Behind-the-scenes at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix

The fact it’s now 2024 means I’ve been attending the Australian Grand Prix for more than a decade. In 2012 The Australian Grand Prix Corp gave me my big break as the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix ambassador, along with Lenny Kravitz, so I was in good company.

This job kicked off my love for motorsport and career in media so I will be forever in their debt. I made lifelong friends from being associated with this event, I look forward to it more than Christmas every year.

With an Access All Areas pass and all the rockstar parties, I’ve seen everything across the years. I was once at a Red Bull after party and told Jenson Button to move because I was looking for the world champ Jenson Button.. oops! It was a very dark nightclub after a very big weekend and he’s shorter than you’d expect. It took me a few weeks to get over that one.

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But those crazy party days are behind me now and so is F1 for Jenson.

However, I’m still a diehard, remembering when every year the locals would try and shut down the race and it was a breeze to get a ticket. Well before Drive to Survive exploded on the small screen and influencers of all shapes and sizes snaffled up all the golden tickets, and finding a needle in a haystack was easier than finding race weekend accommodation; God, I sound old, bitter and twisted. But the bright side is we have a surge of female interest and no-one wants to shut our race down anymore. We even have two Aussies on the grid, that’s basically 10 per cent. Things are good. Welcome to all the newcomers.

Right, back on track.

This year was four and a half days of mayhem. So buckle up and I’ll take you behind-the-scenes at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Let’s begin!

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DAY 0.5 – Wednesday night

Glamour on the Grid is one the biggest parties Melbourne sees all year. It’s the annual, who’s who, gigantic Australian Grand Prix soiree that fills pit lane and the massive Marriott Bonvoy hospitality suite located at F1 Paddock entrance. It’s the official event to kick off the AGP week.

Five-hundred and fifty people were listed to attend. I feel like they may have gone over that number a smidge. But who’s counting?

The who’s who of Australian motorsport and every influencer under the sun frocks up to hit the red carpet. Everyone from Supercar drivers like David Reynolds and Nick Percat to The Block contestants who I can’t actually name. My hot dates were Rachel Reed Butler (Women in Automotive Director), Extreme E World Champion and Australian Rally Champion Molly Taylor and her auto-crazed, motoring journalist partner Daniel Gardner – aka Octane Dan. A rowdy bunch to say the least.

It’s rare to see Molly out of a race suit and into a dress, like spotting a Koala in Alaska. I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about that comparison but I doubt she’ll read this. Taylor is surprisingly capable in high heels, you’d expect more of a baby giraffe situation but she didn’t face plant once much to my disappointment; bravo Molly. In the distance we spotted the seriously quick Courtney Prince who recently completed her debut season in the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup, and allowed her to join our Motley crew. It was her first GOTG so she needed some guidance about where to eat, hydrate and who to avoid. Octane Dan was the designated HAB (Husband and Boyfriends, as opposed to WAG) and went about creatively directing our photoshoots up and down pit lane in order to efficiently get our snaps, eat some canapés, down a few bubbles and hot foot it out of there. That’s how we motorsport nana’s roll these days.

Before we did leave though, another oddity caught my eye standing in the corner, GasGas factory rider Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, looking showered and almost dapper with a collared shirt and not a hint of dust to be seen. The only give away that he is actually an off-road, enduro Dakar sand rat was his mad, fast mullet, which he might have shaken some sand out of while standing in front of us. We chatted about Dakar stories, Chucky’s racing this year, his still quite damaged femur and the apples he’d be bringing from his apple farm to the Red Bull Suite over the weekend. Lucky them.

Melbourne delivered as usual – freezing, windy conditions making the perfect influencer photo quite difficult but highly entertaining to watch. The level of ridiculous, enlarged ball gown seems to grow like a virus each year, to the point where some were unable to sit in a taxi or pass through doors. They just had to find a corner and stay there or their gown would be destroyed and trampled walking through the crowd. God only knows how they used the restroom but hey, if it gets a snap in the Herald Sun then it is all worth it.

Boxes ticked, we scrammed, Molly and I had an early morning the next day.

DAY 1 – Thursday

Today was all about the FIA Girls on Track. In this program we introduce young women aged 15 – 22 to the world of motorsport and the many different roles the industry offers. Molly Taylor, Jess Dane (Triple Eight), Krystina Emmanoulides (F1 engineer), myself and several other women working at a high level in their field of motorsport are leaders in the program. Our participants have gone onto secure roles locally and internationally with esteemed organisations such as the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Supercars, Triple Eight Race Engineering, within Formula 1 teams and Extreme E.

