sport news Calls for a night-time Australian Grand Prix as F1 boss explains why Melbourne ... trends now
Australian Grand Prix boss Paul Little hopes the Melbourne marquee event will become a night race, but explains the major roadblock stopping it - as the F1 CEO explains why Melbourne was chosen over Sydney.
Little, a top Victorian business leader and former chair of Essendon, has revealed his hope that the GP at Albert Park will transition to an after-dark event in the next decade.
He believes that the spectacle of a night race and bigger global TV ratings meant the idea should be considered by the Aussie GP board.
'I'd love to not rule out a night Grand Prix,' he told the Herald Sun.
'I just think if we could make that work, that would be amazing. An amazing spectacle but also great for reaching the rest of the F1 audience.'
Australian Grand Prix boss Paul Little hopes the Melbourne marquee event will become a night race, but explains that infrastructure is a major hurdle
Mr Little, who is also a top Victorian business leader, has revealed his hope that the GP at Albert Park will transition to an after-dark event in the next decade. He believes that the spectacle of a night race and bigger global TV ratings meant the idea should be considered by the Aussie GP board
Little says the biggest hurdle to making it a night race a reality is infrastructure. F1 cars don't have headlights, so enormous floodlights are needed to illuminate the track.
'As it is today, we couldn't run a night race even if we wanted one without a significant amount of work to put lighting in place,' he said.
'(But) I think it would be an amazing spectacle.
'I've been to the Singapore Grand Prix a couple of times which is a night race and the drivers love it. And the spectacle is tremendous, so I think it would be good.'
There is currently six Formula 1 races held at night - Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar, Las Vegas, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi - and they deliver a unique aesthetic that's
