The daughter of a Formula 1 fan who had been attending the Australian Grand Prix for nearly 30 years confirmed he was able to attend in 2025 just days before his death
A Formula 1 fan who travelled to the Australian Grand Prix for his “final wish” has died, his daughter has revealed. Abby Young’s father Adrian went to the Albert Park race for the first time in 1996, and was able to make it along to the 2025 edition while battling pancreatic cancer.
“Our dad’s final wish was to make it to one last @ausgp and we got him there!” Abby wrote on social media just days after the season opener. “He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer yesterday.”
Adrian, a fan of Williams and Carlos Sainz, saw the Spaniard’s team-mate Alex Albon finish fifth in Melbourne while Sainz crashed out. The race was won by Lando Norris, who would go on to follow his victory with a runner-up finish in China.
The Australian Grand Prix’s official account shared a tribute of its own to Adrian. “One final wish fulfilled,” the account wrote. “On Thursday we asked our fans to share photos of them and their friends/family at Albert Park last weekend and one of our lovely fans, Abby, shared that her Dad, Adrian, had been battling pancreatic cancer and his final wish was to visit the Australian Grand Prix once last time.
“Adrian was a devoted F1 fan from way back and had been attending the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park since 1996. Whilst he was a massive fan of Ayrton Senna back in the day, Adrian had been backing Williams Racing and Carlos Sainz for 2025!
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“Just days after he visited Albert Park last weekend, Adrian sadly lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday. We feel honoured to have played a part in Adrian’s life and to have him choose to spend his final days surrounded by family at Albert Park.
“Thank you to Abby and the Young family for sharing Adrian’s story with us, and giving us permission to share it with the #F1 community. Rest in Peace, Adrian.”
The Australian Grand Prix also responded to Abby directly on Threads. “We’re incredibly sorry for your loss, Abby,” the account wrote. “We are honoured to hear that his final wish was to visit Albert Park, and we hope his time here was special. We are thinking of you and your family during this difficult time.”
A number of F1 fans paid their own tributes after reading Adrian’s story online. “Sending so much endless love to his family, thank you for giving his story a platform,” wrote one.
“All my feelings and positive thinking for you Abby and your Family,” wrote a second. “So glad Adrian got to watch that race” was the response from a third.
“Beautiful photos and time spent together creating memories that will last a lifetime,” another fan wrote. “Condolences on losing their lovely dad and husband.”
