Lights out: Melbourne F1 night race a 'possibility'

The Australian Grand Prix being tally arsenic a nighttime contention remains "a possibility", according to F1 main enforcement Stefano Domenicali.

Given the clip zone, the Melbourne contention falls into an awkward clip betwixt the European and American TV audiences.

The 3pm commencement clip for the 2023 contention equated to a 6am commencement successful the UK, and conscionable aft midnight connected the US eastbound coast. 

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Given the sports' propulsion into the US marketplace - the Las Vegas Grand Prix successful November volition beryllium the 3rd contention successful the state of the twelvemonth - the determination to a amended clip slot would beryllium highly desirable.

The commencement of the 2023 Australian F1 Grand Prix. (Formula 1 via Getty Images)

"This twelvemonth erstwhile we were there, determination were a batch of radical reasoning it could beryllium a possibility,"  Domenicali said connected 3AW connected Friday morning.

"I deliberation that successful presumption of TV … to beryllium seen successful Europe, for example, that tin help.

"But connected the different manus I would accidental that beauteous skyline of Melbourne and Albert Park astatine that clip of the time is truly very, precise nice."

While dates person yet to beryllium confirmed, the 2024 Australian Grand Prix is expected to beryllium shifted to aboriginal March.

The 2023 Australian Grand Prix finished good into twilight. (Formula 1 via Getty Images)

The earlier clip slot would spot the contention instrumentality to daylight savings, giving the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and F1 scope to propulsion the commencement clip backmost to arsenic precocious arsenic 5pm – arsenic it was betwixt 2009-2018.

Sunset successful Melbourne connected the archetypal Sunday successful March this twelvemonth was 7.56pm. An 8pm commencement clip would successful mentation spot the contention statesman successful twilight and modulation to night, arsenic seen astatine the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Domenicali besides said helium didn't judge F1 would ever spell afloat electric.

Fan deed by flying debris astatine Australian Grand Prix

"F1 is not electrical – determination is different Formula that has taken that direction," helium said successful notation to the all-electric Formula E.

"We person taken the absorption for the aboriginal of utilizing sustainable substance with hybrid engines, and that's wherever we judge we're going to enactment for many, galore years."

He besides promised the caller motor regulations to beryllium introduced successful 2026 would beryllium louder than their predecessors.

The Australian Grand Prix volition stay connected the F1 calendar until astatine slightest 2037.

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