Aust GP wants to avoid AFL clash in 2018
Mar 23, 2017 - 3:41 AM Australian Grand Prix organisers will petition the sport's governing body to avoid a clash with the opening round of the AFL season in 2018.Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott is delighted with ticket sales this year despite the four-day event competing with the AFL in the sport's Melbourne heartland.
Westacott is backing Melburnians to come out in force to support all sporting events over a busy weekend, but concedes the 2017 scheduling isn't his best-case scenario.
"In an ideal world we'll be the lead up to the AFL season," Westacott told reporters on Thursday.
"So if I had my choice for next year I'd be saying that we go the week before the AFL starts, then we've got a happy median for everyone.
"People have talked about the AFL clash with our event but the way I see it as sports fan ... come along to the grand prix during the day then go to the footy in the evening.
"I think that's the best mix for anyone to get their dose of international sport and local sport that we love so much."
While not the ideal situation, Westacott said ticket sales already pointed to a larger crowd at the Albert Park circuit this year compared to last.
Forecast fine weather and technical changes to the cars, to make them faster, are helping drive ticket sales.
Then there's the presence of ever-popular local hope Daniel Ricciardo.
The Western Australian's Red Bull team didn't perform as well as the all-conquering Mercedes or the Ferraris during recent testing in Barcelona but Westacott is confident he'll still give local fans plenty to cheer about.
"I'm very confident (he'll be competitive) ... you never know at the start of a season, they're always foxing coming out of testing," Westacott said.
"Ferrari was really quick - which is great for every motorsport fans - and Mercedes were up there.
"But the really good thing I'm hearing out of Daniel Ricciardo and the Red Bull team is they've got a lot of upgrades already."
Westacott said tyre barriers and energy absorption barriers had been improved on four turns to accommodate the cars that are expected to be five to six seconds quicker around the Melbourne circuit.
Source: AAP
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