Bahrain might continue to host the F1 season opening race
by mahmood on 21/06/06 at 7:42 pm · email · print
Australia’s grand prix boss has vowed to keep fighting to restore Melbourne to the top of the Formula One schedule.
To make way for the Commonwealth Games, the race at Albert Park deferred to season-opening substitute Bahrain earlier this year but remains contracted to open the calendar.
However, with Bahrain recording better global TV ratings than usual in 2006 due to the more favourable time-zone, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is understood to be considering a full-time relegation for Australia, host of the opening slot since 1996.
But Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) chairman Ron Walker says that he was ‘as confident as I can be’ that Melbourne will resume its usual place next year.
He recently travelled to London for talks, and, also referring to F1′s French-based governing body, added on Wednesday: ‘I spoke to Mr Ecclestone last night and I’ll be in Paris in the next fortnight.’
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Mahmood’s Den · Precidents work…
Jun 21st, 2006
[...] Take for example this year’s F1 season opener in Bahrain which garnered much better television viewer figures than the traditional opener held at Australia, that – business-wise – should be enough to move that fixture permanently to the BIC in Bahrain, and it looks like Bernie is considering it. [...]