Aussie Grand Prix to be twilight fixture
The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will be a twilight race for the next seven years, the Victorian government has announced.
Victorian Premier John Brumby said the government had agreed to push back the start time of the race to 5pm in order to secure the event until 2015.
Mr Brumby said the race would be held at the new time slot from next year and an agreement had been reached not to use any artificial lighting for the term of the contract.
"Next year's later start time will mean even greater TV audiences in the United Kingdom, Asia and European markets, which means more exposure for 'brand Melbourne' than ever before," Mr Brumby said in Melbourne.
Formula One Management president Bernie Ecclestone said in a statement he was delighted the Grand Prix was continuing in Melbourne.
"I have wanted changes to the local race time so that we can increase the television audience in Europe and Asia," he said.
"I'm satisfied that the decision to move to a later start time for 2009 races is a win for television audiences in Europe and Asia, a win for Melbourne and a win for Formula One as a whole."
Australian Formula One Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker said the decision was good for Melbourne and Formula One.
The race was in danger of being axed from Melbourne at the expiry of the Albert Park contract in 2010 as Mr Ecclestone chased more lucrative deals offshore.
Mr Ecclestone had demanded a night race to capitalise on European television audiences.
But the government repeatedly refused to introduce a night race, saying the time was "not negotiable".
Last year the race suffered a loss of almost $35 million and losses were expected to top $40 million this year, amid rising costs and poor ticket sales.
Save Albert Park president Peter Goad said the group was disappointed with the decision, but emphasised it would fight on to end the Formula One race at the venue.
He said the decision was "irrational" and should "put the last nail in the coffin of the Brumby government".
"It's wrong politically ... economically and environmentally," he told AAP.
"Financially the race, it's a disaster for the state."
Mr Goad said the race had lost up to $160 million over the past 12 years and the group had projected the losses would amount to $400 million from 2009 to 2015.
"That means from 1995 to 2015, the losses will amount to around $600 million," he said.
"The auditor-general showed in his 2007 report on the race that it is not good for Victoria, that it is an economic loser.
"It's a waste of money and the worst thing about it all is that it flies in the face of current thinking about climate change.
"It is the antithesis of all the efforts to combat climate change."
Mr Goad said the Save Albert Park group would fight on.
"It doesn't mean we're going to fold up and disappear," he said.
"There's still a fight ahead."
