renovations carried out at the facility prior to this year’s race, with further upgrades promised for the venue in coming years.
Indications from Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali have pointed to the full calendar being announced in early October, with the schedule likely to feature a maximum of 24 events – up two from this year following the late cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix.
With demand high for calendar slots, it appears increasingly likely that the multiple events that have been staples on the tour will be parked, or rotated through upcoming years, with both the French and Belgian GPs under pressure.
Another event surrounded by question marks is the Monaco Grand Prix, with the terms of the crown jewel event’s contract said to be substantially revised.
Highlighting the new additions to the roster will be a return to Las Vegas, 41 years after the series last held an event in the car park of the Caesars Palace Hotel.
Slated for a temporary circuit incorporating the city’s famed Strip, the event’s November slot places it away from the other USA rounds, which will continue at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, plus the temporary circuit in Miami, which debuted this season.
Qatar is set to return to the schedule at a fresh purpose-built facility with a new 10-year contract after this year’s event was skipped due to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be staged between November and December.
The Chinese Grand Prix is also a strong possibility to return after being omitted since 2019 due to the pandemic, with the Shanghai event’s organisers last year inking a contract extension through 2025.
Another possible inclusion into the mix includes a return to South Africa at Kyalami, which last appeared on the schedule in 1993.
From a local perspective, the Repco Supercars Championship is set to kick off with a return to the streets of Newcastle over March 10-12, which follows on from the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, which will revert to its traditional season-opening slot of February 5, after it was contested in May this year.
The 2022 F1 Championship returns from its mid-season break next weekend with the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Franchorchamps, while the Repco Supercars Championship continues this weekend at Sandown Raceway.
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