From the fast lane: Inside the 2026 Australian Grand Prix

The morning featured an engaging Q&A with Nicole Piastri, mother of Australian Formula One star Oscar Piastri, in conversation with Kate Reid – former Formula One aerodynamicist turned founder of Lune Croissanterie.

A separate discussion saw Martin Pakula, Chair of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, reflect on the event’s broader impact with Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Sally Curtain.

Nicole Piastri

Nicole Piastri’s stories captured the room.

She spoke candidly about Oscar’s journey through the motorsport ranks – Formula Four, Formula Renault, Formula Two, time as an Alpine reserve driver, and eventually his move to McLaren – noting that while the end result may look glamorous, the early years were anything but.

She recalled the devastation of a Formula Four race involving a crash in which fellow driver Billy Monger suffered injuries that led to lower‑limb amputations. The incident, she said, underscored the fragility of motorsport – a reality that continues to shape her approach today.

She has a contingency plan in place for Oscar’s, including knowing how to reach an airport at a moment’s notice, should the worst occur.

One attempt at distraction involved a girls’ weekend in Daylesford. “Doesn’t quite work like that,” she admitted, explaining that the pull of a race weekend never truly leaves her.

She also spoke about the physical and mental demands of Formula One, from neck strength and heat tolerance to extreme endurance. Oscar once lost six kilograms through sweat in a single weekend in Singapore. Just as important is psychological resilience – Oscar has worked with a sports psychologist for years.

Distance adds another layer of complexity. Nicole said she may only see Oscar twice a year: at Christmas, and in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.

Despite global fame, she insists her son remains largely unchanged – providing an anecdote to prove the point. On a Facetime call in Bahrain, she noticed Oscar leaning against what looked like an ornate gold tapestry. It turned out he was staying at the Royal Palace, hosted by the Crown Prince.

Unimpressed, she told him to stop leaning on the wall and clean up the mess in his room.

“Pick up your clothes – you’re in the middle of the palace,” she said. When Oscar protested that the Prince also strolled around casually, she shot back: “That’s because he can.”

Nicole also reflected on Oscar’s career‑defining win in Baku, describing the chaos that followed – paparazzi, 50-plus cameras, and the fear she might not even see him.

“What if he just fresh‑airs his mother?” she wondered.

But they found each other amid microphones and sound booms.

“I’m so proud of you. You did it, mate,” she said. Oscar’s reply: “We did it.”

That attitude still defines him, she said, characterising Oscar – and her three daughters – with the values of determination, resilience, sportsmanship and humility.

Asked about Oscar’s relationship with Lando Norris, Nicole said she doesn’t tend to discuss Formula One dynamics with him, and was more likely to tell him “not to dry your clothes in an oven”.

She did, however, describe the teammates as having a healthy, respectful relationship between one extrovert and one introvert.

Martin Pakula

The conversation with Martin Pakula provided a strategic overview of this year’s event.

Asked about the race itself, he described it as “wildly unpredictable”, noting that lighter cars and evolving regulations had added a new layer of excitement.

He also addressed the geopolitical context, acknowledging there was a period when it was uncertain whether all teams would make it to Melbourne – a prospect he said would have been understandable but deeply disappointing given the scale of preparation involved.

Pakula outlined the work underway to keep growing the event but keep it comfortable for spectators. Sunday’s capacity has increased by 3,500, the weekend has already sold out, and a record crowd of around 470,000 to 480,000 spectators is expected across the four days.

Economically, the Grand Prix currently delivers an estimated $324 million contribution, with ambitions to push beyond $350 million. Revenue growth, he said, is critical as hosting rights and construction costs continue to rise – particularly in response to questions around taxpayer contribution.

He noted that the Drive to Survive effect continues to reshape audiences, with younger fans and more women engaging with the sport, strengthening its long‑term viability in Melbourne amid growing competition from other cities.

Pakula also pointed to Melbourne’s advantages: a deeply embedded sporting culture, institutional “muscle memory” for hosting major events, and accessibility improvements such as the new Anzac Station as part of the Metro Tunnel project.

On the recent decision for MotoGP to move to Adelaide, Pakula was adamant that Melbourne “didn’t lose the event” – “we declined it”. The state, he said, cannot pursue events at any cost. The rights holder’s push towards CBD street circuits would have required a complete reconfiguration of Albert Park, including cutting through the golf course, removing hundreds of trees, impacting the lake and disrupting residents.

“I would have loved to keep it,” he said, “but it would have been far more troubling if government had said yes.”

Finally, on the prospect of a future night race, Pakula was clear that he is a “day race guy”, citing the event’s visual appeal in daylight, the technical challenges of lighting, and the reduced importance of television timing given the growth of Asian and US markets.