Valtteri Bottas, Damon Hill, Guenther Steiner & David Croft are some of the high-profile F1 names appearing at the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival on March 16-17.
Images supplied by the Adelaide Motorsport Festival
With aspirations to be Australia’s answer to the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed event in the UK, the Adelaide Motorsport Festival celebrates the South Australian capital’s rich motorsport history as the home of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1985-1995.
The centerpiece of the event is the Victoria Park Sprint, where cars and motorbikes in 18 categories complete spirited demonstrations on a track that includes the final series of corners and home straight from the original Adelaide Grand Prix Circuit. As well as historic Formula 1 cars, other popular categories in action include Heritage Touring Cars , V8 Supercars, legendary sportscars and modern road-legal hypercars.
It’s not only about the on-track action, of course. With an open paddock, you’ll be able to check out your favorite racing cars up close, as well as displays of historic and modern cars. Fans will also be able to see all the big names interviewed on stage in the Grand Marquee, and families are well-looked after with a dedicated zone and lots of activities for budding motorsport fans.
The event also looks to the future with a dedicated precinct focused on electric vehicles, the E-Motion Zone presented by the City of Adelaide, which features static and dynamic vehicle displays, as well as tech talks.
New Dates & Rising Attendances
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival was founded by Tim Possingham in 2016 and has gone from strength to strength, especially since moving from December to March after the pandemic. That’s because the festival now takes place one week before the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, as well as during an action-packed month for events, known locally as “Mad March.”
It’s now possible to attend the Adelaide Motorsport Festival (March 16-17) and the Australian Grand Prix (March 21-24) on consecutive weekends, which has allowed the organizers to attract more high profile names from the world of motorsport (especially Formula 1) as well as more international visitors.
“Mad March”
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival joins other high-profile events taking place in the city during March, including the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival and WOMADelaide. Whilst a motorsport event doesn’t exactly appeal to the same arts and music-focused demographic, the buzz from the combined events brings the normally sleepy city of Adelaide to life during March. (Incidentally, “Adelaide Alive” was the slogan for the inaugural, 1985 edition of the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.)
The location of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival is also strategic. Victoria Park is only a short stroll from outdoor fringe venues Gluttony and The Garden of Unearthly Delights, which will be celebrating the last few days of the 2024 Adelaide Fringe Festival on the same weekend.
High-Profile F1 Stars in Attendance
Among the high-profile names from the world of Formula 1 who are confirmed to appear at this year’s edition of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival include current Stake F1 Team (Sauber) driver Valtteri Bottas, reserve driver for the Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls F1 teams Liam Lawson, ex-Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, lead SkySportsF1 commentator David Croft and 1996 Formula 1 World Champion, Damon Hill. On Sunday night (March 17), David Croft will also be hosting an event at the Arkaba Hotel, learn more: The Crofty Show Adelaide 2024
Bottas, who will get behind the wheel of several legendary cars throughout the weekend, has become an adopted son of the city since starting a relationship with champion cyclist and Adelaide local Tiffany Cromwell a few years ago. The Finnish star has even been employed by South Australia to promote the state’s attractions in his social media posts.
Damon Hill is the highest-profile driver from the Adelaide Formula 1 era to have appeared at the event, following appearances by Ivan Capelli and Stefan Johansson in previous editions. Hill won the final race on the streets of Adelaide for Williams in 1995, as well as the first edition of the race in Melbourne the following year. Hill will probably have less fond memories of the 1994 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide, where he missed out on being crowned World Champion after a controversial clash with Michael Schumacher.
Adelaide-Era F1 Cars on Track
Several legendary cars from the Adelaide Formula 1 era (1985-1995) will also be in action on track at the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival, including the Benetton B190 Ford that won the 1990 Adelaide Grand Prix and a 1993 Benetton B193B Ford that Michael Schumacher raced during the 1993 Formula 1 season. Aussie motorsport legend Craig Lowndes will also be behind the wheel of another Adelaide-era car, the Arrows A10B Megatron from 1988.
Touring Cars, Sports Cars, Motorbikes
It’s not only about Formula 1, of course. The Adelaide Motorsport Festival also celebrates other forms of motorsport. One of this year’s star cars is the legendary Mazda 767B, which became the first Japanese car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 and is considered to be one of the best sounding cars ever produced! Other legendary cars on track this year will be a host of winners of the legendary Australian touring car race, the Bathurst 1000, including Holdens from various eras and two giant-killing Nissan Skyline GT-R R32s. On two wheels, retired Australian motorcycle racer Daryl Beatie will ride a Honda CB1100R at the event alongside fellow winners of premier class motorbike events, Chris Vermuelen and Kevin Magee.
Gouger Street Party
The 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival kicks off on Friday March 16 with a free community event from 6-8pm, The Gouger Street Party. Featuring DJ performances and guest appearances, you’ll also be able to see many of the highest-profile cars from the event in the flesh. One of the coolest aspects of this kick-off event is that the cars all drive from the festival’s paddock in Victoria Park to Gouger Street through the streets of the city!
Tickets on Sale Now
The 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival takes place on Saturday March 16 and Sunday March 17 in Victoria Park. Gates open on both days at 8:30am and there’s on-track action all day until 6pm. Single-day adult tickets are priced from $60 AUD. Generous discounts are also available for children and families (kids under 5 get in free). Hospitality access is also available in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Garden and Pagani VIP Suite. Secure your tickets here.
