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James
and Erica Packer make rare appearance together
at Grand Prix - 30th March 2009
(Credit:
Herald Sun)
James
Packer and his glamorous wife Erica made their
first public appearance together for six months
at the Grand Prix yesterday among a bevy of celebrities.
In
their first few steps to resuming a normal, out-in-the-open
life, the couple - sans seven-month-old baby Indigo
- chatted briefly to Aussie F1 ace Mark Webber
before heading upstairs to the exclusive VIP Paddock
Club Suites from where they viewed the race, with
Sir Richard Branson, Dannii Minogue and Grant
Hackett also among the audience.
Erica,
in a green leather jacket and black pants, wore
a strangely similar black fedora to the one she
donned when last photographed with her husband
- at a Victor Chang charity event last September.
Packer
has maintained a low public profile since the
global financial meltdown slashed his personal
fortune in half to a reported $1.54 billion.
Meanwhile,
his missus was in court last month giving evidence
against accused stalker Teresa Jagla, saying she
was too scared to leave the house with her baby.
The
Packers snuck in to Melbourne in January during
the Australian Open but were more than happy to
be seen yesterday.
Meanwhile
spin king Shane Warne found himself an ideal viewing
point from the Vodafone Pit lane suite, while
Oscar-winning director George Miller, acting Prime
Minister Julia Gilliard, actor Eric Bana and wife
Rebecca, and Grant Denyer also turned out to watch
the race.
News
2008
FIA FORMULA 1™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY
LIST
Scuderia
Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari
1 Kimi RAIKKONEN (FIN)
2 Felipe MASSA (BRA)
BMW
Sauber F1 Team BMW Sauber
3 Nick HEIDFELD (GER)
4 Robert KUBICA (POL)
ING
Renault F1 Team Renault
5 Fernando ALONSO (ESP)
6 Nelson PIQUET (BRA)
AT&T
Williams Williams Toyota
7 Nico ROSBERG (GER)
8 Kazuki NAKAJIMA (JPN)
Red
Bull Racing Red Bull Renault
9 David COULTHARD (GBR)
10 Mark WEBBER (AUS)
Panasonic
Toyota Racing Toyota
11 Jarno TRULLI (ITA)
12 Timo GLOCK (GER)
Scuderia
Toro Rosso STR Ferrari
14 Sébastien BOURDAIS (FRA)
15 Sebastian VETTEL (GER)
Honda
Racing F1 Team Honda
16 Jenson BUTTON (GBR)
17 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BRA)
Super
Aguri F1 Team
18 Takuma SATO (JPN)
19 Anthony DAVIDSON (GBR)
Force
India Formula One Team
20 Adrian SUTIL (GER) Force India Formula One
Team Force India
21 Giancarlo FISICHELLA (ITA)
Vodafone
McLaren Mercedes McLaren Mercedes
22 Lewis HAMILTON (GBR)
23 Heikki KOVALAINEN (FIN)
Articles
GP
to stay in Melbourne, by Mark Russell - 3rd February
2008
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
AUSTRALIAN
Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker dismisses claims
the event was doomed in Melbourne.
Mr
Walker, the chairman of Fairfax Media, publisher
of The Herald, said the event was just as important
to Melbourne as the Australian Open or the Melbourne
Cup.
He
denied claims that formula one chief Bernie Ecclestone
wanted to quit Melbourne and shift the race to
India, Russia or Korea. Mr Ecclestone reportedly
said he wanted to chase better money, sponsorship
and television audiences, and did not think the
Victorian Government was doing enough to support
the event.
When
told about Mr Ecclestone's comments, Mr Walker
said: "Does he? I think this is Bernie being
Bernie, quite frankly."
The
Grand Prix Corporation annual report, tabled in
State Parliament in November last year, showed
losses were getting heavier.
Government
money to prop up the event rose from $10.6 million
in 2003, to $34.6 million last financial year.
Australia
likely to lose F1 Grand Prix: report - 3rd February
2008
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
Australia
looks likely to lose its Formula One Grand Prix.
The
prestigious motor race has been held in Australia
for 25 years, but current host Melbourne faces
losing the event to India, Russia or Korea.
F1
boss Bernie Ecclestone says Melbourne's contract
for the race, due to be held at the Albert Park
circuit in March, has little chance of being renewed
beyond 2010, reports say.
"Maybe
we don't want to be in Australia," he said.
"Our
costs are very high in Australia and we get a
lot less money. It's bloody bad for us.
"We've
got quite a few places on the list which would
like to have Formula One and as it seems your
guy (Victorian Premier John Brumby) down there
doesn't want Formula One, we can make him happy
and make the other people happy."
Mr
Brumby has previously raised doubts about the
race, which has been steadily losing money - more
than $120 million since the city lured the event
from Adelaide in 1996.
Mr
Ecclestone, who has not yet discussed the future
of the race with Australian Grand Prix chairman
Ron Walker, said manufacturers and sponsors supported
a move.
He
said there would be strict conditions if Melbourne
did succeed in retaining the race, the News Ltd
report said.
