Is the Australian GP under threat?

All Sydney has to do is say, Street Race at Night and offer big bucks and Bernie will sign a deal with them.

I'd hate to see F1 end up at Eastern Creek though.

Edit: Don't forget Adelaide, Devon. It could happen one day.
 
Eastern Creek would be a disaster.. Now Bathurst - there's a challenge..

I mentioned this to my dad the other day He reckoned they should race across the harbour bridge and then back via the tunnel. I tried explaining that Sydneysiders wouldn't like to have two major harbour crossings closed for the best part of a week...

As much as I'd love to see the race back in Adelaide I don't think it will happen... [SARCASM]Although making a public announcement costs nothing and Mike Rann is into announcing things that don't cost anything as opposed to actually doing something...[/SARCASM]
 
Formula 1 in Geelong?

Formula 1 in Geelong?

$200m bid to make Geelong home of F1 racing

Simon Townley

28 Jun 07

EXCLUSIVE A GEELONG consortium is behind an audacious $200 million bid to make the region the home of Formula 1 motor racing in Australia.

Sources said the plan would involve the construction of a state-of-the-art track near Geelong which would host Formula 1 Grand Prix races, MotoGP bike races and would house the world's most advanced go-kart track.

The complex would also include a business centre with convention facilities.

A spokesman for the consortium yesterday said the news that NSW was seeking to steal the Grand Prix from Victoria had forced their hand in going public.

``This is a year earlier than we wanted to announce our plans but the news in the papers (this week) has made us announce things earlier,'' he said.

``We have identified the area where we want the track to be and the track itself will be state-of-the-art. It is an exciting development.

``We have some big off-shore people behind us who have pledged the amount of money this is going to cost.

``We have been in contact with the State Government and local government here in Geelong. We are presently in the process of providing more information for the State Government.''

Although the consortium spokesman would not confirm it, it is believed the track would be located in the Lara-Little River area which would give it ready access to Melbourne and Geelong via the Princes Highway and the proposed ring road.

The track would also be near the heavy-duty air freight facilities at Avalon where F1 teams already arrive.

A site of at least 500ha would be needed to house the circuit, parking areas and entrance and exit areas.

A Melbourne Grand Prix source said the siting of a track near Geelong made sense. ``It's similar to the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona,'' he said.

``It's less than an hour's drive to the major city and, any circuit in the Geelong region, particularly if it was on the Melbourne side of the city, would have the advantage of having Avalon on their doorstep.

``The other huge advantage is that because of the airport, there would already be noise regulations in place which would mean organisers would not need new permits. More applications are rejected because of noise than any other reason.''

Source

Being located near the Airport would give this bid some advantage I would assume, they'd be able to race at night without any problems with noise restrictions.

All Sydney has to do is say, Street Race at Night and offer big bucks and Bernie will sign a deal with them.

I'd hate to see F1 end up at Eastern Creek though.

Edit: Don't forget Adelaide, Devon. It could happen one day.

*ahem*

We're not out of this yet.

I was going to include Adeliaide, but left them out because there hasn't been anything 'official' about them bidding for the F1 GP.
 
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Here's the only solution. Host the race on a track around Uluru. I wouldn't be surprised to see that proposal in headlines shortly. You read it here first!
 
Geelongs a good idea, cos you'd be pretty much guarenteed a wet race each year :D
 
FFS just leave the GP's alone Bernie!!!!! Albert Park is a good season opener.
 
FFS just leave the GP's alone Bernie!!!!! Albert Park is a good season opener.

I kind of liked it pre-1996 when you opened in Brazil and ended in Adelaide.
 
At some point I am going to write up my version of what F1 should be.....and I'm serious about it. Will share it when I'm done.....needs a lot of work though so have to find the motivation. A very radical calender
 
2008 Australian GP moved back


The Australian Grand Prix is to relinquish its traditional position as Formula 1's season opener for the second time in three years in 2008 - and will not become a night race, as had been mooted.

Next season's Melbourne race will take place in mid-March, and is expected to be the second event on the world championship calendar, subject to FIA approval.

The GP organisers have also decided not to turn the event into a night race next year, but the start time will be put back by 90 minutes in an effort to lessen the impact of the time difference for European television viewers.

