Dylan O’Keeffe is pumped at the prospect of racing in front of his biggest-ever audience, when he takes to Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit for the second round of the 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup supporting this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Over the last few years, the popularity of Formula 1 in Australia and attendance at the local Grand Prix has increased dramatically thanks to factors such as the Drive to Survive Netflix series, and the rise of stars such as Daniel Ricciardo, Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan.
“To see how much the Grand Prix has grown as an event, especially in the last few years since COVID, has been incredible,” O’Keeffe said.
“This year, they’ve expanded the capacity of the Albert Park precinct to squeeze more people in, and it’s got to the point where even walking around the Carrera Cup paddock is a challenge because of the sheer number of people.
“It’s a good problem to have, and will ensure our major sponsors such as Dexion Asia Pacific get some fantastic exposure.”
O’Keeffe is in a strong position in the Carrera Cup points after opening his 2025 account with a podium at Sydney Motorsport Park, but admits his results at the Grand Prix have been mixed in recent times.
“We’ve had some years where I’ve struggled in qualifying but been strong in the races, and other seasons where qualifying has gone well but we’ve missed the race setup – this year, the plan will be to put it together across the entire weekend,” he said.
“There’s only a single practice session and then it’s straight into qualifying, so we have to ensure we roll out with a car that’s in the window. We achieved that at Sydney Motorsport Park, so that gives me confidence heading into this weekend.”
With O’Keeffe’s Carrera Cup commitments concluding on Saturday afternoon, he’s looking forward to enjoying Sunday’s Grand Prix and cheering on Piastri, his old karting rival.
“Oscar and I had some great battles in karts when we were younger, and it’s awesome to see how much he’s achieved since then,” he said.
“Based on pre-season testing, McLaren look like they have a strong race package, so hopefully Oscar can bring home a big result for all the Aussie fans on Sunday arvo.”
Carrera Cup Round 2 Event Schedule
Thursday, 13 March
10:10am – Practice (30 min)
12:30pm – Qualifying (30 min)
4:50pm – Race 1 (13 laps)
Friday, 14 March
6:25pm – Race 2 (13 laps)
Saturday, 15 March
6:35pm – Race 3 (13 laps)
