Melbourne Grand Prix set to proceed despite Middle East travel chaos

[MELBOURNE] The Australian Grand Prix is expected to go ahead with minimal disruption in Melbourne this weekend, despite the conflict in Iran forcing teams and workers to change travel plans.

With much of Middle East airspace closed, Formula 1 (F1) has scrambled to reroute drivers, staff and freight to Melbourne, with most teams based in Europe, said Travis Auld, chief executive officer of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. Pre-season testing wrapped up in Bahrain over the past fortnight, and some McLaren and Mercedes personnel were reportedly stranded there after the conflict broke out over the weekend.

“I’m confident, and I have been assured by Formula 1 that they have got the people they need to have here in order for the event to be delivered at the level we need,” Auld said on Tuesday (Mar 3), adding that the last flights carrying key personnel were en route on Tuesday morning.

Melbourne’s Grand Prix is one of Australia’s best-attended sporting events, last year attracting more than 465,000 fans across four days, according to F1. The season opener also drew more than 60 million television viewers around the world.

“You become accustomed to some curve balls, and clearly we didn’t see this one coming,” said Auld. But with major events, “it’s not unusual for things not to go exactly as you had them planned”.

Still, concerns remain over upcoming races in the F1 calendar, with events in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain scheduled for April. Auld said that organisers were confident that they could manage any disruption, citing lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Australians will be hoping local contender Oscar Piastri can claim his first podium on home soil this weekend, while McLaren teammate Lando Norris aims to spoil the party as he defends his 2025 world title.

The event injects more than A$258 million (S$233 million) into the Victorian state economy while supporting more than 1,000 full-time jobs, according to the Victorian Labor government. BLOOMBERG