The start of the 1985 Australian Grand Prix. Image: XPB Images
Today, November 3, is the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – an event for which the parklands circuit was designed and first used.
Eleven F1 races were held on the original 3.78km Adelaide layout before the AGP moved to Melbourne’s Albert Park in 1996.
The full circuit was used one final time on New Year’s Eve in 2000 for the ‘Race of 1000 Years’ American Le Mans Series event.
A 3.22km version of the circuit was commissioned in 1999 for the first Adelaide 500, which set a new standard for Supercars events.
The Adelaide 500 was killed off following the 2020 event but brought back in 2022 and has this year been rebranded the Adelaide Grand Final in line with the category’s new Finals Series.
The 40th anniversary celebrations at the event will include on-track demonstrations and off-track displays.
“Being the 40th anniversary of the iconic Australian street circuit, we want to look at all of the categories that have raced here over those 40 years,” event CEO Mark Warren told Speedcafe.
“So obviously Formula 1 and creating that bridge back, but also all the touring cars that we’ve had over the years, the Race of 1000 Years, the modern Supercars and support categories.”
Craig Lowndes at the 1999 Adelaide 500. Image: Glenis Lindley
The first cars confirmed include five V8 Supercars from the Adelaide 500 era, headlined by the Holden Commodore VT in which Craig Lowndes won the first event.
Others locked in include the two Triple Eight Holdens from 2022 – Broc Feeney’s final Holden winner and the car in which Shane van Gisbergen performed his championship burnout.
Also confirmed are James Courtney’s 2014/15 Adelaide-winning Holden Racing Team VF Commodore and an ex-Paul Morris/Tim Slade Supercheap Auto VE.
A Dick Johnson Racing EB Falcon, an ex-Peter Brock Group A BMW M3 and a Holden V8 Ute complete the first announced batch of demonstration vehicles.
SVG celebrates in style. Image: Supplied
Organisers revealed in September that Red Bull will bring two 2011-specification RB7 F1 cars, which are expected to be joined by historic F1 machines.
The Red Bull demo outfit operates independently from the race team and includes a dozen crew, which will have a dedicated garage in pit lane.
Drivers for the two cars – which will be decked out in Red Bull and Racing Bulls colours – are yet to be confirmed.
Current F1 stars are ruled out due to the Qatar Grand Prix, which takes place over the same November 27-30 weekend.