Melbourne had been urged to consider becoming a night event, as part of Bernie Ecclestone's push to ensure that the European audience could watch the Australasian races at hospitable times.

But Australian GP chairman Ron Walker said moving the race to the evening was not viable at present.

?Our investigations have convinced us that as things currently stand, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages,? Mr Walker said.

?Instead, we have decided to run the F1 race later on Sunday, moving the start time from 2pm to 3.30pm.

"We need to ensure all of our partners are comfortable with this and we?re working through that process now.

?Going later will benefit fans at Albert Park who will enjoy an even bigger day of entertainment and people watching the race live in other parts of the world, especially Europe where fans will be able to get up closer to breakfast time.?

Under this plan, the race would begin at 4.30am UK time rather than the present 3am.

The date change is to avoid clashes with other sporting events in Melbourne, and to allow the V8 Supercars - Australia's premier domestic motor racing championship - to rejoin the GP bill.

Some in the local media had suggested that the absence of the V8s on this year's Melbourne schedule had adversely affected the crowd figures.

?Taking all factors into account, this is the best option for our event and the people who support it,? Walker said.

The Bahrain GP is expected to become the season-opener in Melbourne's place, as it did in 2006 - the only previous occasion when the Albert Park has occupied a later date on the schedule.

Source

Figured we had enough threads on this subject around the place, and it isn't really 2007 news, but yeah. Your thoughts?
 
Abu Dhabi and Bahrain as openers makes sense, then combine Australia and Malaysia.

I think it works better having a 3:30pm start, it means more on-track action on a Sunday, and it will finish all up at 6pm local time instead of 4:30pm.
 
Sounds good to me, but when you look at it the Australian GP will be held at the same time of the year in 2008 as it was held this year, so nothing really changed. Starting at 3:30pm is a good idea as well, might make Bernie a little happier.

This year the GP was held from 15-18 March, next year it will be held from 13-16 March. I wondering what Ten and Seven are going to do about broadcasting F1 and V8s?
 
^ Ten's got a deal with 7 to allow V8s to run and be broadcast by 10 at the F1, like 9 did with 7 in Adelaide.
 
^ Ten's got a deal with 7 to allow V8s to run and be broadcast by 10 at the F1, like 9 did with 7 in Adelaide.

Interesting, will Neil Crompton/Matt White be joining the Ten team to commentate for the V8s?
 
Interesting, will Neil Crompton/Matt White be joining the Ten team to commentate for the V8s?

Unlikely, surely? When it was the Ch9 days, we had Big Daz and Alan Jones, so presumably we'll have Rusty and Cam - err...or maybe thay guy will come back Jermey Whatshisface.
 
^ Jeremy Shaw, whose Moustach moves way too much.

Two things, firstly Dazza was awesome as a commentator for the GP support events. Secondly, I'll be in Scotland next year so I wont have to put up with Ten's sub-standard coverage :p

Here's some of his best!!

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bGWys02U38[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VijmABRM_t8[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK8aIe4l5a4[/YOUTUBE]

Enjoy!!
 
^ I did, thanks a lot! :D

And yet he was so dreary and boring when he hosted the F1 coverage with AJ in the late nineties, early 2000s...
 
^ Wouldn't you be the same though if you were stuck in a Channel 9 studio with Alan "BORING" Jones.
 
BUMP!!!

Phillip Island to host Aus GP?

Nov.9 (GMM) A wealthy Australian family has vowed to help save the Australian grand prix by redeveloping Phillip Island. Andrew Fox, whose father Lindsay is one of the most successful businessmen in the country, has urged the promoter of the beleaguered Albert Park race to phone him. "The phone is on and the door is always open," Fox, whose father bought the MotoGP circuit and surrounding lands on Phillip Island three years ago, told News Limited newspapers. He said he would "seriously consider" developing the circuit for formula one. Phillip Island is just a two hour drive from Melbourne, where rising annual costs have cast doubt on the government's intention to renew the current formula one contract beyond 2010. Victorian premier John Brumby refused to confirm the report, telling reporters on Friday that his government was not looking to move the race "at the moment". His comments follow reports earlier this week that said moving the grand prix to Flemington Racecourse could be a way to cut costs. "We're not sort of actually looking at all of these sites at the moment," Brumby added.

Source

Interesting story...
 
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