Is the Australian GP under threat?

I might have to wander over to Melbourne before the GP heads offshore for ever. I seriously hope that Adelaide doesnt re-bid for the race - with the Clipsal 500 we dont need it. The event we have there is actually making money! The way Bernie is no F1 event can realistically turn a profit.

I must admit I'd love to see the smug look on Ron Walkers face get wiped off when it's eventually confirmed that the event has gone... He's a right twat.
 
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65566

Ecclestone again questions Australia future

By Jonathan Noble Saturday, March 8th 2008, 22:01 GMT


Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone says it is unlikely that he will extend the contract for the Australian Grand Prix beyond 2010, with event organisers reluctant to make it a night race.

Ecclestone made it clear earlier this year that the future of the race would depend on it becoming a night race, so the event could take place at a time more suitable for a European television audience.

However, with Melbourne organisers not keen to make the switch because of the high costs involved in lighting a track, Ecclestone has suggested that F1 could drop the Australian GP when the current contract comes to an end.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Ecclestone said: "The only way the race could stay in Melbourne, or anywhere else in Australia, is if it is staged during the night so that the public in Europe can watch it.

"At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live. That can't carry on.

"The alternative is to pull the race completely from Australia. I've spoken to (new prime minister) Kevin Rudd and he's told me it would cost too much to re-stage the race, so I guess that's it. We won't be going to Australia for too much longer."
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Ecclestone is a money-grabbing bad-haired midgety twat.
 
vikiradTG2007 said:
Ecclestone is a money-grabbing bad-haired midgety twat.
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Yeah, but think about it. The AGP runs at a considerable loss. They're unwilling to pay Ecclestone's ever increasing fees and are certainly unwilling to spend whatever the outlay is to install lighting to run the race at night. Ecclestone realises that the race would be more valuable if it were run at a suitable time for the European viewers.

Put yourself in his shoes. You run a multi billion dollar organisation. You have Asia which is increasingly becoming a big money spinner for your organisation while more traditional places in Europe and Australia become increasingly untenable. America was dropped. There are promoters in Asia who are willing to pay your fees to host a round of the F1 championship, so it therefore seems logical that you would sign these to the championship in place of those who are unwilling to meet demand, ie, the Australian Grand prix. Its business, who said it was fair?
 
^^^ That's the problem with F1 now. Too much business involved. Remember that Jezza pointed that out to Webbo in 06x10 when he came on the show?


Someone else in Australia should wake up and try to host an event which can pay the race fee to Bernie and also come out in profit.

Uh... Didn't Adelaide round up the biggest 4-day crowd in history in 1995?
 
Melbourne has the highest crowds of the whole calender, and by a fairly decent margin too I think.

His argument is just incredibly flawed, it is insulting to every non-european fan that our races are canned just so europeans can watch it live. What about Australian fans, NZ fans, japanese fans, chinese fans etc. etc. etc.
 
Highest crowd now that they've eliminated the US GP.

And on the AGP, it's still a good enterprise for Bernie. He makes a profit on the race either way. He just wants more profit at the expense of race fans. Normally I'm a go-go-capitalism type of guy, but when it comes to sports guys like him piss me off. Racing as much as it is a business, is a passion for its consumers. And to simply say "Piss off, I want more money" is a slap to the face of fans. You're going to make money Bernie, but you need to respect the fans too. Oh, and a big f*ck you to Clayton Bennet and Howard Schultz.
 
Australian GP could start later in 2009

By Jonathan Noble Monday, March 10th 2008, 08:11 GMT

Australian Grand Prix organisers are ready to move the start time of their race back to 5pm next year in a bid to appease Bernie Ecclestone's demands for a later start time.

With Ecclestone adamant that the Albert Park race should become a night race, or risk losing its F1 contract beyond 2010, Melbourne chiefs are ready to offer a compromise.

