Zoom A breakaway would of course not be 'Formula One'

Queensland's state government has not ruled out making a bid to host a round of the breakaway championship on the Gold Coast.

Responding to the leaked FOTA calendar that showed Adelaide or Surfer's Paradise as representing Australia, sports minister Phil Reeves admitted it is a possibility.

Surfer's Paradise has for years hosted IndyCars, and from 2009 the A1GP series will race on the coastal street circuit.

"We are always interested in bringing world-class events to Queensland and certainly would not rule out the possibility of hosting a Formula One race on the Gold Coast," Reeves said.

Reeves' Victorian government counterpart Tim Holding, however, rubbished claims that the prestige of Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix risks being usurped.

"It's been made very clear on a number of occasions that if Formula One racing is to take place in Australia, it will take place in Melbourne," he said.

"This is just part of the pushing and shoving that Formula One is well known for," he added, a sentiment backed up by the Melbourne promoter Drew Ward.

Ward said: "We have every faith Formula One Management will reach a satisfactory resolution and the Australian GP will happen next year in March," he said.

It is not known, meanwhile, if Malaysia would or could bid for a breakaway round, with Sepang boss Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir commenting that the split would turn premier racing into ‘a beauty contest’.

Source: GMM
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