Australia GP To Stay In Albert Park
The Australian Formula One Grand Prix will stay in Melbourne’s Albert Park precinct, as long as the race continues to be held in the state of Victoria – according to government officials.
The announcement follows recent reports that the race could be moved away from the street circuit in Melbourne, to a purpose-built track in Avalon.
Louise Asher, the government’s major events minister, said that moving the race from Albert Park to the dedicated track would cost nearly £200m.
Asher said: ‘The Grand Prix is going to stay at Albert Park. One of the reasons the branding of Melbourne has been so successful is that the GP is at Albert Park’.
The events minister said the new conservative state coalition would push F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone when negotiations for a new contract begin in late 2013.
Asher added: ‘The contract that the previous government signed is an expensive contract. I think taxpayers could get a better deal if the contract had less in it for my good friend Mr Ecclestone and more in it for Victorian taxpayers’.
It was also announced that the cost to the state’s taxpayers from this year’s race would be released in the next few months.Last year the state poured a record R356m into the Australian GP.
