Australian GP - experience it first hand in 2004.

Speed... excitement... glamour. That's the world according to Formula One, and it will most certainly be the 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix. So 'experience it first hand'...

While Michael Schumacher is now a record six-time world champion, challengers to his mantle have emerged throughout 2003. And when the biggest travelling sports show on earth comes back to Melbourne on March 4-7 the Ferrari superstar will be in a hot seat rather than the box seat to which he was once so accustomed.

Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren-Mercedes, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher in the Williams-BMWs, and Renault's Spanish wonder boy Fernando Alonso, the youngest race winner in F1 history, all want victory at Albert Park. They've triumphed at some of the world's other great tracks, but not in Australia.

Schumacher's teammate, Rubens Barrichello, is another chasing a Melbourne win, while David Coulthard - victor at Albert Park in 2003 and 1997 for McLaren - cannot be left out of calculations.

Australia's Mark Webber, one of the revelations of the 2003 season, could be in the hunt too if his Jaguar team keeps making rapid progress.

Spicing up the Melbourne race in 2004 will be a newly-straightened pit lane entry, an increase in the pit lane speed limit from 80 to 100kmh, and moves to speed up refuelling - all of which make three pit stops viable for the F1 teams and will add to the excitement and intrigue for fans.

V8 Supercars will play a more prominent role in the 2004 Grand Prix too, with a new, longer race - the Netspace V8 Supercar GP100 - and a Top 10 qualifying shootout.

The top V8 stars will be on track three times on the opening day of the GP, there will be sprint races on the Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, while on Saturday afternoon they will feature immediately before F1 qualifying - in a drivers' parade - and afterwards, in the new 100km race.

To take in all the action, a new grandstand - named in honour of dual F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen - will make a seat on the main straight more affordable for more people.

Seats in the Grand Prix's biggest stand - Fangio on the main straight - have been held at the 2003 price.

Albert Park's golf course precinct and national support paddock will be revamped too to make them more fan-friendly.

Slotted for the golf course are a new super-long bar with a beer garden, lots of favourite refreshments, a DJ, a dance floor and dancing girls. Oh, and a video screen to make sure fans don't miss any of the track action!

There will also be a big new merchandise superstore in the golf course, an F1 tyre-changing competition for fans for the first time, as well as the established F1 Exhibition and GP Expo.

In the support paddock the changes will make autograph and interview sessions more accessible to the public.

Apart from the mighty V8s, the support race line-up comprises:

- The BMW Celebrity Challenge, this time featuring 28 dynamic BMW 318ti Sport Compacts, with a new line-up of celebs to be unveiled in early 2004.

- The Porsche Carrera Cup, after a stunning debut season in Australia.

- The Formula Ford Track Attack, showcasing Australia's young racing talent.

- The Cleanevent Historic Touring Cars, magic muscle cars from the 1960s and '70s.

- The REV GP Kart Challenge, for corporate clients paying for the pleasure and some lucky competition winners.

- The Tattersall's Historics, this featuring great pre-war sporting and race cars.

Grand Prix week will again begin with its traditional regional Victorian lead-up event, the ever-popular GP Rally, starting at Shepparton on February 28 and culminating in Melbourne as the main show gets underway at Albert Park.

The chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Mr Steven Wright, said the Corporation's aim for 2004 was to make the event "enjoyable, accessible and affordable."

"In terms of enjoyment, we've made significant changes on and off the track that we are confident will be welcomed by patrons," Mr Wright said. "Access to the Grand Prix will continue to be made easy with the continuation of free public from the city to the event and return.

"And, in terms of affordability, we have made no increases in our main prices for general admission tickets on the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and the increase in the Friday GA price is only $6 - the first Friday price increase in two years.

"We believe we've got a package that has great appeal already - and there will be other announcements to come in the countdown to the 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix."

Adult general admission tickets start at $39, for the Thursday, while an adult Friday GA ticket is $55, Saturday $80 and Sunday - the day of the Formula One race - $95.

Family tickets are $78, $110, $160 and $190 for the four days respectively. These give entry for two children accompanied by two adults, or three children accompanied by one adult.

A four-day adult GA ticket is $165 and a four-day family GA ticket $330.

Concessions are available on GA tickets, while for every 10 GA tickets of the same type bought in a single booking before the close of business on February 27, 2004, an additional equivalent ticket will be added as a bonus.

The Grand Prix will be one of the first events to accept the Victorian Government's new Companion Card, providing fairer ticketing for people with a disability who require a companion. Holders of the Companion Card will be issued a free of charge ticket for their companion.

Prices for the 10 Grand Prix grandstands around the 5.3km Albert Park circuit start at $359 for the four days, with others - including the new Hakkinen Stand - at $399, and others at $429, $439 and $599 for the premium Jones and Brabham stands that honour Australia's two F1 world champions.

Grandstand and GA tickets are available through Ticketmaster7 on telephone 131 641 or website grandprix.com.au.

A wide range of corporate hospitality options are available by telephoning the Australian Grand Prix Corporation on 03 9258 7100 or toll-free within Australia on 1800 677 438, or emailing corporate@grandprix.com.au

The 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - 'experience it first hand'.