Melbourne Loses The Australian GP

[fpv_gtho]

Perth wouldnt be able to trump up the $30m per year to cover just the licensing fees.

[Daz27]

As far as I know it is dead. From what I have read there is absolutely no interest in holding the race anywhere down here after 2010. Should set up a poll but I have no idea how to, but, how many people would be more interested in say a 400km V8 Supercar race with a 250km Fujitsu Series race on the saturday than the GP? Anyone in favour?

[pimento]

Why not Perth Bernie? It would be a bit closer in time and it could be held at 4.00pm.

No way for Perth. Not unless they could seriously revamp Barbagello, that place already lost the V8s for being too crappy. Although, with the two of them there it'd almost make the business case for a complete rebuild. The local guvvamint has already stated that there's no way a street race will happen in the CBD or anywhere nearby.

[henk4]

a "Bernie-approved" track will have all sorts of luxury options for the super-rich, boxes like small plane hangars, direct jetplane access and so on...

[SlickHolden]

Thats exactly right. Looking at Singapores updated timetable as well, they'll be doing practise and qualifying at night also so its going to be more than just the noise on Sunday night. I think the ONLY thing going for a Melbourne night race is Hella (a local lighting company for the unknowing) have developed a portable lighting system that can be set up in around 16 hours, doesnt have glare apparently and i dont think it costs that much to run.

Could the F1's run at sandown??. Then night or day there wouldn't matter.

I think there is some type of agreement with Albert park is to why they wont go night racing?.. Just to build that track was a shit fight.. Maybe they dont wont to piss them off anymore?.

[fpv_gtho]

Doubt it. I always thought Sandown was surrounded by houses, and if they were to move to a permanent facility they'd probably need something alot wider than Sandown with much better resources. Staying at Albert Park theyve got some security there with the track in that theres less pressure to upgrade as its not a permanent facility, although they'll always need to keep the pit complex updated. There was a chance they might run at the planned complex south of Brisbane that would also be involved with the QLD WRC round, but i think theres some issues there with getting permission to build there. All our other permanent facilities simply arent up to scratch, and if anyone was to go to the trouble of upgrading them to keep the race, they'd like have to stop past Hermann Tilke's office and get the layout murdered and the landscape bulldozed.

Federal funding might increase the chance of the race staying. IIRC, even the Townsville V8 Supercar race is getting federal funding. The Champ Car races on the Gold Coast also, despite local fans protesting the V8 Supercar races are now the main show, continue with government support because of the international audience the US open wheelers bring. If Ron Walker plays his cards right and can negotiate with the right people this might just all blow over like it does every year with British GP and French GP.

[Falcon500]

Simmonds Plains.

They have a proactive race community, a goverment that supports racing, its a great tourist attraction and its a track that loans itself well to open wheelers and sports cars.

Problem with tassie getting the money and the facilitys WILL NOT meet bernies approval without alot of work.

WA could very easily get money and they have held f1 events in the 70s there is history but their goverment isnt likly to help AT ALL.

[nota]

Good riddance to it, I say

And to that silly Cart race at Surfers - which joins 'our' F1 event in being another giant waste of taxpayer dollars that could be far better spent elsewhere

[SlickHolden]

I was going to suggest PI but after going there i think it's fine for the V8's but not the rich and the famous Bernie.

But could you imagine a better sight then the F1's coming around the bend to the straight at PI?? What speeds..

[fpv_gtho]

Simmonds Plains.

They have a proactive race community, a goverment that supports racing, its a great tourist attraction and its a track that loans itself well to open wheelers and sports cars.

Problem with tassie getting the money and the facilitys WILL NOT meet bernies approval without alot of work.

Symmonds Plains as it stands now is too small for V8 Supercars, they're only there because its the best Tassie track and Cochrane wants to be in as many states as possible. For F1 other than obviously being too narrow, its also too short and would probably be over 100 laps for a 305km full distance race. There'd be no accomodation to speak of around the area, the access too and from the circuit wouldnt be able to support Bernies circus. If you could fix the facilities, fix the track layout where its wide enough/long enough and at least an international circuit, you would still have a circuit thats isolated.

I was going to suggest PI but after going there i think it's fine for the V8's but not the rich and the famous Bernie.

But could you imagine a better sight then the F1's coming around the bend to the straight at PI?? What speeds..

Phillip Island would be brilliant if Formula 1 cars werent so aero sensitive. Its probably one of the only circuits in the country that could hold a candle to any normal European track. You'd probably have to race ground-effect era cars to get decent racing there though

[Falcon500]

Symmonds Plains as it stands now is too small for V8 Supercars, they're only there because its the best Tassie track and Cochrane wants to be in as many states as possible. For F1 other than obviously being too narrow, its also too short and would probably be over 100 laps for a 305km full distance race. There'd be no accomodation to speak of around the area, the access too and from the circuit wouldnt be able to support Bernies circus. If you could fix the facilities, fix the track layout where its wide enough/long enough and at least an international circuit, you would still have a circuit thats isolated.



Phillip Island would be brilliant if Formula 1 cars werent so aero sensitive. Its probably one of the only circuits in the country that could hold a candle to any normal European track. You'd probably have to race ground-effect era cars to get decent racing there though

What launcestons 10 mins away and the 2nd biggest town in tassie theres plenty of accomdation rember tassie thrives off tourisum.

Also acsess is fine f1 will stress it but theres nothing saying ir couldent be fixed and the track works well for cars faster then v8s as it stands. If eastern creek can be brought up to standard then bloody near anything can!

Also phillip island has come under the same critisum that you just ahnded out too simmonds plains, but that also has potential but isolation to the max there ITS ON AN ISLAND and the clincher the greenies will scream their murdering the fairy penguins.

[fpv_gtho]

Launceston is still only a town of 70K people. Theres simply no chance F1 would ever look there, or any other track in the country. Theres a reason theyve been racing at street circuits the past cuople of decades

[Daz27]

Ok, heres one for ya, How about Hidden Valley. The big downer would be the track length, but, it is wide, I know this because it was my home track for 5 or 6 years and I have raced on it. It has room to lengthen the track if need be, and crucially, it has government support, being on crown land leased to the club, and the population would go spastic (in a good way) if there was even the remotest chance that they could hold an event like this. Also, it is a sparrows fart from asia, most of the major capitals in asia are actually closer to Darwin than Darwin is to its nearest Australian capital city. It doesnt really have the accomodation capabilities of its southern counterparts but it is always expanding and I would bet my arm that they would slap up a 5 star mega hotel or two in a heartbeat if they even thought they'd get the race. Unlike just about every single city in Oz except Adelaide, it is motorsport friendly and actively promotes itself as being such. And, they would hold night events, hell, I flaggied at the Oz HQ titles in 99 (I think it was 99) and that was a night race. Its about 10km from the nearest houses so there arent any noise issues either. Its all good, just make the track twice as long and its gold.

[fpv_gtho]

Theres some interesting points. Assuming there'd be no noise complaints, they could lengthen the track and built some suitable accomodation for Bernies cronies and there'd be federal support it might work. The idea of being closer to Asia than the rest of Australia might convince someone like Bernie to go there, but it begs the question: Why stay in Australia if youre targeting the Asian audience? Bernies already got Singapore and Malaysia for South-East Asia, and Japan and China cover further north with South Korea also looking for a race.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

IF ( and thats a big if) it's going to stay in Australia the only logical solution would be to keep it near amenities and a population base.

That leaves the East coast for the most part. Which still raises the issue of time difference.

Sorry guys, we can't win