The Australian Grand Prix against the Russian Grand Prix

Bernie Ecclestone seems determined to remove the Australian Grand Prix from the official F1 calendar to make room for the Russian Grand Prix in the near future.

This reaction follows the ultimatum issued by the F1 boss to the Australian Grand Prix organizers to turn the race into a night event beyond 2010.

The British billionaire will meet the governor of Saint Petersburg next weekend, and possibly also President Vladimir Putin for talks about the construction of a racetrack.

« Nothing is done yet, but this could be an interesting development for the sport, » said Ecclestone.

« We would like Russia to get back on schedule as soon as possible, but this depends on them. »

« It depends on the time needed to prepare the track to accommodate the single-seaters. »

These statements coincide with other remarks from Ecclestone about the disappearance of the Melbourne Grand Prix after 2010 if it did not evolve.

Sensing a difficult situation for the Australian circuit in the coming years, Dato Mokhzani Mahathir, owner of the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, has committed to becoming a night race within a short timeframe.

He stated that all the details have not been decided yet, but that we hope to have a night race next year.

Read the statements from the Sepang circuit owner by clicking here