Meanwhile, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed a proposal by Australian GP organizers for the race to start later next year in the hope of keeping it on the calendar beyond 2010.

"It needs to be a night race," he told The Age yesterday.

"It doesn't help a lot," he added of the proposal to move the start to 5pm (local time) next year. "That's not really what we are looking for.

"It would be nice if the race was on at midday or 2pm for European audiences but I guess that would mean it starting in the middle of the night in Australia."

Organizers have already pushed back the start of Sunday's race from 2pm to 3:30pm.

Singapore will make its debut this season as F1's first night race but Victoria authorities have ruled out going down that route when the current contract expires in 2010.

"I've made it absolutely clear that there will be no night grand prix race in Melbourne. We don't support it now, we don't support it post-2010. I can't be more unequivocal than that," tourism and major events minister Tim Holding told the newspaper.

The letters page gave an indication of local feeling at a time of increasing concern about climate change and global warming. "Please, (Victoria Premier) John Brumby, let him (Ecclestone) take the race. In fact, assist him to go," wrote one reader.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily March 13, 2008)