Aus GP once again rules out night racing

(GMM) Organizers of the Australian grand prix have once again ruled out switching to become a night race in future.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone on Friday said he had not given up hope that Melbourne will install floodlighting at Albert Park to even better serve the vast European TV audience.

This year, as a compromise, promoter Ron Walker agreed to delay the start of qualifying and the race to 5pm, in a concept dubbed by the media as 'twilight' racing.

"Maybe Ron will have a look at it and think 'my God' and it (a night race) may suit him from a marketing point," Ecclestone said.

But a spokesman for the Victorian state government said night racing is out of the question.

"I'm not sure how many different times and ways we can rule out a night GP," the spokesman is quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

Australia's current 'twilight' contract runs until 2015.