This is our third year running the Mentoring and Career Development program at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the schedule is always insane. In 2023 we had 650 girls apply, so we had to make the 2024 application far more difficult. This year, 250 were whittled down to 20 young women who would take part in an action packed day. Two of the 20 would be chosen for work experience roles with the Stake F1 team for five days during next year’s 2025 Aus GP, an incredible experience.

The morning consisted of me on stage running through the program and break out groups with appropriate ambassadors to talk to the girls about these different roles in the industry. I then brought in Kate Reid for a Q&A on stage. Her story is incredible and so is her presence, a fascinating specimen who was thrilled to share her experiences in F1 as an aerodynamicist with Williams and how she moved onto her hugely successful croissant kingdom – LUNE.

Next we moved onto our networking lunch, the girls were able to network to key executives within F1, OEMs and Australian motorsport. As we all know, it’s sometimes more about who you know, not what you know. You can work the latter part out later.

This was followed by the day’s highlight – our VIP entry into the Paddock to explore the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber with our newly adopted Aussie – Valtteri Bottas.

Now this an access money can’t buy experience, the girls got free rein to ask top guns of the race team like Team Chief Alessandro Alunni Bravi, senior race strategist Rithvik Dhananjay Reddy and Almira Tabakovic head of partnerships and sustainability whatever their little hearts desired to explore what it’s like to work in F1. All while losing their minds as Verstappen or Leclerc would walk by in a swarm of cameras.

I then headed back to my hotel to eat two serves of Thai food. By myself. The best.

DAY 2 – Friday

Today my hot date was Nadine Armstrong, fellow Girls on Track ambassador, Director at Women in Automotive and Consumer Editor at Carsales.

We headed over to our first point of call – the Porsche marquee which looks over Turn 1 and 2. An incredible view with possibly the best catering at the track. I had to sample everything of course. They never disappoint in this suite and for 2024 the foyer featured a limited edition Porsche 911 S/T. The only one in the country and will set you back around three-quarter of a million dollars with on-roads and options — the most expensive road legal Porsche ever sold down under. Featuring a stunning, retro 63 stamp on the door as a nod to the launch year of the first 911, it takes its 4.0-litre, flat-six engine from the GT3 RS. What a weapon.

The sun is out and finally we have F1 cars on the track. Not too long into my day, I get a phone call to head into the AGPC Premium suite to be interviewed by F1 reporter Rosanna Tennant. This sends me into an absolute tiz. I’m usually the one asking the questions, not answering them. And I’m across F1 but am I ready to be drilled in front of a crowd?! Stress! But I’m up for anything, Nadine Armstrong, my study buddy, helps me prep and off we trundle across the grounds, swimming through thousands of fans (on a Friday?! Unheard of at AGP until recent years).

Rosanna is a highly accomplished F1 reporter and radio host. Standing at 6’2, I can finally talk to someone taller than me. Apparently she travels in economy to every single F1 race, looking much like a folded up pretzel I’d imagine. She also just had a baby.. 10 weeks ago and this was her second round back; what a machine. She’s a total pro, gets me in, we have a nice nine-minute chat in the plush surrounds of the corporate suite and she quickly scoots back down to pit lane to interview Fernando Alonso. Job done.

Nadine and I head to what will be my second home for the next three days, the St Hugo suite located at the entrance of the paddock and the end of the Melbourne walk, right in the thick of things where everyone who’s anyone needs to walk past to get to whatever important duty they are off to.

Both practises completed and with a decent number of driver errors perhaps due to some jet lag, it appeared Ferrari was bringing home the incremental gains. Albon put it in the wall and Hamilton would be having a stern word with his crew. Bring on Qualifying.

DAY 3 – Saturday

James, my partner, and our little guy Monty, arrived last night because James knows this is the absolute top of the pops, best event I get to attend every year and he does not want to miss out on this highly prized plus one ticket. There is a long line behind him. Any guest of moi must carry my bag when required, and my water, occasionally my shoes and take photos at the drop of a hat (aka ALL the TIME). This role is not for the faint hearted. As James is used to doing these things anyway, it’s an easier transition.

So off we go, I drop the mini tornado (Monty) off to Mother Peck and it’s game on… Qualifying.

