The Formula 1® Exhibition Celebrates Asia-Pacific Debut Opening in Melbourne

The internationally acclaimed Formula 1® Exhibition opened in Melbourne last week with an exclusive preview event welcoming special guests, media, and motorsport personalities for a first look at the immersive experience at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), ahead of its public opening on Saturday, 29 November.

Making its Asia-Pacific debut, the exhibition brings one of the world’s most celebrated motorsport experiences to Melbourne after record-breaking tours across Europe - in Madrid, Vienna, London, and Amsterdam - and successful runs in Toronto and Buenos Aires. The global showcase transforms the MCEC into an immersive exploration of Formula 1’s past, present, and future.

Brought to Melbourne by Sony Music and TEG Experiences, and produced by Round Room Live, the exhibition spans over 22,000 square feet across seven purpose-built immersive rooms, showcasing the evolution, innovation and emotion that have defined Formula 1 for more than seven decades. The experience features five iconic F1 cars including Driver’s and Constructor’s championship winners, 60+ helmets, 25+ race suits, 100 exclusive interviews, and 10 racing simulators, giving fans a unique opportunity to step inside the world of Formula 1.

Exclusive to Melbourne, the exhibition also showcases Aussie Drive - a dedicated space celebrating Australia’s rich legacy in Formula 1. From Jack Brabham’s pioneering success in the 1950s and Alan Jones’ dominance in the 1980 season to the rise of Australia’s new championship contender, Oscar Piastri, the exhibition traces the nation’s remarkable journey through F1 history. Visitors are invited to explore the stories of local heroes, iconic circuits, and unforgettable moments that have defined Australia’s place in the sport. With 38 races held across two circuits, the Australian Grand Prix has remained a beloved and near-permanent highlight of the Formula 1 calendar since 1985.

Highlights also include five legendary cars on display in Melbourne:

• 1980 Williams FW07/04 - The car that powered Australian legend Alan Jones to both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, marking Williams’ first world titles.
• 2003 BAR Honda 005 - A pivotal car in Honda’s modern F1 era, representing the spirit of engineering innovation and persistence that defines the sport, driven by Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve.
• 2011 Red Bull RB7 - Driven by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, the car dominated the 2011 season, securing both the Drivers’ Championship for Vettel and the Constructors’ title for Red Bull Racing.
• 1966 Brabham BT19 - The first car to carry its driver’s own name to a World Championship victory, the BT19 remains a symbol of Australian ingenuity and one of Formula 1’s greatest engineering triumphs. Jack Brabham secured both the Driver’s and Constructor’s championships in this car.
• 2013 Lotus E21 - A standout of the modern era, the E21 demonstrated Lotus’s technical ingenuity and precision, with Kimi Räikkönen’s Australian Grand Prix victory underscoring its exceptional design and performance.
   

Immersive experiences and emotional storytelling:

Visitors will begin their 90-minute journey in Once Upon A Time in Formula 1, a gallery experience that brings the sport’s defining moments to life through rare photography, video, and personal stories. From there, fans move into the Design Lab, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at how F1 teams create, test and refine the world’s fastest race machines.

Drivers and Duels tells the stories of legendary drivers and rivalries that have shaped F1, with highlights including the Hall of Fame, that features over 60 helmets and the most iconic race suits from Formula 1’s 75-year history.

Revolution By Design explores the sport’s groundbreaking innovations and the future of F1, with contributions from Classic Team Lotus, McLaren Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Honda and F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff, plus more.

Visitors then enter Survival where previously unseen remains of parts of Romain Grosjean’s burnt out HAAS race car including the steering wheel and tyre, as well as Romain’s boots and gloves from his dramatic 2020 crash in Bahrain will be displayed.

The exhibition concludes with The Pit Wall - a cinematic and immersive experience that lets fans relive the greatest and most emotional moments in Formula 1 history.

The exhibition also supports Race Against Dementia as the official charity partner, which was founded by Sir Jackie Stewart in 2016. Teamwork, ingenuity, and an unrelenting drive for excellence - the same qualities that propelled Sir Jackie Stewart to three Formula 1 World Championships - now fuel his mission off the track. Race Against Dementia accelerates the search for preventions, diagnoses and cures for dementia. As official charity partner to the exhibition, donations will help fund Race Against Dementia researchers and scientists worldwide, equipping them with Formula 1-inspired mindset training, mentoring and collaboration tools to fast-track discoveries in dementia research.

Sir Jackie Stewart said: “Race Against Dementia is utilising the same principles that we all admire within Formula 1 - speed, innovation and teamwork and we are naturally thrilled to see the F1 Exhibition support our race. Dementia is destroying far too many lives, and bringing heartache to many families, including my own, and we aim to challenge it in the fullest sense, using state of the art technology and the best research fellows and facilities throughout the world.”

Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer at Formula 1, said: “Melbourne is the perfect venue to host the first-ever F1 Exhibition show in the Asia-Pacific. Every year we see Australia’s huge passion for speed and Formula 1, and this show is a true celebration of the country’s outstanding contribution to motor racing. I can’t wait for fans to visit the show and be immersed in the world of F1.”

Gordon Pitt, SVP Commercial, Business & Legal Affairs, Sony Music ANZ, said: “Sony Music Australia is delighted to play a role in bringing the Formula 1 Exhibition to Melbourne for its Asia-Pacific debut as part of its MASTERWORKS LIVE! experiential events activities. The exhibition showcases Formula 1’s incredible history, personalities, innovation and ground-breaking technology advancement. It’s a fascinating experience for everyone from the hard core F1 aficionado to those just beginning to become interested in the sport. The exhibition features great story-telling coupled with many interactive and compelling moments, and we are so excited to share it with Australian audiences.”

Shane Harmon, Managing Director at TEG Experiences, said: “Melbourne has long been the beating heart of Australian motorsport, and The Formula 1 Exhibition is a celebration of that passion. At TEG Experiences, we’re dedicated to creating immersive moments that bring fans closer than ever, and this exhibition puts them right inside the world of Formula 1.”

Jonathan Linden, Co-CEO of Round Room Live and Producer of The Formula 1® Exhibition said: “We’re thrilled to bring The Formula 1 Exhibition to the APAC region, and Melbourne is the perfect place to kick things off. With its storied motorsport history, iconic circuits, and legendary drivers, Australia offers an unmatched backdrop for this immersive experience. We look forward to welcoming fans to dive into the world of F1 like never before.”
 

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