Having already stated that he was considering the future of the Australian Grand Prix,
Formula 1 supremo
Bernie Ecclestone has again questioned the viability of the event little more than a week before the opening round of the 2008 season in Melbourne.
Ecclestone was quoted by the
Herald Sun last month as saying that the event was 'bloody bad' for
F1 due to higher costs and lower income from the race, and also attacked Victoria Premier John Brumby for his 'scant support' for the traditional season opener at Albert Park.
Having already stated that the long-term future of the event could revolve around plans to follow the lead of Singapore and hold a race under lights, Ecclestone has now said he doesn't feel the race will be on the calendar for much longer after a clash with new Austrlian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd over his desire to hold the race at night to best serve TV audiences back in Europe.
"The only way the race could stay in Melbourne, or anywhere else in Australia, is if it is staged during the night so that the public in Europe can watch it," he told the
Mail on Sunday. "At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live. That can't carry on.
"The alternative is to pull the race completely from Australia. I've spoken to Kevin Rudd and he's told me it would cost too much to re-stage the race, so I guess that's it. We won't be going to Australia for too much longer."
Albert Park has hosted the event since 1995 and is believed to have a contract that would run until 2010.
