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Australian GP organisers aiming to bring race forward one week for 2018

The organisers of the Australian Grand Prix are looking to bring the race's date forward by one week for 2018 in order to avoid clashing with the start of the Aussie rules football season.

This year's race at Albert Park in Melbourne was scheduled for March 26, clashing directly with the opening weekend of the AFL season, as F1 chiefs looked to condense the calendar where possible.

Organisers in Melbourne are now trying to bring the race forward by one week in order to prevent the AFL clash, entering talks with new F1 owners Liberty Media.

"We're working with them and we're very confident we'll get an outcome, and if that works out to be March 18, then we'll be very happy," Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation told Fairfax Media.

"The first race of the season is going to be in Melbourne and we're working with FOM on the date. Our desire would be to have it on March 18 and if it can't be that, then it's March 25. It's one of those two dates."

Westacott also confirmed that the traditional support V8 Supercars support race for the grand prix would now be a points-paying round, having previously run was a non-championship event.

"People really like to see competition when there's something on the line," Westacott said. "To use an AFL analogy, it's the difference between the pre-season competition and the premiership.

"Now the Supercars races will count for the championship. Everything is going to be on the line."

Zdroj: crash.net