Adelaide Motorsport Festival 2026: The Ultimate Fan Guide

The 2026 Adelaide Motorsport Festival is set to transform Victoria Park into a petrolhead's paradise this weekend, featuring a non-stop parade of historic and modern racing machinery on a section of the iconic Adelaide Street Circuit. The event boasts a star-studded lineup of drivers, including F1 legends Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, current Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas, and Australian touring car heroes Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.

Why it matters:

The festival is a unique celebration of motorsport history and performance, offering fans rare access to see legendary cars driven at speed on a genuine Grand Prix circuit. It bridges generations of racing, from Sir Jack Brabham's championship-winning car to modern hypercars, all in a vibrant, festival atmosphere in the heart of Adelaide.

The details:

• Event Core: A two-day festival of demonstration runs on the Victoria Park section of the Adelaide Street Circuit. Cars are untimed but run at full speed, with up to 18 vehicles on track at any one time.
• Star-Studded Driver Lineup: The guest list is a major draw, featuring:
  • F1 Legends: Two-time champion Mika Häkkinen and race-winner David Coulthard.
  • Current F1 Talent: Sauber's Valtteri Bottas, who will drive a 1985 Ferrari F1 car and a Holden Monaro.
  • Racing Icons: Stefan Johansson, Thierry Boutsen, and Martin Donnelly.
  • Australian Greats: Supercars champions Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, who will recreate their famous 2010 Bathurst formation finish.
• Incredible Machinery: The entry list spans the history of motorsport, including:
  • Formula 1: A 1985 Ferrari 156/85, Jaguar R2, Arrows, and a Hesketh 308.
  • Hypercars: McLaren Solus GT, Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, and a Pagani Huayra R Evo.
  • Historic Race Cars: Porsche 917/30, Porsche 962C, and Sir Jack Brabham's 1966 championship-winning BT19, driven by his son David.
  • Touring Cars: A vast array of V8 Supercars and heritage touring cars.
• Special On-Track Sessions: Key highlights include Bottas in the Ferrari F1 car (Sunday, 1:45pm), the Brabham BT19 demonstration (Saturday, 1:45pm), and a '10 of the Best' shootout for the fastest road and track cars (Sunday, 3:00pm).

What's next:

Gates open at 8:20 AM ACDT on Saturday, February 28, and Sunday, March 1, with on-track action running until late afternoon. The festival kicks off with a free street party on Gouger Street on Friday evening. For motorsport fans, it represents an unmissable opportunity to witness the sights and sounds of racing history coming alive, setting the stage for another memorable event in Australia's summer of speed.

summary: The 2026 Adelaide Motorsport Festival promises a spectacular weekend of high-speed demonstrations on the Adelaide Street Circuit, featuring F1 legends like Häkkinen and Coulthard, current star Valtteri Bottas, and an incredible collection of historic and modern race cars from Formula 1 to V8 Supercars.

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