"In
Melbourne, if we were to continue to be there,
we would have to have a night race," he said.
He
also ruled out any other Australian state hosting
the race.
News
Miss
World Australia Sabrina Houssami,
was today announced as Ambassador for the 2007 FORMULA
1™ ING Australian Grand Prix. Sabrina will use
her profile as the reigning Miss World Australia to
provide an added touch of glamour, beauty and sophistication
to the country's premier sporting event. more
News
Miss
World Australia to be face of Grand Prix
Thursday, 1 February 2007
Miss World Australia Sabrina Houssami, was today announced
as Ambassador for the 2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian
Grand Prix.
Sabrina
will use her profile as the reigning Miss World Australia
to provide an added touch of glamour, beauty and sophistication
to the country's premier sporting event.
Her
duties will ensure the stunning Sabrina is a regular
fixture trackside at Albert Park from 15 – 18
March.
Visitors
to this year's Grand Prix can expect to see Sabrina
in the paddock, down on pit lane and over at Traction
– the exclusive dance party at the GP featuring
Sneaky Sound System.
"As
a big fan of motor sport and particularly Formulas
One, I'm thrilled to have been chosen as this year's
Grand Prix Ambassador," said Sabrina.
"With
Melbourne resuming its place as the first race of
the year, all eyes will be on Albert Park to see just
who is going to step up and fill the void left by
Michael Schumacher's departure from racing."
Australian
fans will be the first to see some significant
changes with several of the big names having switched
teams. Alonso driving for McLaren, Raikkonen in
the Ferrari red and our very own Mark Webber taking
to the wheel at Red Bull Racing will set the stage
for the most exciting season-opener in recent
times.
A
whole new generation of drivers on the brink of greatness
will form the perfect support cast, with the world's
first Polish F1 driver, Robert Kubica, securing a
drive at BMW Sauber and the young Finn, Heikki Kovalainen,
joining Renault.
Besides
a stellar line-up of elite motor racing, a host of
other offerings will keep patrons entertained throughout
the day.
Traction
– the hot new party zone which made its debut
last year – is set to return. Traction broke
new ground in 2006 by offering event goers a completely
new way to experience the Grand Prix. The massive
'party under the palms' is aimed at 25 – 35 year
olds and features a selection of the country's coolest
bands, together with the crop of Australia's most
revered DJs.
Headlining
the entertainment line-up at Traction is Sneaky Sound
System, currently enjoying huge chart success with
the delectable Pictures and the infectious I Love
It, both receiving massive radio airplay.
"I'll
definitely be checking out Traction," said Sabrina.
"The idea of throwing an outdoor dance party
with Formula One racing as the backdrop sounds awesome."
A
ticket to Traction is inclusive of entrance, entertainment
as well as a food and beverage package.
Since
being awarded second runner-up in the 2006 Miss World
competition in Warsaw, Poland in September, Sabrina
has been busy fulfilling her 'Beauty with a Purpose'
obligations.
This
important aspect of the Miss World pageant has raised
a staggering $400 million since it was created 25
years ago.
Sabrina
has just returned from East Timor where she spent
a week with Father Chris Riley's 'Youth off the Streets'
working in an orphanage run by local nuns.
A
resident of Sydney, Sabrina has put her university
education on hold while riding the crest of her Miss
World and Grand Prix roles.
Her
interests include rock climbing abseiling, bungee
jumping and looking after her beautiful German Shepherd
dog named Devious.
Her
proudest moment was when she was accepted as a member
of the prestigious Mensa, reserved for those with
IQ scores in the top two per cent of the population.
2007
FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix takes place
at Albert Park from 15 – 18 March
Profile
- Australian Grand Prix (Credit: Wikipedia)
The
Australian Grand Prix is a Formula One race held that
is part of the annual Formula One championship season.
It is currently held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
in Albert Park, and prior to that, was held at the
Adelaide Street Circuit in Adelaide. The event was
held annually since 1928 before it became part of
the Formula One championship in 1985.
During
it's Adelaide days, the Australian Grand Prix was
the final round of the Championship, replacing the
Portuguese Grand Prix in that respect. As the final
round of the season, the Grand Prix hosted a handful
of memorable Grand Prix, most notably the 1986 and
1994 event which saw those respective titles decided.
The Grand Prix then moved to Melbourne from the 1996
event and, excluding the 2006 race, has hosted the
first round of the championship.
In
terms of Grand Prix victories, Michael Schumacher
and McLaren are the most successful driver and team
respectively.
History
Origins
Australian
Grands Prix, which were not part of the World Championship
but did feature F1-style open-wheeler racing vehicles,
were held at various circuits around Australia for
many years. A notable venue in the 1950s was a road
circuit at Albert Park in Melbourne, for many years.
They sometimes attracted the world's top drivers of
the era, who competed against (and were challenged
by) local entrants. The last such race was held in
1984.
