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[PJ640]

Does Bernie Ecclestone realize that he's running a WORLD championship, and not a European championship.
To say that we're going to lose our Grand Prix down under, because the European TV audience has to get out of bed early in the morning to watch it live, is a joke.
What about the all Grand Prix a year that we in Australia (and other eastern hemisphere nations) have to stay up to ungoddly hours to watch. Will he ask all the Asian Grand Prix to run their races under floodlights to suit European TV audiences? I don't think so.
If Bernie really wanted a reason to take the Grand Prix from Australia and give it to India or Russia, why didn't he just raise the fees to exorbitant amounts so we couldn't afford it anyway. Oh, too late, he already did that.

[bud]

PJ640 Bernie just cares about $$$$.

there is a fan letter in the latest F1 racing about that says F1 want to head in a green direction yet is bringing in night races where the energy consumption for the lighting is extroadinary.

A very valid point and again making F1 green does not just extend to the cars but to the events themselves and how they are run.

[Denthúl]

Quite so. Then you have to think about the fact that if he made it a night race, attendance would drop significantly seeing as it's a Sunday night and everyone will be preparing things for school and work the next day. I don't see his problem. It's not like he needs the extra few millions that he would get from moving the race to another country and Australia is probably the best season-opener I've seen so far.

And it's not like the majority of Europeans care that they have to get up a little earlier. It's actually quite a lot of fun to watch at 4:00am or something, though I can't explain why. He should just leave it be and, at the same time, stop whining about Silverstone, Spa etc.

[AKR]

True. I agree. It is fun to get up early to watch a race and even watch football. I do it all the time with football. In fact I stay up until 3am to watch football, then go to bed and then get up again at around 6:30am to watch more football. So you see no real fan cares what time a race is on as they will watch it anyway. Bernie you are so dumb! Period.

[al4x]

i love having to get up early as long as i can go to bed later, the worst time for a gp to start is 6-9am on a sunday cause i cant get back to sleep

its not for the hard core fans its for the casual watcher

[racingstu]

I agree that this is a silly reason to take it away and would be astonished and deeply saddened if it were to happen, because it's one of the favourites of the year for many people - the Australian GP is never boring, and can keep anyone awake at 4am.

Still - I think this is Bernie's (old school, unprofessional) way of politicking more money out of the organisers - he always gripes to the media when he wants something or another - normally asking for a great amount so that a compromise can be made, when really the compromise was his original goal. Mr Mosely does this too. I find it aggravating.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Australian GP could start later in 2009

By Jonathan Noble Monday, March 10th 2008, 08:11 GMT

The start of the 2007 Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix organisers are ready to move the start time of their race back to 5pm next year in a bid to appease Bernie Ecclestone's demands for a later start time.

With Ecclestone adamant that the Albert Park race should become a night race, or risk losing its F1 contract beyond 2010, Melbourne chiefs are ready to offer a compromise.

With this year's race starting at 3.30pm, one-and-a-half hours later than normal in a bid to capture more of the European television audience, grand prix organisers are ready to move it back a further 90 minutes next year.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman Ron Walker said on Monday that if this year's move proves a success, then he will happily move it back further for 2009. It comes with organisers adamant that they will not switch the event to a night race.

Walker said: "If starting the race later this year increases the television audience around the world, as we believe it will, we'll seek a 5pm start for the 2009 race.

"That will mean a 7am start time for the television coverage in Europe, finishing at about 8:40am; a 6am start time in the UK, finishing at about 7.40am; and an afternoon start and finish across the Asian continent where there are potentially hundreds of millions of extra viewers."

"All this can be achieved without any additional infrastructure costs."

A 5pm start for the race would still ensure the race is completed before nightfall, which means there will be no need for the expensive lighting systems that organisers do not want to pay for.

The new time would be more convenient for European audiences and not affect people in Australia watching the Grand Prix, no modifications would be needed to the track, and we'd still have an integral part of the sport: the Australian Grand Prix. Let's hope Ecclestone sees sense. He's squeezed some concessions from the Aussies and the deal seems fair enough.

[Jensonb]

When has any F1 fan ever complained about this? I'm sick of Bernie making stupid choices for no reason on the pretext of doing what we want when it's nothing of the kind.

[darwin dali]

When has any F1 fan ever complained about this? I'm sick of Bernie making stupid choices for no reason on the pretext of doing what we want when it's nothing of the kind.

It's about increasing the fan base and making it easier to bring more viewers into the fold. BE doesn't worry about the existing F1 fans - they will watch no matter what.

[PJ640]

A 5pm start time could be a suitable compromise, but I reckon the shadows might be getting a bit long by the chequered flag. It's definitely worth looking at though, if it means we'll keep our Grand Prix.
Another compromise to help the television viewers on the remainder of the planet, maybe the European races could start at 9am, then I wouldn't have to stay up so late on a Sunday night. (Joke)

[al4x]

5-6am start is probably the worst possible start time

[bud]

seeing as Australias current position is unsuitable for a world championship.
there is another option, we can move the Australian continent so it suits the important parts of the planet, maybe stick it in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! yes great idea.

[darwin dali]

seeing as Australias current position is unsuitable for a world championship.
there is another option, we can move the Australian continent so it suits the important parts of the planet, maybe stick it in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! yes great idea.

Sorry mate, you're fine where you are - NIMBY!

[Lem]

This is ridiculous. I wouldn't look too much into this though. He occasionally comes out with these ridiculous ideas without much substance just to remind us he's here.

I personally love getting up at 4 for the first race of the season! It's part of the ultimate fan experience, for want of a better phrase. But then, I do have insomnia on my side

[AMCpacer]

Reading this post the People in the US, Mostly on the west coast area the best fans. We dont think nothing of getting up at 2-3am to watch F-1. Its normal.. House is quiet, I know my phones not gonna ring, nobody gonna knock on my door, wifey asleep, got my 6r of coors, nice dry summer night, Life dosnt get better, Let the race begin..

Pacer