Today we are guests of St Hugo wine and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. Mucho excitement. We head into the St Hugo suite where we are booked in for their Pit Stop Wall wine tasting with their head winemaker Peter Munro. Equipped with ‘70s retro headset to block out the track noise (such noisy things those cars) and an educational tasting video from Danny Ricciardo covering his highly esteemed DR3 Cabernet Sauvignon, we are treated to quite a bizarre, very cool, at track wine tasting experience. Nothing of the sort has ever been executed so well at an F1 race weekend – bravo St Hugo!

I consumed just enough red wine to get the creative chat following and headed upstairs to interview Francesco Scardaoni, Regional Director of Lamborghini in Asia Pacific for Torquecafe alongside Octane Dan who was also pulling together an article. You’ll have to read my article coming soon to hear what he had to say.

We then swanned back to the AGPC suite to watch qualifying with my only friend, besides Greg Rust, who knows enough technical jargon to comfortably host a live F1 commentary – former F1 aerodynamicist Kate Reid. Kate’s been busy running her LUNE croissants up and down the paddock in six-inch platform heels and a disco mini skirt. She is the wildest and most wonderful thing at F1.

The Paddock Club Suites had upped their game this year with a mobile caviar and oyster shucking station. Which was then shortly followed by the most real looking fake white chocolate dessert oyster. I can tell you, most people needed a lot of convincing before they believed it wasn’t an actual oyster and they’d split their face in half if they ate the shell.

Kate (Reid) and Kate (me) elbowed our way to the glass windows above the Visa Cash App RB garage to get the best view we could. With a concerning four per cent battery, Reid’s phone offered all we needed for her to eloquently analyse everything that was happening on track for my entertainment.

And if you missed it, the freak on a leash Verstappen was the only one to pull out an insane time in the 1.15sec. Oscar Piastri was looking incredibly strong, ending up P4 on the grid. Dan Ricciardo was making progress through the Qs until his time got scrapped for exceeding track limits. The look on his face in the interview said it all – devastation. He, out of anyone knows how tricky it is to pass on this track and to be relegated to the back of the grid at his home race, well, that was as good as rolling round with three wheels.

The excitement of qualifying over, we make our way out of the track which proves to be similar to getting across Oxford St during Mardi Gras – close to impossible. Unsurprisingly, record breaking crowds will do that.

DAY 4 – Sunday

It’s F1 AGP Race Day! This is comparable to Christmas Day for a race fan. Today I’m dressed as an Elton John fruit salad because however you arrive, you must bring your race day A-game. We start at the Corporate Hospitality area to meet all-round good egg, well-known Australian chef and mad motorcycle fan and collector – Matt Moran. We head straight into the Red Bull Energy Station to check out some F2 then off to the paddock for my annual catch up with F1 paddock stalwarts like the extremely humble Paul and Belinda Stoddart and everyones favourite David Coulthard. International broadcast media are buzzing up and down trying to scoop up interviews, the energy is electric with the hustle and bustle of teams running from their hospitality areas to garages.

Matt Moran heads up to the podium for F2 with Mick Doohan and I duck in to say good morning to my St Hugo’s peeps. The sun is shining and the crowds are thick. I’ve never seen the place so alive with energy.

Off to Turn 2, the Porsche suite, arriving just in time for Mark Webber to jump on stage and give us a pre-race rundown which was an absolute treat. It would be a battle of tyres in these warmer than expected conditions. So eloquent and informed, so casual yet professional. It appears his title seems to be morphing from F1 race winner to Oscar Piastri’s manager, and what a guy to have in your corner, you’re a lucky duck Piastri.

Here we watch the start of the race, as all 19 cars surged into Turn 1, most dramas were avoided but it didn’t take long till Verstappen started smoking, opening up the race to – hallelujah – someone else. At lap 17, Lewis Hamilton radioed in to Mercedes reporting an ‘engine failure’ to retire. The world champs were dropping like flies.

We quickly hustle in a race lull, back to the St Hugo suite to settle in with our gang.

Just nine days on from his recent appendectomy, Carlos Sainz, who wasn’t even sure he’d race, who was still in bed as he left to come to Australia, barely able to use his abdominals, set the pace and a dominant performance to wrap up the win, a one two Ferrari podium with Lando Norris in P3. Piastri’s team orders created quite a stir but most racing fans would understand this kind of strategy would have been agreed to earlier. Shame it had to happen at Albert Park. Regardless, Piastri in P4 was a solid result for our young lad and good points grab.

Coming off a major high, we join the thousands trying to leave the track. What a process. We finally get out for our last hurrah, to wrap the weekend in style and sunshine, we jump on two electric scooters and cruise down the beach to our Elwood Airbnb.

See you next year, Australian GP!