http://www.eurosport.com/formula1/australi...to1186588.shtml

Says it all really.............

Well done on the link.

Looks like its the end of the Australian Grand Prix. I guess something has to make way for for Asian Tilke tracks

Asian Tilke tracks>Melbourne street courses

The Australian GP this year was among the most boring I have ever seen. On a purely sporting level I can agree entirely with Bernie's actions, if not his motives.

Bring back Adelaide!

I do like that we appear to be doing everything we can to take races out of europe.

Only to insist they run at european times.


You know how to make the race times convienent for euro viewers?

Run them in europe you -----less fucksticks.

Alternatively of course run them at a sensible time wherever you are and it'll all even out.

--

Also, I see no benefit to night races at all. It's making it more dangerous for precisely no reason.

You know how to make the race times convienent for euro viewers?

Run them in europe you mindless ----sticks.

You tell em Dud!!

I want to make clear I'm not actually arguing for more euro races. I'm happy to get up a few times a year since my friends in Oz and America have to far more often.

I just find it funny they're so concerned about the timings for european viewers when the situation is entirely one of their own making.

Hope Mike Rann is talking to Bernie. It's far past time that F1 went back to Adelaide.

A Night race in the Adelaide parklands, smack dab in the city centre would make the logistics of powering the lighting feasible.

Adelaide isn't overrun by latte sipping environmentalists as is the case in Melbourne either (just yet) so it would have massive domestic support. No matter the cost.

Adelaide was always one of the drivers' favourite circuits, the crowd attendances set records at the time (and judging from the massive success of a touring car series race there, F1 would doubtlessly break records again for attendance), and the atmosphere was unreal.

To have Adelaide return as the final race of the season, at night time with a huge party afterwards would be utterly fantastic. I'd have to return home for it I think :-)

my thoughts exactly.

I'm not in favour of night races either. And i like having to get up at weird times to watch other races.

I have watched IRL night races on the haunted fishtank, and quite frankly they seem silly, devoid of atmosphere; like a lone performer, with no audience, on stage doing a tap dance unaccompanied by music.

I used to like Moto-Cross when it took place across muddy fields and hillsides, or I did until they took it indoors and turned it into an Evel Knievel jumpfest so that an American audience can whoop and holler in the belief that they are watching a real sport (Sorry, but it's true*).

The diktats by the money money men of television are ruining many sports for the genuine enthusiasts.














*I now expect a fusillade of approbation from across the pond from those who seem to take dislike of "Frasier" as an insult to the whole American nation and its populace.

I thought F1 was a world sport - this discussion about running the races at times more convenient for European viewers show that F1 is still euro-centric.

If Bernie was serious about viewership, he would be better looking at China & India where potential viewing numbers would dwarf the european audience. Maybe european races should be run early in the morning to be better for the audiences in China and India.

Of course that would make it difficult for north & south america and of course organisers in Europe

Until anything changes, I will stay up late on Sunday night to watch most GPs, get up early Monday morning to watch those GPs in the Americas and watch the Australian GP on Sunday afternoon.


.....as I have done for the last 25 years

Thing is though although the audiences would be huge in China and India, the value of that viewership is far, far lower. In Europe where average income is astronomically higher than in Asia, the attractiveness of those viewers is much higher to sponsors and sport stakeholders.

In another 10-15 years when the economies of China and India catch up / surpass that of Europe then your point will probably be very, very pertinent.

Hmmm.. forget the power of nature we do. There is a very pertinent reason that Europe has long held a predominant position within the world, and it is for a reason way beyond the control of man. Europe is, on the whole, protected from major tectonic disasters and has one of the most stable weather systems. I think it is easy to forget these things and get bogged down with man-made sytems as if they work in a constant environment.....

BE is at it again! His TV revenues are more important than a race which is in my view one of the best run events on the calender and has a huge following. Compare the attendances in Melb compared to Bahrain or Sepang! Compare the quality of the event for real spectators. Perhaps its because his mate Tilke doesnt have his end in it!

Night races have never been a criteria before and there is not even a consensus yet as to whether it could function from a safety point of view.

Perhaps this is just a red herring as there have been better financial offers from other venues

We should just give up F1 for Moto Gp.

If something happens, who'd ever succeed Bernie?

Propably a big part of it. Bernie is not interested specators at the venue, he only cares about the TV audience. Funny that he does such a lousy job modernising the feeds. I know there was Bernievision once, but something drastical must be done with the standard feed to reduce the dull-time, which is currently around 80% of the race.

Are you for hire?

Not that MotoGP is wonderfully healthy, even with very open entry rules and as many custom bikes as you like there's only really 4 types of bike and 19 entrants.

A couple of team bankruptcies (and bear in mind we've already lost 1 2 bike this year and very nearly another one) and it's going to look VERY thin.

Surely that's a problem with the racing, not with the TV coverage. It would take a very creative director to make some races appear to be anything other than 80% dull... because that's exactly what they are.

the point is that the tv rights and profits actually take over from the true devoted f1 fans who travel the globe to see the the sport for what it is on site. I learnt this when after following the sport as a young kid aged 10 who simply could not afford to go to a GP as much as I loved it and watched my heros like Jochin Rindt and senna die on the track on tv. Now im getting the message that only the tv profits count and the hundreds of thousands that wave the banners after travelling thousonds of miles across the globe to watch their heros create the noise and ambience beat on your chest in sheer exhilaration cant witness this cause some fucker wants to make squillions on the tv rights or cause some quasi government wants to pay to make their place seem (artificially) better than any place else on the planet through$ should take precedent!!!!!!????????? well what kind of "sport" is that. Sorry i got wrong for some 37 years....its not a sport is it?

They could reduce it to 75% dull and it would increase the revenue by... 5%?

