The gates are opening at Albert park for the first day of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 We're expecting about 60,000 people here today and the rest of the three days, Friday, Saturday,
00:08 Sunday, are all sold out as well.
00:10 So we're expecting to break last year's record crowd of 444,000 people.
00:17 The fans here, the demographics have changed over the last few years.
00:23 We were hearing from the Formula One boss earlier this morning who said they've seen
00:27 a lot more women and children coming along to this race and they're encouraging that
00:32 of course as well.
00:34 Plenty of things for fans to do outside of what's on the track here today.
00:38 There's some supercars and some Porsche action on track today.
00:43 But of course everyone looking ahead to Sunday's race.
00:46 The drivers will be coming out, walking through the crowds today, everyone hoping to get an
00:53 autograph or a selfie with especially the Australian drivers but plenty of fans of Ferrari
00:59 as well here.
01:00 So it's an exciting time.
01:02 There's trams arriving every few minutes and floods of people coming in.
01:07 So the crowd control are working extra hard here this morning.
01:11 Yes, certainly plenty going on.
01:14 And you mentioned the Australian drivers.
01:16 There are two in the race this year.
01:20 That's right.
01:21 There are two Aussies in the race for the first time since 2013.
01:25 Oscar Piastri, the young gun, is 22 years old, driving for McLaren.
01:30 And you can see flashes of the orange, the papaya orange of the McLaren side.
01:36 Ricciardo used to drive for that team as well.
01:40 So some people telling me that they've held on to their Daniel Ricciardo merch and are
01:44 now following Oscar Piastri and that team.
01:47 Piastri grew up not far from this track here and said before that as a kid he could hear
01:52 the race from his home.
01:53 And this is just his second season in Formula One as well.
01:57 But he is expected to drive quite well.
02:00 He's had a couple of top 10 finishes so far this season.
02:03 This is the third race this year, not the opening race as it has been traditionally.
02:09 Daniel Ricciardo, though, having a tough couple of years, it has to be said.
02:14 He's driving now for Red Bull's junior team, RB.
02:17 He has a lot of fans here, a lot of goodwill towards him.
02:21 He may struggle to get up in the points for this race.
02:25 So all the local hopes pin to Oscar Piastri.
02:28 Red Bull's cars have been dominating, though, finishing first and second.
02:32 And Max Verstappen is really the one that everyone is chasing.
02:36 So fans telling me they're really just hoping for a third place for Oscar Piastri.
02:42 Time to get an Australian on the podium here for the very first time.
02:45 It hasn't happened before.
02:46 So fingers crossed.
02:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]