Speaking on KTM Summer Grill, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Travis Auld said the local category continues to play a vital role in anchoring the Melbourne event, even as Formula 1’s global popularity drives unprecedented interest in Albert Park.
“Supercars is critical, in my view,” Auld said.
“They anchor our event and differentiate it. And what I mean by that is that Supercars are the premium four-wheel race category in Australia. So that’s important for us.
“It just ties us back to our grassroots here.”
Supercars headlines Thursday track action at the Australian Grand Prix and remains a key draw for local fans, something Auld believes sets Melbourne apart from other races on the Formula 1 calendar.
“Having now spoken to quite a number of the teams and a number of the F1 drivers, they love the Supercar racing,” he said.
“It’s very combative. It’s quite unpredictable. They’re incredible athletes – and they’re good fun, good personalities.
“And Supercars themselves, whether it be the administration or the teams or drivers, really embrace our event.”
Auld said the category’s willingness to adapt to the Albert Park layout and race in front of massive crowds further underlined its value to the event.
“They clearly love racing in front of 130,000 people,” he said.
“They make some compromises to make it work in our circuit, which we’re very grateful for. So in my view, and the view of the corporation, is that they are a really important part of our event.”
The commitment to Supercars comes as the Australian Grand Prix continues to experience rapid growth.
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The 2025 event attracted more than 465,000 fans across four days, making it the second most-attended race on the Formula 1 calendar behind the British Grand Prix. The figure reinforced Melbourne’s status as one of the sport’s flagship events.
“The sport globally is in an incredibly healthy position, and our event has responded to that,” Auld said.
“We’re seeing record crowds across most days this year, we’re on track to do the same thing again next year.”
Rather than chasing headline attendance numbers, Auld said the focus is on considered growth that protects the fan experience, particularly as demand continues to outstrip supply.
“We could probably sell, or, no doubt, we could sell more tickets,” he said.
“We sold out Saturday, Sunday, I think, in two hours this year. So clearly, there’s more demand than we have tickets available.”
Fan feedback has also shaped the event’s ticketing strategy, with the Australian Grand Prix moving away from demand-based pricing ahead of the 2026 event.
“We introduced demand based ticketing in two years ago, and we got some feedback from our fans that that they didn’t like that model,” Auld said.
“So, as is our responsibility, we listened to our fans, and we reverted back to a fixed base pricing model.”
The increased demand for tickets is also driving the largest infrastructure investment seen at Albert Park in decades, with organisers focused on improving movement and accessibility across the circuit.
A new, state-of-the-art pit building will replace the existing 30-year-old structure following the 2026 race, alongside a series of upgrades designed to ease congestion inside the park.
Key changes include a major expansion of the main overpass at Gate 1, additional pontoons across the lake and improved pedestrian flows, as well as the opening of ANZAC Station just 400 metres from the circuit.
“One of the key areas of focus for 2026 is to invest in infrastructure to help people get around, just to reduce, sort of some of those bottlenecks that exist,” Auld said.
“And so a real feature we hope, as we continue to grow the event, is to make sure that the growth of the event is only done in a way that doesn’t compromise the experience of the fans who attend.”
Auld said any plans to expand capacity must be balanced against maintaining the quality of the on-site experience.
“What we will do is we will continue to edge our way forward, but in a way that’s quite considered,” he said.
“I, as CEO of the organisation, I’m very protective of the experience for those people who can go.”
The 2026 Australian Grand Prix will take place from March 5–8 at Albert Park in Melbourne.
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