Is the Australian GP under threat?

^^
What he said. If you ever come to Melbourne, have a stroll around Albert park and you can see why it should stay there.
 
yes, I don't know what it is about Albert Park, looking at the track layout it looks really really crap, but somehow, the race is always super exciting.
 
Just read that the round is safe till 2015 or something like that
 
Melbourne keeps F1 Grand Prix

THE Brumby Government has struck a deal for Melbourne to keep the Formula One Grand Prix until 2015.

Under the verbal agreement, expected to be signed off within days, the Government and the international Grand Prix bosses have consented to a five-year extension.

That would see the international race stay at Albert Park until at least 2015.

There had been doubts the race would go on in Melbourne after running at losses of up to $160 million in the past 12 years.

A senior government source last night confirmed the race would remain in Melbourne, saying an announcement was "imminent".

"We haven't signed the deal, but we're going to quite soon," the source said.

The deal is expected to include a move to later race start times -- probably about 5pm -- to attract a wider European television audience.

But it will not be a night race.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone had told the Sunday Herald Sun he would take Melbourne's race to "India, Russia or Korea" unless it was staged at night.

He wasn't available last night to discuss the deal or his reasons for his backflip on Melbourne retaining the race.

Tourism and Major Events Minister Tim Holding said the race would not start after dark.

"We have ruled out a night Grand Prix and that is not negotiable," he said.

"This is a good event for the state. It's one we want to keep and we'll be working hard to ensure that it does remain here in Melbourne in the years ahead."

The government source said Mr Brumby and Mr Ecclestone had reached a compromise.

"They've come to an agreement," the source said.

Melbourne race organisers this year offered an olive branch to Mr Ecclestone and the FIA by moving the race starting time from 2pm to 3.30pm.

Next year's race will start at 5pm and future events may start at a similar time or even slightly later.

Melbourne's retention of the Australian Grand Prix spoils the party for interstate raiders who wanted to lure it to NSW, Queensland and South Australia.
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good news, I like Melbourne. Haha looks like Bernie lost this round!
 
This is really good news, I'm not sure about the 5pm start either...but I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes next year.
 
5 pm? :( That means late in the morning for us Europeans...

One of the things I really loved about the Australian GP was getting up at 4am to watch the first race of the season. It made it special.
 
I think you may be in the minority Kata. 5pm start a bit strange but I am SO happy IF it still sticks around.

I will wait until the official agreement thanks with signatures and such. Although its always said about Bernie, if he gives you his handshake, its gospel!
 
Slightly different spin on the story:

Talks with Ecclestone still going on

The Victorian government says it is negotiating to keep the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne until 2015 but says it wants value for money.

Acting Premier Rob Hulls said the government was in talks with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to secure the grand prix for another five years after its current contract expired in 2010, but said no deal had yet been made.

"We're very keen to secure the Grand Prix again but it has to be value for money," Mr Hulls said today.

"No deal has been signed, we're keen to retain the Grand Prix but not at any price."

Victorian opposition deputy leader Louise Asher says the Grand Prix has been of great benefit to Victoria in terms of attracting tourists from interstate and overseas, as well as promoting Melbourne abroad.

But she told AAP that with revenue losses of up to $160 million in the past 12 years, the government had to pursue more sponsorship and more corporate sales for the Grand Prix to get the state's revenue in the black.

"There's no doubt that it would be a good thing if the government can secure the race," said Ms Asher, who is opposition spokeswoman for tourism and major events.

"The government needs to be smart about its contract negotiations with Mr Ecclestone, who is a wily entrepreneur.

"It can probably be run better in the sense that the losses don't have to be that great.

"They need to look at the volume of sponsorship they are selling and they need to make sure they get the sales of tickets," she said.

Any new deal is expected to include a later timeslot - around 5pm - to accommodate European television audiences.

Mr Ecclestone had pushed for a night timeslot in new contracts, threatening to take the event to India, Russia or Korea if local organisers refused the time change.
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Joc? said:
5 pm? :( That means late in the morning for us Europeans...

One of the things I really loved about the Australian GP was getting up at 4am to watch the first race of the season. It made it special.
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Thats the thing though. I have several European mates who say they enjoy getting up in the early hours of the morning to watch the first F1 race of the new season. Obviously your casual fan won't be as dedicated which is why Ecclestone wants the change. I don't know why the sudden problem if it's been fine after 12 years. It's just Ecclestone lining his pockets, nothing else and the AGP organisers deserve credit for not backing down over his demands.
 
Ecclestone should suck it up, Europeans ratings down because of getting up in the morning? I have to wake up 4 or 5 am in the morning for pretty much every race!

And now that he is pushing back the Australian time I have to watch it at midnight instead of 10 pm.
 
Talks on grand prix's future 'at crucial stage'

AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker is in London for talks with formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone, as negotiations to keep the car race in Melbourne reach a crucial stage.

