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"At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live.
lol - At what time does Bernie think Australia, China, Japan, Korea and all of South East Asia watch the races live from Europe and the Americas? Late at night and in the early hours of the morning! ... He goes on about China being an important market for F1 - but I guess all of Bernies billions (lol) of Chinese F1 fans are expected to not sleep if they want to watch races live. he is so full of crap...Senile wanker! ...
Aussie GP set to be axed
Eurosport - Sun, 09 Mar 12:44:00 2008
The Australian Grand Prix must become a night race or lose its place on the calendar, according to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
But a week before the season opener in Melbourne next Sunday, the 77-year-old Briton added that the switch looked unlikely and the race appeared doomed.
"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," Ecclestone told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
"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 (Australian 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."
Melbourne's Albert Park circuit hosts the season opener next Sunday with the race starting later than in the past in a bid to satisfy television broadcasters in the sport's European heartland.
Singapore, which makes its debut with a street race in September, will be Formula One's first night grand prix and Malaysia is also considering holding its race under floodlights in future.
Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, when it moved from Adelaide, and has a contract to 2010. The race has become the established opening event but has suffered financial losses.
Ecclestone has no shortage of candidates to take Australia's place, with Abu Dhabi coming in next year as a second Middle East race and India and South Korea lined up for Grands Prix in 2010.
Bahrain hosted the season opener in 2006 when Melbourne was hosting the Commonwealth Games.
There has also been talk of Russia having a grand prix while many sponsors and manufacturers want a U.S. race to be reinstated on the calendar after the disappearance of Indianapolis this season.
Eurosport - Sun, 09 Mar 12:44:00 2008
The Australian Grand Prix must become a night race or lose its place on the calendar, according to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
But a week before the season opener in Melbourne next Sunday, the 77-year-old Briton added that the switch looked unlikely and the race appeared doomed.
"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," Ecclestone told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
"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 (Australian 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."
Melbourne's Albert Park circuit hosts the season opener next Sunday with the race starting later than in the past in a bid to satisfy television broadcasters in the sport's European heartland.
Singapore, which makes its debut with a street race in September, will be Formula One's first night grand prix and Malaysia is also considering holding its race under floodlights in future.
Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, when it moved from Adelaide, and has a contract to 2010. The race has become the established opening event but has suffered financial losses.
Ecclestone has no shortage of candidates to take Australia's place, with Abu Dhabi coming in next year as a second Middle East race and India and South Korea lined up for Grands Prix in 2010.
Bahrain hosted the season opener in 2006 when Melbourne was hosting the Commonwealth Games.
There has also been talk of Russia having a grand prix while many sponsors and manufacturers want a U.S. race to be reinstated on the calendar after the disappearance of Indianapolis this season.
"At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live.
lol - At what time does Bernie think Australia, China, Japan, Korea and all of South East Asia watch the races live from Europe and the Americas? Late at night and in the early hours of the morning! ... He goes on about China being an important market for F1 - but I guess all of Bernies billions (lol) of Chinese F1 fans are expected to not sleep if they want to watch races live. he is so full of crap...Senile wanker! ...

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