Radio Australia Today Editorial

The GP’s fun, but the Aussie Rules is bigger

27 March 2009

Forty-three thousand people went to the first day of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park yesterday. That’s a lot of people for a working day in Melbourne.

But compare the attendance figure to the Aussie Rules season opener last night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This game, between two mid-table teams, attracted double the figures of the GP.

It could be that Formula One is getting less popular across the world. It could be that people are holding on to their cash in this economic downturn. It could fears about climate change. I don’t know.

What I can tell you is that the people who were at the track with us yesterday were as enthusiastic as ever. I happened to get caught in the maelstrom when former driver David Coulthard was signing autographs. Here was a man who came about as close as its possible to come to winning a world championship. He won an amazing 13 GPs from 62 pole positions, but could never go all the way. He’s also recognised as one of the nicest men in Formula One. Alas, as Australian driver Mark Webber knows, we can’t all drive Ferraris.

We’ll be back at the track today, and expect that it will be a little busier today with ther start of practice runs, with all the big boys on the track.

Drop in and have a listen.

                                                                                   – Phil