SYDNEY - Team Australia boss Alan Jones is determined to resurrect Australia as an A1GP host after Sydney's Eastern Creek was today dumped from the list of venues for the 2008-09 season.
Eastern Creek and Brno in the Czech Republic have been dropped from the calendar, which startsin Italy's Mugello on September 21.
Jones blamed the NSW Government for not fighting hard enough to retain the venue on the calendar after Sydney's Eastern Creek hosted a race in each of the first three A1GP seasons.
"The fact of the matter is that A1 has been increasing in its interest internationally over the last three years," Jones said.
"They are at a stage now where they are actually being paid a sanction fee which of course is what Melbourne paid Formula One and Queensland paid Champ Cars.
"There are other countries now that have put their hand up to host a round of A1. We've got more participating teams and we've actually got more nations that want to host races.
"If Sydney can't or won't come up with the required sanction fee, then unfortunately they are going to lose it to somebody who can.
"I can tell you one thing, it's considerably less than what Melbourne paid for Formula One and what Queensland paid for the Champ Car race."
Asked who he blamed, the 1980 Formula One champion said: "The NSW Government.
A1GP 2008/09
Mugello, Italy - September 21, 2008
Zandvoort, Netherlands - October 5, 2008
Jakarta, Indonesia - November 9. 2008
Sepang, Malaysia - November 25, 2008
TBA, China - December 14, 2008
Taupo, New Zealand, January 25, 2009
TBA, South Africa, February 22, 2009
Mexico City, Mexico, March 15. 2009
TBA - March 29, 2009
Algarve, Portugal - April 12, 2009
TBA, Great Britain - May 3, 2009
