With a combined four-day crowd of 419,114 estimated by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), not only did the iconic event surpass its 1996 record of 401,000, it also claimed the title of the biggest attendance for a sporting weekend in the State’s history.

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra said: “What a fabulous weekend for Melbourne, what a fabulous weekend for Victoria. The eyes of the world were on us and Melbourne delivered.

“It was great to bring the Grand Prix home and see the city come alive again. The record crowd numbers speak for themselves and that’s a real testament to the hard work of thousands of Victorians and our beautiful city,” he said.

“Hotels were full, restaurants were full, pubs were full… and it’s very clear now that we are open for business.”

Asked about the return of major events, Mr Guerra said: “We’re rolling off a really strong Australian Open which was fabulous, the AFL season has kicked off and the AFLW season has just finished.

“To have a global event where the infrastructure is brought in gives us a big shot of confidence and shows the world that we’re back even bigger and better than before. There’s a reason why Melbourne is world renowned for our sport and events, and it’s because of what happened over the weekend,” he said.

“The AGPC, through the leadership of Paul Little and Andrew Westacott, has been extraordinary. The whole AGPC Board has backed it and the AGPC team has delivered. The event sector of Melbourne has played their part and it’s a very exciting time.”

When asked if the Grand Prix should remain in Melbourne, Mr Guerra said: “There is only one Australian Grand Prix, and that Australian Grand Prix needs to stay in Melbourne and should stay in Melbourne because Melbourne is the home of Formula 1 in this country.”