Australian Grand Prix not needed on F1 calendar: Ecclestone
By ANIThursday, February 10, 2011
LONDON - Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone has reignited the debate over the Australian Grand Prix, saying that he “does not need” the race on the calendar.
Ecclestone has strongly hinted that Australia would be one of the first races to be axed as he eyes new, more lucrative markets.Twenty races is enough. If we have some new races, some others will fall out - we don’t need Australia, for instance,” Fox Sports quoted Ecclestone, as saying.
Ecclestone had earlier hit back at calls for the Australian Grand Prix to be moved away from Melbourne.
It came after Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said that the annual Albert Park event was no longer value for money for the Victorian state taxpayer.
He had speculated that one possible outcome was that the sport’s “cranky” chief executive will replace the race by taking “the dollars of either an Asian or oil-rich Middle Eastern state”.
Ecclestone had hit back by warning that even though there is a contract in place to 2015, he would be “happy” to scrap the race. (ANI)
