The Australian Grand Prix must become a night race or lose its place on the calendar, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview published on Sunday. But a week before the season opener in Melbourne next Sunday, the 77-year-old added that the race appeared doomed.

“The only way the race could stay in Melbourne, or anywhere else in Australia, is if it is staged during the night so that the public in Europe can watch it,” Ecclestone told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

“At the moment, it is ridiculous that people are asked not to sleep in order to see it live. That can’t carry on. The alternative is to pull the race completely from Australia.

“I’ve spoken to (Australian Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd and he’s told me it would cost too much to re-stage the race, so I guess that’s it. We won’t be going to Australia for too much longer.”

Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit hosts the season opener next Sunday (4:30 a.m. British time) with the race starting later than in the past in a bid to satisfy television broadcasters in the sport’s European heartland.

Singapore, which makes its debut with a street race in September, will be Formula One’s first night Grand Prix and Malaysia is also considering holding its race under floodlights in future.

Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, when it moved from Adelaide, and has a contract to 2010. The race has become the established opening event but has suffered financial losses.

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