Bernie Ecclestone fires back at Melbourne’s Mayor
According to some sources, the Australian Grand Prix’s organizers may have to find another venue for the event, since the organizers of Albert Park in Melbourne recently revealed that they are not willing to hold the Australian Grand Prix because of the
rise in the expenses.
However, Bernie Ecclestone angrily responded to this statement as the FIA already have a deal with the event holders for a couple of next years.
Surprisingly, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle was directly involved, stating that the Australian Grand Prix is “no longer value for money for the Victorian state taxpayer.”
“If the mayor thinks I'm cranky, I can probably be able to help him by proving it. If he's not happy with the event in Australia, if he wants to cancel the contract, we'd be happy to talk to him about that,” Ecclestone said in an interview.
Albert Park in Melbourne holds one of the most exhilarating races of the season. Since the Melbourne track has been a part of the sport for years, the fans are familiar with each and every inch of the circuit, making the event all the more exhilarating.
The Mayor speculated that the “cranky” Chief Executive of the sport has an option of replacing the race by taking “the dollars of either an Asian or oil-rich Middle Eastern state.”
The former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and a renowned business, Ron Walker states that the cost of the event is more than the offset by the extra tourism trade, which results due to the high fan base of Formula One.
Ecclestone has replied that he would be “happy” to take the event off from the Formula 1 season before their contract ends in 2015. It is believed that it was just a “bluff” by the Australian Grand Prix’s organizers; however, Bernie took it seriously.
“I wouldn't say (it will stay) indefinitely. We've stayed an awful long time. There is no reason why we should leave," Bernie insisted. "It's up to him, if he wants to talk about terminating the contract ... he should talk to someone in our organisation
and see what he can come up with,” he said.
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