FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[scotty]

The future of the Australian Grand Prix has been called into doubt yet again. This time, Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has called for the event to be dropped.

The race has been held in Melbourne since 1996 and has haemorrhaged money ever since. The inaugural event lost £1 million (A$1.5m) and the situation has only worsened with last years losses totalling £30m (A$50m).

Doyle believes it would be best to wave goodbye to the event when the contract expires in 2015.

"Although I know of no city that has voluntarily walked away from a Grand Prix, could Melbourne be the first?" He wrote in Sunday's Herald Sun.

"The final possibility is that we decide that it has been 20 fantastic years, that the benefits to the city and the state have been enormous but that the cycle has run its course."

He then added: "My judgment would be, 'Get ready. Time's up'."
Whilst Doyle has no say in contract negotiations between Formula One Management (FOM) and the cities government, he holds one of the most influential offices in the state and his words are sure to spark some debate among residents.

I would be absolutely gutted if this happened. Unless they sent it back to the old Adelaide street circuit...

[What's Burning?]

I hope it's just negotiating leverage... There are quite a lot of venues/cities in the same boat.

[vaptin]

It's a great track.

[racechick]

It is, and it should be the opener!! Nothing like getting up in the middle of the night and settling on the sofa with coffee and pastries for the first GP. Really hope it stays, its one of the good ones.

[Denthúl]

It irritates me that I can't remember the last time Albert Park was a disappointment, and its future is less certain than the circuits that just yield yawnfest races. I want the Australian GP to stay and I'd like it to return to being the opening race of the season, personally.

[myownalias]

Although I'd like to see Melbourne kept on the calendar; it's a false economy to make such massive losses each and every year, 14 years and the event has never turned a profit or broken even, I'm sure that the money paid out to FOM could be better served in other areas of the city, it's Bernie's greed that is killing off the traditional non-Tilke-dromes!

[racechick]

Although I'd like to see Melbourne kept on the calendar; it's a false economy to make such massive losses each and every year, 14 years and the event has never turned a profit or broken even, I'm sure that the money paid out to FOM could be better served in other areas of the city, it's Bernie's greed that is killing off the traditional non-Tilke-dromes!

So he can buy his daughters 60 odd million pound houses
and such like

[What's Burning?]

Although I'd like to see Melbourne kept on the calendar; it's a false economy to make such massive losses each and every year, 14 years and the event has never turned a profit or broken even, I'm sure that the money paid out to FOM could be better served in other areas of the city, it's Bernie's greed that is killing off the traditional non-Tilke-dromes!

So he can buy his daughters 60 odd million pound houses
and such like

He can't take it with him.

[bud]

I think Sydney will snap it up if Melbourne doesn't want it. They have a street circuit built around the Olympics stadium used for the V8 Supercars series where they could host F1.

[darwin dali]

I think Sydney will snap it up if Melbourne doesn't want it. They have a street circuit built around the Olympics stadium used for the V8 Supercars series where they could host F1.

Schmelbourne, Schmadelaide - Sydney it is!

[texasmr2]

I think Sydney will snap it up if Melbourne doesn't want it. They have a street circuit built around the Olympics stadium used for the V8 Supercars series where they could host F1.

Schmelbourne, Schmadelaide - Sydney it is!

Very shmexy !!!

[myownalias]

If it's going to be a road course; around the opera house and back and forth across the harbour bridge at night, that would be cool!

[bud]

[youtube]xFo_AX3EeDw[/youtube]
its a bit far away from the harbour to see the bridge

[spankyham]

Australia and F1 need a race in Australia. Melb is good, but if it has to move, then Sydney would be OK. The V8's street circuit there is ok, just a bit narrow in its present form.

For me, the best possible move would be to make the season opening race about 160Klms to the west of Sydney

Bathurst - oh yeah baby, move over Nurburgring, Bathurst would make a totally awesome F1 race

[Jensonb]

Aww...Albert Park's one of my favourite circuits