V10 TO MAKE ROARING RETURN TO ALBERT PARK

MEDIA RELEASE/Australian Grand Prix Corporation – Photos: supplied

Albert Park will roar to life on Thursday of the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026, with the unmistakable sound of a V10 Formula 1® car set to thrill fans trackside, while Oscar Piastri is scheduled to join teammate Lando Norris on the Fan Forum stage on day one at Albert Park.

The V10 engines were used from 1989 to 2005, in an era looked back on fondly by the sport’s followers. With high revs and immense power, they were notable for a unique, high-pitched sound, considered by many to be the best F1 engine sound in the sport’s history. Driven by Eddie Irvine, Luciano Burti and Pedro de la Rosa, the 2001 Jaguar-Cosworth R2 V10 will hit the track on Thursday.

The Fan Forum Stage, a popular Q&A format which has delivered a number of viral moments in recent years, will make its Thursday debut with an all-star F1 line-up for day one. Sessions in the afternoon and evening will include Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, along with other high-profile F1 stars.
In a celebration to mark 60 years since legendary Australian driver Sir Jack Brabham’s last World Championship win, a demonstration featuring 50 cars will make their way around Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit. The demonstration will include cars spanning Brabham’s 15-year Formula 1 career, from 1955 to 1970, during which he won three World Driver’s Championship titles. In 1960, he founded the Brabham team, winning two of his championship titles under a team of his own name.

After a controversial end to the 2025 season and with Toyota debuting as a manufacturer in 2026, Supercars will return to Albert Park for the series’ second round. The popular category will race on each of the four days at Albert Park, and the fan-facing Podium, open to all ticketholders, will return after a successful debut in 2025.

Premium one-make category, the Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup, will join the on-track action in the first round of their 2026 season, with races every day from Thursday.

And in another Thursday exclusive, the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame ceremony will be presented, with six new inductees representing the pinnacle of Australian motorsport across multiple disciplines. In a first for the ceremony, the 1966 Repco-Brabham BT19, which Brabham drove to win four consecutive Grands Prix to secure his third championship, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during this ceremony,

All the Thursday on-track action can be viewed from the best seating around the circuit, with grandstands open to all Park Pass ticketholders.

With Park Passes for just $45, Thursday tickets are available at grandprix.com.au. Children 14 and under can attend with an adult ticketholder for free.

David Brabham, son of Jack Brabham
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of our father’s third Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship and first Constructors’ Championship. It remains one of the most iconic moments in Formula 1 history, as Sir Jack is still the only person ever to win a World Championship in a car of his own construction.”

“This celebration is especially meaningful to so many people in Australia, representing a remarkable achievement and a true David and Goliath story. With 50 Brabham and Cooper cars on display, alongside on-track demonstrations with my son Sam and I driving, it promises to be an incredible spectacle.”

Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Travis Auld:
“The on-track line-up for Thursday is a motorsport fan’s dream, with the V10, Jack Brabham’s historic cars, Supercars, and Carrera Cup, along with F1 stars on the Fan Forum Stage.”

“Thursday of the Grand Prix is one of the best value tickets on the market at just $45, with off-track entertainment still to be announced.”

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