No championship race for F1-event

The V8SC support race of the Australian F1 GP will not count towards the championship in the foreseeable future. A changed time schedule for the race next year has opened for speculations about more room for V8SC, but this is not the case according to category CEO Wayne Cattach.
“The V8 Supercar Championship Series requires the facilities to run full practice, qualifying and race start procedure in order to conduct a full-points Championship round at any venue,” said Cattach.

“This includes the ability to incorporate pit stops into the race format with the adequate team facilities on pit lane to conduct compulsory stops and the necessary garaging to enable them to make running repairs on damaged race cars.

“It also requires a minimum race distance,” added Cattach. “Typically the shortest race distance we host at a sprint event is three races of 120km with a compulsory pit stop. Clearly this is not achievable at the Grand Prix due to the time restrictions of a Formula One event.

“There is also only one other event [Indy] where we have agreed to a joint billing and we do not have any intention in the foreseeable future to duplicate that unique arrangement elsewhere,” said the category chief.

2008 saw the return of the V8 Supercars to the AGP after a one year absence, and was broadcast on the category’s previously contracted broadcaster Network Ten. But Cattach also revealed that Seven’s current contract and exclusive rights to broadcasting the Championship was also a factor behind why the category does not contest Championship points at the AGP.

“The Seven Network owns the exclusive rights to all V8 Supercar Championship Series events. While the Australian Grand Prix is televised by a rival network we will not contest a full round of the Championship,” clarified Cattach.

“In the meantime we are quite relaxed about playing a support role at the AGP and offer a unique format that may vary from year to year,” he concluded.