Forum Replies Created
- Posts
There are several large merchandise and food and drink areas around the track all accessible to GA ticket holders. At a minimum there is usually food, drink and toilets at most corners.
Melbourne may have healthy spectator numbers compared to many countries but it is not Monza! The grandstand seats may sell out but not GA. The only time I know GA sold out was the final Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide in 1995, where 205,000 GA tickets sold out (I was there!). Melbourne gets about 100,000 on race day.
The queues can be long at the track but you can buy from a Ticketmaster outlet in the city beforehand and they usually have a temporary F1 outlet in Federation Square.
Buying from the official F1 site tickets.formula1.com is safe as you you don’t know if others are legitimate and can be trusted.
Concession tickets are for people with official concessions, eg children, students, age pensioners etc. Not for most people.
If you are arriving a day or two before the weekend it may be easier to buy your ticket in Melbourne. GA never sells out.
Melbourne provides a significant tram service to shuttle fans directly to and from the track and the city during the race weekend in addition to the normal tram and train services that continue to run throughout the weekend, so transport is easy. You would not want to have a car as parking near the track is impossible.
It would help to study a map of Melbourne and see where the track is – it is in the middle of a relatively wealthy inner city suburb in between the city centre and one of the major dining and entertainment precincts in the suburb of St Kilda. Staying in the city centre is probably the most convenient. Melbourne is a large city with many hotels.
The best viewing positions in GA will be standing room only at the exact corner point (turn 5), but some of the areas are very large (turn 9) where thousands of people sit. You can easily walk around and try the various corners, but it’s best to choose one for the race and get there an hour or two beforehand. Friday is quiet with few people and great for doing reconnaissance.
Regarding the weather, Melbourne is known for unpredictable weather. It may be 35C, hot and dry, or it could be 15C, wet and windy. Be prepared for the varying conditions.
It depends a great deal on what you can afford and what you want to see. I can’t afford paddock club. I’ve done grandstands overlooking the main straight and while seeing something of the pitstops in the refueling era was great, it’s less exciting now.
A 4 day general admission pass which gets you many amazing viewing positions is about AU$175.
The turn 3, 4 and 5 precinct is my standard place all weekend.For me the greatest thrill is being as close to the track and cars as possible, and turn 5 at Albert Park is about as close as you can get at any track anywhere in the world. Position yourself on the outside of the exit of turn 5 and watch the cars coming right at you before they turn away at about 200kph.
In 2016 I saw Alonso walk away from his stupendous McLaren accident. I’ve seen Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, and many others up close after they have crashed or broken down in this area, standing waiting for the mashall on a motorbike to take them back to the pits.
In terms of value for money, this is a great location. I’ve been every year since 2003. The track has changed over time but this area has got better as the corporate stands have been reduced and the general admission area has increased.
You’re not going to literally feel the air displacement of the cars hitting you up in a grandstand, but you will at turn 5.
I was at Melbourne 2014 too. The noise is intriguing, complex and fascinating to listen to with all the different components, engine, turbo, etc. And the new tyre squeal is good too. I started following F1 in the original turbo era so super noisy cars are not the default. For me the 90s high revving 3.5 and 3.0 v8/v10/v12 period was fantastic and the subsequent v10 and 2.4 v8 eras were less interesting. I don’t miss the 2.4 v8s. I do miss the bigger v10s and v12s. The 2.4 v8s are loud, but they’re also flat and tinny and one-dimensional. The 1995 Renault v10? That was LOUD.
1. What country are you in (and state, if applicable)
Australia
2. Which channels broadcast F1 near you?
Ch 10
3. Do they show all the races live or only a limited number (if so, how many?)
Most or all races live.
4. Do they also show qualifying live?
Some quali live.
5. Do they also show practice sessions live?
No practice at all, never mind live.
6. If they are a subscription channel, what does a full year’s subscription cost (excluding limited time offers)?
No idea.
7. Do they broadcast coverage online? If so please post link/s
No
8. Please supply any other relevant information such as alternative viewing options
I mostly watch via illegal live web stream of Sky F1 channel. Its the only way I can get practice and the Sky pre-quali, pre-race and post-race coverage. If I can’t watch live (eg am at work) then I download a torrent of the shows.
If watching race live I watch pre-race show via illegal web stream, then switch to live tv for race (the moron Australian commentators talk over MB and ruin it) then back to web for post-race.
I’d happily pay Sky to watch it all via web directly from them. In the meantime I have to steal practice as it is the only way to see it in Australia. Not even pay tv has it.
