GP weekend roars off to big start.

The attendance at the opening day of the 2001 Qantas Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park was 49,600 - the second biggest first-day crowd since the Grand Prix came to Melbourne six years ago.

The attendance was 200 higher than the opening day at the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix., and Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive John Harnden described it as "a wonderful start to the 2001 Qantas Australian Grand Prix".

"The weather has been beautiful and the track action has been terrific for the fans," Harnden added, "Apart from the many support categories on track today - the Hot Wheels V8 Supercar Showdown, the Shannons Lamborghini Supertrophy, the Cleanevent Nations Cup, the Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack and the Tattersall's Historics - the Formula One Speed Comparison was very well received."

In the special one-lap handicap race between a BMW318i road car, a V8 Supercar, and a BMW.Williams F1, six-time Bathurst victor Larry Perkins took the honours in his V8 Supercar Holden Commodore, ahead of Williams test driver Marc Gene in the F1 rocket and Allan Moffat in the BMW318i.

The road car had started more than 40 seconds ahead of the V8 Supercar and more than one minute and 20 seconds ahead of the F1 missile.

The speed comparison will be held on each of the three remaining days of the grand prix. The only bigger first-day crowd than today at a Grand Prix in Melbourne was in 1996, when Formula One cars were on the circuit on the Thursday as it was a new venue in the FIA Formula One world championship.

The 2001 Formula One field of 22 cars and drivers will be on track for the first time tomorrow - Friday, 2 March at 11am for a one-hour practice session, with another one-hour practice session at 1pm.