Australian Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott is confident of a bumper crowd attending the 2021 Formula One season-opener in Melbourne.
The Victorian capital has again been locked in to host the first GP in March with F1 bosses on Wednesday confirming next year’s schedule.
A successful running of the event at Albert Park would be a welcome celebration for Australian sport after this year’s GP was cancelled on one of the most dramatic days in the country’s history.
As crowds lined-up to enter the circuit, Westacott and organisers were scrambling to save the GP after a McLaren crew member tested positive for COVID-19.
The GP was eventually cancelled just one day in, with a series of state and federal government announcements to deal with the coronavirus pandemic following on that Friday and changing the world forever.
But Westacott says the Australian GP corporation has learned from the bruising experience and will be perfectly equipped to stage next year’s race in a COVID-safe way.
“We’re all going to learn from what health authorities and just how society has adapted and we’ll run the event with good crowds,” Westacott told SEN.
“We haven’t put a number on (crowds) yet but I’m enthused by the numbers around the country (at other sports).
“If you’re getting the 20, 30, 40 thousand numbers in stadiums then that’s a really good base level.”
Encouragingly for F1 bosses, Victoria has gone 12 consecutive days without recording a COVID-19 case approaching summer.
The MCG is set to host up to 25,000 fans a day for December’s Boxing Day Test and Australian Open tennis officials are optimistic of having reduced crowds at Melbourne Park in January.
All F1 drivers and crew will be in a bubble after arriving in Melbourne and Westacott is confident border and quarantine restrictions won’t be an issue for the largely international contingent .
“We will have a lockdown zone at the venue so the drivers are in their bubble,” he said.
“If you test negative you’re allowed in, if you test positive you do not get access to the venue.”
Formula One had to revise the 2020 calendar due to the pandemic and expects to finish the year with 17 races.