Door Still Open On Later Start
The Age
Monday March 17, 2008
Brumby says he will fight to keep GP, as Ron Walker hints at a compromise on the start time
MELBOURNE'S grand prix could start even later than 5pm to appease F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, with Victorian Premier John Brumby saying the Government was prepared to do "everything possible" to keep the race at Albert Park.Announcing earlier this week that the 2009 race was likely to start at 5pm, Major Events Minister Tim Holding said Victoria would not countenance a night race and 5pm was the latest a race could be held in Albert Park. "I've made it absolutely clear that there will be no night grand prix race in Melbourne. We don't support it now, we don't support it post-2010," he said.But at the end of yesterday's race, Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker said there was still room for negotiation on the start time and that Mr Ecclestone understood a compromise was possible."We've said five o'clock; there might be a few minutes either way, but that's something for he and I to discuss and indeed the Premier to endorse at the appropriate time when he agrees to what our proposals are," Mr Walker said. "We're not far off a compromise."Mr Ecclestone has publicly demanded Melbourne's race start at night to accommodate European television audiences, and said a 5pm start "doesn't help a lot. It needs to be a night race." He has hinted that a 7pm start, which would see the live TV broadcast begin at 8am in London, might be acceptable.After a fortnight of public posturing, negotiations about the future of Melbourne's race are expected to go behind closed doors in coming months. Mr Brumby said he expected to have a firm decision on the future of the race by spring."This is a good event for the state, it's one we want to keep, and it's one we'll be doing everything possible to ensure that it does remain here in Melbourne in the years ahead," he said at the track yesterday.Mr Walker spoke to Mr Ecclestone at the conclusion of yesterday's race, and said the 77-year-old F1 tsar had congratulated Melbourne on "a spectacle second to none".An estimated 303,000 people attended the four days of this year's GP, including 108,000 on race day."(Mr Ecclestone said) it created enormous television interest around the world, and that our branding 'Melbourne, Australia' looked absolutely fine and pristine. So, here he is sitting in London and he's wished us all the best for the future. What better endorsement could you have," said Mr Walker, who is also chairman of Fairfax Media, owner of The Age.The temperature at yesterday's race reached 39.1 degrees just before 4pm and was 38 at 5.30pm. A cool southerly change at 6pm saw conditions ease markedly for the evening entertainment.The Metropolitan Ambulance Service said 10 people were taken to hospital and a further 25 treated for heat-related conditions, medical conditions and fractures. Another 210 people were treated by the St John Ambulance, largely for heat-related conditions. Rock band Kiss began their set at 7.30pm in front of thousands of fans, including those too young to have been alive when they first performed. The band kicked off with Shout It Out Loud and then launched into a frenzied guitar solo against a backdrop of fireworks.The future of Melbourne's grand prix has been under great scrutiny this year, following Mr Ecclestone's demands for a change of start time and revelations in The Age that grand prix organisers do not keep count of how many people attend the event and refuse to reveal how many tickets are given away - arguing that it "would give the impression that the event was being artificially enhanced by giveaway tickets".The Age has also revealed that Australian race organisers are willing to sell secret corporate "know-how" on staging a race to potential rival cities, but have refused to release that information publicly, despite Victorian taxpayers funding the race. This year's race was expected to cost Victoria $40 million.
© 2008 The Age