NSW Premier Chris Minns rubbishes claim Sydney could host F1 this year

Sydney is 500 miles from Melbourne, more than 5,000 miles from the Middle East, and a million miles from hosting a replacement Formula One Grand Prix in 2026, according to NSW Premier Chris Minns.

A report in the Daily Telegraph gave hope to a possibility that the US-Israel war against Iran could lead to the cancellation of two Grands Prix, paving the way for Sydney to step in.

Rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are under threat due to conflict in the region, with Iranian strikes on both countries leading to closed airspace and travel chaos.

By all accounts, F1 bosses found it hard enough bringing all 11 teams to Australia through the disruption, and are set to cancel both rounds if the situation does not change by late March.

That would leave gaps on the calendar of up to five weeks, with commentary that Melbourne could host another round or Sydney could even step in.

"I mean, look, in all honesty, we haven't been approached," said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns at an event on Monday.

"It's just a hypothetical that we probably won't deal with."

The Harbour City does have a history of trying to snatch the F1 from Melbourne. The famous photo call of Mark Webber driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2005 paved the way for multiple attempts to bring the Australian round of the World Championship north of the border.

Then came a 2008 feasibility study on upgrading Sydney Motorsport Park to an FIA Grade 1 circuit, and a 2015 attempt by Premier Mike Baird to host a street race around Barangaroo and The Rocks, chaired by Sydney Olympics supremo Rod McGeoch AO.

Arguably the closest the event ever came to Sydney was when F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was wined and dined by the Perrottet government, with a billion-dollar pitch to build a precinct just north of Penrith.

The report raises obvious questions, such as why Sydney would be chosen for a rushed temporary circuit, in one of the furthest cities on Earth from F1 team bases in Europe, when multiple other permanent tracks on the continent have all recently lost Grands Prix and would be desperate to get them back.

"I suspect it's not going to be a question we have to face," said Minns.

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