Formula One news

Bahrain to open 2008 Formula 1 season

The Australian Grand Prix will not open the Formula One season in 2008. The honour goes to Bahrain next year the organisers of the Australian Grand Prix announced. The Australian Grand Prix will be held on the 16th of March 2008.

The organisers of the Australian Grand Prix decided to pick a date halfway into March so it can organise the Formula 1 weekend with the popular Australian series of V8 Supercars.

The AGPC (organisers of the race) also announced that it would move the Formula One race to later on the Sunday afternoon but ruled out the idea of staging the race at night under existing circumstances. "The current Formula One season is one of the best ever," Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman, Ron Walker said. "On Sunday Australia's Mark Webber won his first podium of the season with third place in the European Grand Prix. So we can look forward with great excitement to the 2008 race in Melbourne. I'm also delighted that the V8 Supercars are back," Mr Walker said.

"This is a great win for everyone and especially motorsport fans. The combination of the world's most popular race cars in Formula One and the V8s - Australia's number one national category - is unique to Albert Park."

Mr Walker said that the date chosen by the AGPC - which was subject to confirmation by the FIA - allowed V8 Supercars Australia to rejoin the schedule and avoided clashes with any other major events in Melbourne.

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