MELBOURNE: Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), the organizers of the Formula 1 race in Melbourne, have announced that the first race of the 2019-2020 season will be provisionally held in mid-March instead of the traditional end of March date every year.
The organisers have pencilled down the March 14-17 slot in 2019, which will have to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council at its meeting in October this year, Autosport reports.
Should the move be given a go ahead, this will be the earliest start to a F1 season since 2015, the year in which the Australian Grand Prix was held on March 15.
The decision is said to be taken to avoid a potential clash with the popular Moomba Festival and the Australian Rules Football League, that happen during the same time period in the city of Melbourne.
With eight months still to go for the race, the organizers are hopeful that the timing of the decision and new additions to the event will help overseas fans make their plans to watch the race way in advance.
“To announce the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2019 date more than eight months out from the event is fantastic news and we hope this will encourage overseas and interstate visitors to plan for a lengthy visit to Melbourne and Victoria,” AGPC CEO Andrew Westacott said to Autosport.
“We are immensely proud of the four-day spectacle Melbourne puts on and honoured to raise the curtain on one of the world’s most prestigious annual championships.
“The start of an F1 season, our Aussie superstar Daniel Ricciardo, a Supercars championship round and so much off-track action – it’s a must-attend event in 2019.”
The AGPC claimed that the Australian GP this year saw as many as 295,000 fans watch the race across 4 days.
