The refusal to negotiate on the issue of a night race had been a sticking point for F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone earlier this year. In an interview in March, Ecclestone said a failure to yield on the issue would effectively seal the fate of the event.
 
"The only way the race could stay in Melbourne, or anywhere else in Australia, is if it’s staged during the night so that the public in Europe can watch it at a reasonable time. At the moment it’s 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," said Ecclestone.

However, Ecclestone and the Victorian government have reached an agreement to extend Melbourne's role as host of the Australian GP through 2015, Victorian premier John Brumby confirmed at a news conference. The essence of the bargain is that the event will continue with the cars leaving the lights at 5pm - late enough for observers in Europe to catch the action in their morning, but not a true night race. 

Ecclestone said he was "satisfied that the decision to move to a later start time is a win for television audiences in Europe and Asia, a win for Melbourne and a win for formula one as a whole."

Global expansion means less security for some events
Another primary consideration for the future of the GP is the series’ increasing focus on Middle Eastern and Asian venues. Not only are those venues much more receptive to the idea of night races - Singapore will hold the first ever night race this September - but more and more fans are emerging in those regions, while North American, European and Australian interest has flagged over the past several seasons.

The absence of the U.S. GP from the calendar this year and the removal of some classic European events are perceived as symptoms, rather than causes, of the shift. 

Out with the old, in with the new
Making room for more venues means getting rid of some old ones, and as long-time host cities like Melbourne tire of the task cities in the Middle East, Asia and Russia are fighting for the honour. Competition drives up interest among fans and makes running the races more profitable. Aging facilities are no longer fit for the breakneck pace and stringent safety standards of F1, but new tracks are being built specifically for the task in places like India, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia.

Despite the strong aspect of tradition and personal relationships in F1 and in Bernie Ecclestone’s dealings, the future of the sport must be built on a solid foundation of fans, sponsors and money. The Middle East alone has invested over $11 billion on motorsports in the past five years, the bulk of that on infrastructure projects like cutting-edge tracks with high-tech garages and ample spectator space.

Abu-Dhabi based Mubadala Development owns a 5% stake in Ferrari, and the world’s first motorsports theme park is currently under construction there. Dubai’s Motorcity, a motorsports-focused housing and business development with an F1 theme park is also already underway and will feature 3,600 apartments, 800 luxury villas and three hotels in its $2.5 billion plan.

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