Acting Premier Rob Hulls yesterday dismissed as wrong a Sunday Herald Sun report that the Government had a struck a deal with Mr Ecclestone for Melbourne to host the race until at least 2015.

State Government and Australian Grand Prix officials said they hoped agreement could be reached soon to ensure the race stayed at Albert Park beyond the present contract, which expires in 2010, but emphasised this was not "a done deal".

Mr Walker is expected to see Mr Ecclestone today.

The Melbourne businessman would not comment yesterday, but Australian Grand Prix Corporation sources confirmed he had flown to London and negotiations on whether Melbourne could retain the race beyond 2010 were nearing the end.

Mr Hulls made clear that for the race to stay in Melbourne, Mr Ecclestone would have to back down on his repeated public calls for it to be held at night.

"The Government has made it quite clear that it won't be a night Grand Prix, and negotiations are proceeding on that basis," Mr Hulls said. "The Government will not back down."

It is believed that, as a compromise to assist Mr Ecclestone in his desire to have the race broadcast live at a more attractive time for northern hemisphere viewers, the Melbourne race is likely to start at 5pm or slightly later from next year.

Mr Hulls indicated the other sticking point in the negotiations was the cost of the licence fee the State Government pays Mr Ecclestone for staging the race in Melbourne.

The Age believes Mr Ecclestone is arguing that Melbourne gets the race for a lower fee than many other cities, and that the rising price of oil means costs are rising for the organisers and the licence fee needs to rise to compensate.

Sources said the Government was prepared to pay more for the race in future, but not as much as Mr Ecclestone was asking for.

Mr Hulls yesterday described the Grand Prix as "great" for Melbourne and one of the four most important "major events" on the city's calendar, along with the AFL grand final, Melbourne Cup week and the Australian Open tennis.

"Of course the Government want to keep the Grand Prix, but not at any price," he said. "We don't have an open cheque-book."

The Government would have to be convinced that the event continued to provide "value for money" for Victorian taxpayers.

The Government does not reveal how much it pays Mr Ecclestone for the licence, but Grand Prix Corporation annual reports reveal the race losses have risen sharply in recent years.

The first Melbourne race, in 1996, lost $1.7 million. By 2006 this had risen to $21.2 million and last year's race recorded a loss of $34.6 million.

The Opposition wants Melbourne to retain the race beyond 2010, but says the Government has lost control of the finances and needs to do more to boost ticket sales and sponsorship deals.
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'Residents have had more than enough of F1'
Wednesday 18th June 2008

The Australian Grand Prix is facing calls to be axed on economic, social and environmental grounds.

The contract to stage the race expires in 2010, and although it was suggested last week a new deal was due to be signed through to 2015, there is opposition.

The mayor of the City of Port Philip, the Melbourne council that hosts the race, is urging the the Victorian government to scrap the event.

"After 14 years, residents have had more than enough," said Councillor Janet Cribbes.

"Why should they have to suffer the noise and the inconvenience of a car race in a park for a race whose public price tag blew out to A$41.3million ?19.94million) last year?"

It is understood the cost of hosting the race has soared, with losses being made despite the city receiving considerable exposure.

Adding to her attack, Councillor Cribbes stated: "It's simply not fair that this event is exempt from the normal legislative protections empowering Victoria Police and the Environmental Protection Authority to take action on noise and other infringements on residential amenity.

"The race does not benefit Victoria as a whole. It simply doesn't stack up on economic, social or environmental grounds."
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I have to call bullshit on this. It would be very hard to stand up and flatly say 'this event does not benefit Victoria'. Of course it does, and she would have to be a very narrow sighted bitch to ignore the increased tourism and the knock-on benefits of that industry.
 
And complaining about noise? It's just one weekend! Deal with it!
 
Red_Bull said:
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I have to call bullshit on this. It would be very hard to stand up and flatly say 'this event does not benefit Victoria'. Of course it does, and she would have to be a very narrow sighted bitch to ignore the increased tourism and the knock-on benefits of that industry.
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if it's anything like the councilours here they're only purpose seems to be make every road going towards there house a one way street in the direction they want to go.
 
Australian GP future decided within months
23 June 2008

According to the Victorian government the future of the Australian Grand Prix will be decided within months. According to Victorian government Premier John Brumby the negotiations are still ongoing with Bernie Ecclestone even though Australian newspapers confirmed the Australian Grand Prix future was secured until the 2015 Formula 1 season.

"I'd hope that we can resolve this in the not too distant future," Brumby told Australian newsagent AAP. "Our aim in relation to these negotiations was to get them concluded before the end of the year. We're making progress. I think that timetable has shifted forward.

"It's no secret we have been having discussions. We haven't concluded those discussions, we'd like to get an agreement going forward ... but it's got to be the right deal for our state, it's got to provide value for money," he said.
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