Dog walkers of Albert Park are celebrating a rare victory over one of the world’s richest sporting empires after the Victorian government withdrew from state parliament legislation that would have extended the annual Formula 1 lockout from one week to three.

The decision to shelve the proposed change will also renew scrutiny on the terms of the confidential contract Victoria signed with F1’s global owners, Liberty Media, to extend Melbourne’s hold on the race through to 2037.

A source with knowledge of the contract said F1 had pushed for an expanded race period to increase their control over access to the park and images broadcast from the circuit to extract more money from sponsors. “They want to own the whole lot, Netflix-style,” the source said.

The collapse in support for legislatio

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