No, I do not blame the TV coverage alone, but when it is almost necessary to have internet and a laptop to endure the race and keep up with what actually happens, there is plenty of room for improvement.

it is not the best track but it is the best run and most enjoyable gp weekend on the calendar as far as spectators concerned.

but when did bernie really care about the fans?

sad indictment of where the commercial interests of the sport lie.

Says the aussie angry about possibly losing the aussie grand prix ;)

Sorry, just teasing.

actually this is the only way to keep yourself entertained, as there is often no racing after first lap.

breaking news: at least half races this season is going to be like that. OR WORSE.

Being a South Australian, I would love it to come back here but do you really think its a good idea for the taxpayers to bend over and take it from Bernie ? The way things are run now the state would be bound to loose a lot of money if we were to get the gp back. Let some rich, free spending Asian country have it.

bernie's just agitating to get rid of the aussie GP in exchange for a more compliant / higher paying option somewhere else in the new world

and the locals probably aren't going to put up much more than a perfunctionary fight

declining crowds, ratings, profits... a shame, but reality

Bernie is constantly pissing on the real F1 fans while trying to sell in the sport where people do not care. Problem is that he does not seem to realize that the product he is selling is not the product that made most of us interested in the sport many years ago. Improve the product Bernie. Then you can try to sell it. Otherwise you will soon find yourself in a sitaution where country after country ask for a refund. Or simly give you the index finger.

That wouldn't be the index finger I guess limited.

Re having the last GP of the calendar in Adelaide.....

Yes, the Adelaide V8 race is by far the best of the Aussie V8 calendar (200,000+ fans), but do we really think a second annual major motorsport event in the Adelaide parklands surrounding the city is going to be approved and funded by the South Australian state government - remember the recent uproar just about building a permanent "grandstand" for motorsport in those parklands.

Unfortunately if the GP leaves Melbourne (which looks likely), there will be no Aussie GP. Singapore, Abu Dabi, Korea etc are all waiting in the wings.

If it wasnt in Melbourne I wouldnt mind it in Adelaide at all but it just isnt going to happen. And a race in Adelaide wont provide alot more overtaking than the Melbourne race. Just look at all the races this year? Much overtaking? I think not. Blame the cars and rules.

We need more North American and South American races. You're not doing anything at 8pm on Sunday night are you?

We need more races in places where people actually care about F1. Australia is one. Now it seems likely Melb will be replaced by one more Tilkedome in a country where nobody gives a toss about F1.

Empty grandstands sure look great...

Some of you guys are in la-la land. Sit down, count to ten, and think.

If Bernie Ecclestone thinks Albert park isn't suitable for a Grand prix, he's going to take the race back to Adelaide? Are you guys high? if it stays in Australia at all, it'll go to a Tilke-track in Queensland.

Besides, if you think the Melbourne GP is boring, racing on a 2.3 mile circuit will be even more so. A modern F1 car can't overtake at the hairpin, it's simply too short now.

Exactly - If there is very little overtaking at Albert Park there will be none on the Adelaide circuit either.
Some people are using the thread for their own purpose of getting the race back in Adelaide. That's not what this is all about.

[rant]
Attention Bernie

I am not going to spend a fortune on Grand Prix tickets, only to have the action start at 9pm so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to watch. We stay up after midnight here in OZ for every grand prix in the Euro season so we can watch delayed coverage when our network chooses to screen it. I'm buggered if i'm going to do it at our home gp as well.

You can stick the race fair up your clacker and I'll take my attendance and my money elsewhere you little dweeb.

[/rant]

There I feel better already.

Infact if the top four or five drivers are not as close in the championship as they are it would be considered the most borings start to a season in a very long time! Nothing to do with the tracks - everything to do with the cars. People are turning off in droves and will continue to do so at this rate.

Adelaide has staged a night race - the Le Mans sportscars in 2000 - and the track is more suited and safer for racing under lights than Albert Park. Being a South Aussie I would love for it to happen but given the political indecision over the Victoria Park redevelopment and popularity of the Clipsal 500 it's not going to happen.

Methinks tobacco may be a factor in Bernie's sudden hard-on for night racing. Running the European time zone races in Asian lets F1 run Ciggie liveries for a few more occasions in prime time.

If F1 goes away from Melbourne, it wont be going to Adelaide again. Most likely they will host it at the new circuit near the Gold Coast (Queensland).

I don't know about China, but for India, the timing of the European races is quite convenient (starts at about 17:30hrs)

I wouldn't object too much if the GP were to leave Melbourne, just as long as Australia still gets a race. Anyone know how well F1 has been rating in Australia?

Not well given the pathetic coverage they get there.

Dunno bout that, it will go to the highest bidder and it's much more likely South Australians in general would be less aggrieved at taking the financial hit than the Queenslanders. And frankly the circuit they use in the gold coast for the champ cars isn't terribly good at all.

The logistics too of the race in Adelaide, hosting it at night, would be much simpler owing to the fact the circuit is practically in the centre of the CBD.

I will give a random poster 50 dollars if the GP leaves australia on any kind of permanent basis.

baddog,

How permanent, your lifetime or mine?

More than one year. Im excluding a peculiar circumstance that could cancel a race as a one off decision.

I really hope it does.
Both Melbourne & Adelaide circuits are complete shite.

But that's also a town who complains bitterly about any projects above $1.50 value that are not school or hospital related

And it's also a circuit that does not meet F1 standards, despite probably being okay for Champcar or Tony George's Indycar the like.

I remember reading that Perth (Western Australia) was looking at some sort of street course including Riverside drive along the swan, would look the goods but I can't see the logistics panning out... would be good as I would finaly get to see a F1 race

On reflection I aint to sure if it was meant for the V8 Supercars or Champ cars or F1