Melbourne, March 4 (IANS) Tickets for the season-opening Formula One Australian Grand Prix have sold out in record time, organisers said on Wednesday.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation and government of the state of Victoria said that tickets are fully exhausted across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, marking the earliest three-day sellout in the event’s history, reports Xinhua.

The 2026 Formula One season will begin with two practice sessions at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit on Friday before another practice session and qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

Organisers said that tickets remain available for Thursday, when reigning world champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri are set to appear at a fan event.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix was the second-most attended race weekend of the Formula One season, drawing a record-breaking crowd of over 465,000 people.

Steve Dimopoulos, Victoria’s Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, said on Wednesday that the early sellout was a testament to the global appeal of the Australian Grand Prix.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is forecasting no rain and a maximum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius in Melbourne for the race on Sunday.

Australian Grand Prix this weekend marking the first event of a 24-round calendar.

For the reigning champions at McLaren, there’s Lando Norris looking to defend his crown, while Oscar Piastri looks to break the duck for home drivers, as he tries to secure a first classified podium for an Australian since the race became a World Championship event in 1985.

Cadillac will make their debut this weekend as the grid expands to 11 teams and 22 cars. The American team are relying heavily on experience as they take on the tough task of establishing themselves, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez returning to the grid after both sitting out 2025.

–IANS

bc/