Melbourne GP race fee

[elmerfud]

Being an Aussie I'm annoyed we have to pay 50 million from taxpayers to fund the Albert park event.
What do you guys think about Bernies 'priviledge fee' ?
Has he gone to far?

[NathanOlder]

Apparently, (bernie's words) Australia are currently paying the least amount to host a GP this year. I think it will become a night race soon aswell, to suit us Europeans

[Websta]

We don't each pay $50 million, it's only like $7 bucks each. I'd much rather have our taxes spent on F1 than on those stupid JSF fighter jets.

[WhiteBlue]

Apparently, (bernie's words) Australia are currently paying the least amount to host a GP this year. I think it will become a night race soon aswell, to suit us Europeans

It more likely that Australia would be paying about an average hosting fee which would be likely to be $28m this year. Lowest paying GPs are Monaco (close to zero) and Monza, due to the Ferrari influence.

One reason for the high deficit of the Australian GP is the race fee that has been pushed up by the international market booming for F1 races. But the other factor is the lack of dedicated facilities which necessitate tremendous annual cost for rigging the track and the grandstands in Albert park. It's been a bad decision not to build a permanent facility. It would have paid many times over the investment by now.

[ESPImperium]

Albert Park is a great facility, but is showing signs of age now, same way Adalade once was showing signs of its age.

A Permanant facility would make greater sence, and it could have the night race facilities put in whilst building, whitch would be miles cheaper than the €5m Singapore has each year for the lights alone. Then its only €50,000 a year in upkeep of the lighting system.

Austrailia is paying arround €30m for the race, its the anciallary set up that costs the money, it costs €18m just to set the track up.

Monaco pay €3m to Bernie and pay €12m track set up a year, Monza is €18m a year for the Tifossi.

A Permanent facility is needed in Oz. There was once rumors that there was one to be built near a small Melbourne air port that can handle freight as well, thus reducing costs to the teams as well. The facility was where the likes of the Aussie V8 guys could set up their HQ and also a place for Music Concerts/Festivals to be held as well as they were looking at having a purpose built stage built in the middle as well. You could get in double the people you can get into Albert Park into a permant facility, and Aussie motorsport fans would attend it, so it is commercially viable.

Im giving it till 2015 for Bernie to pull Austrailia, as there are venues that are looking at a GP will have a event in its place pretty quickly. How would Aussies take to loosing a GP to New Zealand, who have looked at a GP once before, or even South Africa as i think thats where berniw would want a season opener.

[Shrieker]

I remember some years ago local activists protesting that the GP was being held in Albert Park. I reckon they won't take the idea of a 'permanent facility' too nicely.

[Richard]

Updated thread title from the original "Weekend at Bernies"

We know FOM charge a race fee to host a race, its the same for a lot of major events from boxing matches to pop concerts.

Has anything changed with respect to the Autsralian GP fee to merit a thread? Otherwise this is a bear poops in the woods story.

[elmerfud]

I can see we really would not get along well together Richard Leeds.

[Hail22]

Well let me give you some inside information that Sydney, Australia is looking at the Grand Prix as there is currently discussion for the development of the Eastern Creek Race track.

Its currently in the department of planning awaiting approval (designs only and request for extra land to be released).

Which means they're aiming for a larger scope event such as Formula 1 or purely to grab the Moto GP either way its interesting that an application has been tendered..

Watch this space.

[Mysticf1]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/avalon ... 5835105704

As you can see this article is dated 2010 and I've heard nothing since, so unfortunately i think the idea may be dead. It would have been a great venue not just for F1.

The biggest advantage to the Melbourne GP is its held right in the heart of the city, and i believe it really does make an positive impact on the city during the GP weekend and the days before and after, Avalon is out in the middle of no where in comparison and lose all of this impact on the city.

According to local media, the GP is selling well this year with a new stand being built at short notice because of ticket demand..so the race is still doing relatively well, even tho the amount of stand seating is much less than the first few years of the race.

Personally i hope we can keep the race...a night race would be an interesting change but i have my doubts it will happen.

[Hail22]

Avalon is in Victoria xD Eastern Creek is in New South Wales (Sydney) and is currently undergoing highway extension and rail link upgrades.

Department of events and sports already stated that Formula 1 is a consideration pending consultation.

The project will only be a small sum of $160 million as the track is there it would only be an upgrade of the surrounding facilities, pit lane, and possibly the extension of the circuit to include some long back straights etc.

Final approval of these "plans" (as it does not state Formula just an upgrade to the circuit) is going to be approved/denied August this year which means 2 years construction isn't far fetched to take the GP post 2015.

[Mysticf1]

Living in Melbourne, i wouldn't be overly happy for the race to go to eastern creek for my own selfish reasons. Plus the track was originally built for bikes so its not the most impressive layouts from memory.

But like i said, i don't like the idea for my own selfish reasons

[Cold Fussion]

Avalon is in Victoria xD Eastern Creek is in New South Wales (Sydney) and is currently undergoing highway extension and rail link upgrades.

Department of events and sports already stated that Formula 1 is a consideration pending consultation.

The project will only be a small sum of $160 million as the track is there it would only be an upgrade of the surrounding facilities, pit lane, and possibly the extension of the circuit to include some long back straights etc.

Final approval of these "plans" (as it does not state Formula just an upgrade to the circuit) is going to be approved/denied August this year which means 2 years construction isn't far fetched to take the GP post 2015.

I'm curious as to these rail link upgrades you're talking about. I live 20 minutes away from Eastern Creek and I honestly have doubts you could shuffle a huge amount of people into it without the whole thing falling apart. There is a 3 lane motorway which runs not even 100m away from the circuit but that has no exist to the track so instead you have to loop out of it and use what would be a highly conjested highway to get to the circuit. The track is also quite far away from any station, and as to those upgrades you mention I am not seeing it and I travel that stretch of track every day on my way to uni.

This is of course over shadowed by the bigger problem that Eastern Creek is a woefully boring race track. The Melbourne GP is broadcasted to possible 100s of millions of people a year, plus all the radio and newspaper coverage. How can one even quantify how much that is worth? To advertise Melbourne to that many people any other way would cost vastly more than 50 million. The only problem with the GP is the people of Melbourne, who are to busy sipping Latte's and some trendy caffe to see the whole picture.

[xpensive]

An F1 race on the Longford track in Launceston Tasmania would be far from boring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHkHGqc09B0

[Cold Fussion]

Looks like 2 minutes of boring straights to me. Of all the open roads in Tasmania that looks like one of the worst.