The owner of a motorsport park in South Australia is urging the state government to use the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to take back the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Key points:

  • Premier Steven Marshall says bringing the Formula One back to SA this year would be impossible
  • A motorsport park owner is urging the government to see the pandemic as an opportunity
  • Mr Marshall says SA has other events to fill the calendar and a void left by the Adelaide 500

Sam Shahin, managing director of The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, told ABC Radio Adelaide with the right financing, taking back the race that was lost to Victoria in the 1990s could be possible — despite the pandemic.

Earlier this week, the Victorian Government confirmed the Australian Formula One Grand Prix and MotoGP had been cancelled for 2021 because of COVID-19.

“This really is about seizing an opportunity when an opportunity presents itself,” Mr Shahin said.

“We just have to be persistent and be thereabouts when these opportunities become available for South Australia.”

Mr Shahin said holding the race at The Bend would mean the area could be cordoned off, unlike in Victoria, and travellers could be brought into South Australia and set up at the facility, without a risk to the public.

Sam Shahin is the managing director of The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend.(

ABC News: Lincoln Rothall

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“South Australia has put on big events for a long time and the expertise is there to put in temporary facilities to house a big contingent of travellers,” he said.

“What I am proposing here is that we as a state need to be vigilant at all times that when there are opportunities we should explore them because we should have the confidence that we can do anything if we really want to.

“If it doesn’t work this time around, it might work the next time around, we might be better prepared next time — we might be better prepared if the Grand Prix gets cancelled or that MotoGP gets cancelled in a year’s time.”

SA Premier says it would be ‘too difficult’

SA Premier Steven Marshall said it would be impossible to safely hold the race in South Australia this year, or even next year.

“1,600 drivers and their entourage coming into South Australia without doing that quarantine I think would just be a risk too difficult for us to take in South Australia.

“Everybody’s worked so hard, everybody’s made massive sacrifices and we don’t want to take risks at the moment.”

He said there was potential for other racing events at The Bend in the future, such as the MotoGP and super bikes.

Late last year the government announced an end to the Adelaide 500 supercar race, promising a calendar of events that would make up for the lost revenue.

Mr Marshall said the SATC had advised the government to spread events throughout the year rather than holding them all in February and March — a move that could protect events in case of lockdowns.

Van Gogh Alive launched in Adelaide this month. (

Supplied: Grande Experiences

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Mr Marshall said so far the government had introduced the Winter Festival, which includes Illuminate Adelaide and Van Gogh Alive, the return of an NRL game and the World Masters Games.

“And there’s still many more things to announce,” he said.