Australian Grand Prix organizers have proposed changing the starting time of their race next year in the hope of saving it from being scrapped. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has threatened to ditch the Australian round from the calendar unless organizers agree to stage the race at night to fit in with European television audiences. Australian organizers have ruled out holding the race at night because of logistical and financial reasons but have offered a compromise. Organizers have already pushed back the start of Sunday's season-opening race from 2 P.M. local time (0300 GMT) to 3:30 P.M. (0430 GMT) and are willing to delay it even further in 2009. Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker told a news conference that if international television audience figures from this weekend's race showed an improvement, next year's race could be run as a twilight event starting from 5 P.M. (0600 GMT). “Let's clear the air and say that compromise is the art of good business, and we have made a huge compromise,” Walker said. __
