Australian Grand Prix organiser Ron Walker is set to open dialogue with Bernie Ecclestone over the future of the event once their current deal expires in 2015.
Victoria tourism minister Louise Asher has given Walker the go ahead to begin “preliminary discussions” before a new deal is either agreed or rejected, with Asher insisting it must be “good value for money”.
“I have asked the chairman of the Grand Prix Corporation, Mr Walker, to commence preliminary discussions with Mr Ecclestone over our future contract,” she told Sportal.com.au.
“There’s no rush on this, obviously, because there’s still two events to go and the government will not be signing up anything if it does not represent good value for money for taxpayers.
“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do by either the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Corporation, or anybody for me to start putting limits in a public sense on what the government would be prepared to subsidise.
“But generally the driver of all government activity on this will be we will only sign a new contract if it represents good value for money.”
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