With this year's race starting at 3.30pm, one-and-a-half hours later than normal in a bid to capture more of the European television audience, grand prix organisers are ready to move it back a further 90 minutes next year.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman Ron Walker said on Monday that if this year's move proves a success, then he will happily move it back further for 2009. It comes with organisers adamant that they will not switch the event to a night race.

Walker said: "If starting the race later this year increases the television audience around the world, as we believe it will, we'll seek a 5pm start for the 2009 race.

"That will mean a 7am start time for the television coverage in Europe, finishing at about 8:40am; a 6am start time in the UK, finishing at about 7.40am; and an afternoon start and finish across the Asian continent where there are potentially hundreds of millions of extra viewers."

"All this can be achieved without any additional infrastructure costs."

A 5pm start for the race would still ensure the race is completed before nightfall, which means there will be no need for the expensive lighting systems that organisers do not want to pay for.
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Source
 
they could do that safely if it's summer~
but it's March we're talking about, and if it rains I afraid it'll be horribly dark~
 
A raining night race would be interesting.

Anyone know if the teams will be able to add lights or something to the cars? I think it could be safer for drivers if cars had at least some sort of headlights, easier to see in the mirror even if the race is well lit. The FIA could easily just put out a new antenna bar or something with some lights integrated into it.
 
The track isn't going to be any different from in the day. It's going to be light as day out there. So lights are pointless, you wouldn't see that they're on...
 
phuckingduck said:
Anyone know if the teams will be able to add lights or something to the cars? I think it could be safer for drivers if cars had at least some sort of headlights, easier to see in the mirror even if the race is well lit. The FIA could easily just put out a new antenna bar or something with some lights integrated into it.
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I don't think so.. I never heard anything regarding lights for the cars, it will change a lot in the aerodynamics and the weight which need to be tested first, and last week the teams confirmed already that they won't be doing any night tests before Singapore.

I believe it will be pretty much similar to last weekends MotoGP in Qatar, it was a night race and it seemed very lit and clear.
 
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Some of you may know about the recent upgrade of the grandstand that was proposed several months back by state treasurer Kevin Foley (if you go back through the early pages of this thread you'll probably find some more posts on the subject). Anyway, the proposal was blocked by the environmentalists and naysayers that pollute Adelaide and ensure that no real progress ever gets made.

Well, instead of just leaving the project to wither and die, the government has come up with a new plan. We'll just upgrade the temporary pitstands that are currently in use (and have been since 1985). Apparently the new stands will be absolutely massive, catering for all the demands that the new permanent one was going to do anyway, and (here's the best bit) it will take 11 months to assemble and unpack. Suck it, environmentalists! :cool::D
 
Eastern Creek is also undergoing a feasability study to see if it can be upgraded to F1 Specs.

Pretty good track, would be awesome in an F1 car.
 
I was afraid to come in here and read the new posts, thought someone may have posted the inevitable.

I didn't think Adelaide were interested in the F1 anymore? Be interesting to see what comes out of the feasibility study on Eastern Creek
 
'Aussie GP future to be decided within weeks'
Thursday 12th June 2008

The future of the Australian GP is set to be decided 'within weeks', according to reports in the Australian press.

Melbourne's place on the F1 calendar is on the line following a decision not to swap to a night event, which F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was calling for.

But despite not getting what he wants Ecclestone has been in talks with Australian GP chairman Ron Walker regarding extending the race's contract beyond 2009.

"This is a good event for the state," Major Events Minister Tim Holding told Australia's Herald Sun.

"It's one we want to keep and it's one we'll be doing everything possible to ensure that it does remain here in Melbourne in the years ahead.

"There are ongoing negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA but we have ruled out a night grand prix and that is not negotiable."
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^ Good, whether we keep the race or not, a decision means we won't have to listen to Bernie's antics for another few years.
 
I guess it's to much to ask that the race alternates every year between cities? I was hoping they were going to do that with the USGP.
 
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