Australian Grand Prix Future

[godragonsgo]

For the first time in many years there was a real positive buzz around Melbourne. Whilst Bernie continued to push his line for night racing or else, there were very few if any negative media reports this year. The attendances were up and I could even see one or two grandstands (on the main straight) that in previous year were missing altogether.

More importantly we now have a group pushing hard for the race to return to Adelaide and Adelaide is investigating lighting the circuit. However from what I am hearing the cost to light Adelaide would be too large for just a V8 Supercar race but perhaps a combination of F1 and V8 Supercars could change things.

But even bigger news was the idea of Perth, Sydney and Melbourne sharing the Grand Prix on a rotational basis. This would reduce the annual burden on the Melbourne tax payer and bring the Grand Prix into the price range to what Sydney and Perth can afford.

This idea is not new as back in the pre-F1 days the Australian Grand Prix was shared around each of the states rotating each year.

But then this suggestion was quickly cut down by the Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu who basically said that Melbourne would not be sharing the Grand Prix. SO does this mean they will sign a new agreement. It sounds like it does to me.
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Regards
Christopher Wright

[MatCoch]

I looked in to the Australian GP future about a year ago, when there were suggestions Sydney would try and poach it.

Sydney has nowhere to host it save a temporary facility. The V8 race is already unpopular and the government wanted to run it on a Saturday afternoon instead of a Sunday. There has been no approach to FOM.

Queensland/Brisbane can't afford it. They're busy investing in the wake of the floods early last year.

Northern Territory... NEXT.

Adelaide has no interest at the moment - or the government doesn't. Legislation is there for the race, though the feeling is it'll never return - why does Adelaide need F1 when it gets the same coverage from touring cars at a lower cost?

Tasmania is a logisitical nightmare. There is no airport capable of handling the sort of cargo the teams bring in.

Perth is about the only logical place in Australia to host it outside of Melbourne. It's a mining city an has plenty of money, but again there's been no interest from the government.

The current Victorian government is more likely to sign a deal that its political rivals, who would also likely sign a new deal. It's Melbourne or bust, but it's shaping up to continue in Albert Park for the moment.

[gourami]

I just wish the Federal Government would pump $20M into Eastern Creek and stage the AGP there. Not only is it close to home it'd be cheaper to stage the AGP at Eastern Creek each year than waste the money converting and then restoring Albert Park each year, as beautiful as the circuit is, it's pointlessly expensive.
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Watching F1 since 1998... trackside at Silverstone, Shanghai and Melbourne.