Bernie Ecclestone backtracks from his previous statement regarding the Australian Grand Prix
Formula One Management chief Bernie Ecclestone has said that Australia is one of the most important venues of the calendar while he stated before that Formula 1 ‘does not need’ Australia as a part of the sport’s calendar.
The Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle stated back in January 2011 that the cost required to host a Formula 1 race in Melbourne has increased vitally and that the FIA should renew its contract after it expires in 2015.
Ecclestone on the other hand gave a negative response and stated that the sport does not need Australia anymore and it would be better to drop the venue in order to introduce better and new venues for the sport.
Nevertheless, the FIA president Jean Todt sided with the organisers of Australia on this matter recently after which Ecclestone surprisingly agreed with Jean.
“Australia is just as important to us as Monaco and has been for an awful long time. So we hate to think that we were going to lose Australia. We have been together a long time and it's like one of those long marriages; it would be bad to end in divorce,”
said Ecclestone.
Bernie said he wants the Australian Grand Prix to take place but added that he does not want to reduce the costs of Albert Park in order to keep it as a part of the Formula 1 calendar.
“If the other partner wishes, we wouldn't start fighting. In the case of Melbourne, if the product is too expensive for them then we understand that. And when the contract comes to an end, there is no need to renew it. We wouldn't force somebody to buy something
they don't want,” he added.
The Australian Grand Prix has been a part of Formula 1 since 1996 and it is known as one of the most exhilarating and technical races of the sport.
Other than that, since Albert Park is the only venue for Formula 1 in the continent Australia, the sport might not want to lose this venue anytime soon but replacing it with another venue in the continent might be possible.
The Australian Grand Prix is going to be the season opening race of the 2011 Formula 1 season since the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally expected to be the season opening race of the season was postponed by the FIA due to the current political scenario
of the country.
However, it is believed that rescheduling the Bahrain Grand Prix might not be possible until the expected date that is May 1, 2011 since the situation in the country is getting worse day by day.
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