Almost half of this weekend’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix ticket holders are women, according to the chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, told The Age that 40% of this weekend’s attendees would be female. Traditionally, female ticket holders have made up about 25% of the audience.
Westacott also said that some of the newfound popularity of the sport could be accredited to the popular Netflix documentary series, Drive To Survive, which follows Formula 1 throughout the season. The boost in female interest in motorsport has been reflected by the ticket sales.
The Australian Grand Prix has returned to Albert Park in Melbourne for the first time since 2019, as the event has been cancelled over the last two years due to the pandemic.
Westacott said: “Historically we’ve had a 75-25% male-female split in terms of purchase.
“This year, with the huge growth we’ve seen, 40% of the ticket purchases are from females and I think it’s from us learning more about Formula One, maybe Oscar Piastri’s theatrics in Formula 2, and definitely Drive To Survive.”
The Formula 1 race in Melbourne is also a sell-out following two years of no racing, and is also predicted to be the event’s largest crowd ever.
A crowd of 130,000 spectators are expected to attend Sunday’s race.
Image: José Pablo Domínguez on Unsplash
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