Beginnings
Australia became part of the F1 world championship
in 1985 with the last race of the season held on the
street circuit in Adelaide. The circuit, whilst not
as ridiculously tight as Monaco , was notoriously
tough on drivers and gearboxes. The Adelaide Street
Circuit, which held its last race in 1995, has often
been stated as being one of, if not, the greatest
street circuits in the world. Whenever the teams came
to Adelaide they enjoyed the party atmosphere.
In
1993 prominent Melbourne businessman Mr Ron Walker
AC CBE, current Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix
began working with the then Kennett government to
make Melbourne the host of the event. After the government
of Jeff Kennett spent an undisclosed (but speculated
to be quite large) amount, it was announced in late
1993 (days after a South Australian election) that
the race would be shifted to a rebuilt Albert Park
street circuit in Melbourne . The race moved to Melbourne
in 1996. The decision to hold the race there was controversial.
A series of protests were organised by the "Save
Albert Park" group, who claimed that the race
turned a public park into a private playground for
much of the year. Additionally, they claimed that
the race cost a great deal of money that would be
better spent, if it was to be spent on motor racing,
on a permanent circuit elsewhere. Finally, they said
that the claimed economic benefits of the race were
false or exaggerated. The race organisers and the
government claimed that the economic benefits to the
state outweighed the costs, and that the park's public
amenities have been improved considerably by the works
carried out for the race.
The
idea of a permanent racing circuit has never really
been addressed, but there is much speculation that
the real reason for a street circuit is to provide
a distinctive backdrop for television - a permanent
race circuit would be unidentifiable and, from the
perspective of the Formula One organisers, may as
well be held in Europe at much lesser cost and inconvenience
to them. In any case, a substantial number of people
do embrace (and attend) the race at the Melbourne
Grand Prix Circuit.
There
are rumours that Adelaide may host a Formula One race
again when Melbourne's contract comes up for review.
The Adelaide usually turned a profit, something which
Melbourne has yet to achieve.
After
many years as a support act, the Australian Supercar
championship put in a bid to have a higher priority
for the 2007 race, with the possibility of being
given pit garage space and thus making it a point
scoring round for the Supercars. This choice was
turned down by the FIA which lead to the V8 Supercars
chosing to end their role as support race, leaving
a gap in the support races for the Grand Prix.
Many V8 fans see it as causing a serious indent
on the turn out while the FIA and Grand Prix Teams
make no notice of it.
Notable Australian Grands Prix
1986
Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in a Williams- Honda
and Alain Prost, in a comparatively underpowered McLaren,
were competing for the drivers' title. Mansell needed
only third to guarantee the title, whilst Prost and
Piquet needed to win and for Mansell to finish lower
than third to take the title. Whilst comfortably in
the top three with a few laps to go, Mansell's Williams
suffered a spectacular mechanical failure, with a
rear tyre puncture at very high speed near the end
of the main straight creating a huge shower of sparks
as the floor of the vehicle dragged along the bitumen
surface. Mansell fought to control the violently veering
car and steered it to a safe stop. Prost took the
lead, as Mansell's teammate Piquet had pitted as a
pre-cautionary measure, and won the race and the championship.
Prost himself came incredibly close to failure, as
his vehicle coasted to a halt on his warm-down lap,
out of fuel.
1994
Following his win at the Japanese Grand Prix, Damon
Hill was now one point behind championship leader
Michael Schumacher. Nigel Mansell was on pole but
a poor start resulted in the two championship rivals
Hill and Schumacher battling for the lead. But on
lap 36, Schumacher went off the track, a result of
oversteer, and this allowed Hill to catch up with
Schumacher and the Brit took the inside line for the
next corner. But the German turned on Hill's Williams,
whether it was on purpose or accidently is unknown,
which sent the Benetton on two wheels and into the
tyre barrier, Schumacher retiring on the spot. Hill
came out of the incident with a broken wishbone on
his front-left suspension and the Brit pitted and
retired from the race, handing the title to Schumacher.
The sister Williams of Nigel Mansell went onto win
the race, becoming the oldest Grand Prix winner in
the sport's history.
2001
The 2001 race saw Michael Schumacher take pole position
and win the race and three drivers, Fernando Alonso;
Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya, all
made their Formula One debuts during this race. The
race, however, was struck by tragedy in when a flying
tyre from a crash between Williams' Ralf Schumacher
and BAR's Jacques Villeneuve flew through a gap in
the barrier fence and killed a volunteer track marshal,
Graham Beveridge, he was 52 years old.
2002
The 2002 event saw the best performance by an Australian
driver when Mark Webber, in the perennially uncompetitive
Minardi, took advantage of the misfortune of other
competitors to finish an unlikely fifth, holding off
a fast-closing Mika Salo in a much faster Toyota.
He and the Australian-born team owner Paul Stoddart
became instant national celebrities well beyond the
motor racing world, the minor placing receiving far
more attention in Australia than Michael Schumacher's
win.
2006
Traditionally, Melbourne hosted the opening round
of the championship. In 2006, Melbourne hosted the
3rd round because it was hosting the Commonwealth
Games when it would normally host the Grand Prix.
Spain's Fernando Alonso won the event from third on
the grid. (Credit:
Wikipedia)
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