MELBOURNE, March 12, 2008 (AFP) - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is unimpressed with Australian Grand Prix organisers´ attempts at a compromise over his insistence on a future night Melbourne race, a report said Wednesday.

Ecclestone has threatened to strip Australia of the race when Melbourne´s contract expires in 2010 -- unless organisers agree to stage the Grand Prix at night so European television audiences can see it live at a reasonable hour.

Australian organisers have flagged a twilight start to the race next year in a bid to satisfy Ecclestone and prevent the event heading offshore. But the organisers´ attempts have reportedly not gone down well with Ecclestone.

"It doesn´t help a lot," he told Wednesday´s Sydney Morning Herald from London.

"That´s not really what we´re looking for. It would be nice if the race was on at midday or 2pm for European audiences, but I guess that would mean it starting in the middle of the night in Australia.

"Obviously, the later it is in Europe the better as far as I am concerned. I suppose it is easier getting up at 6am than 3am, so perhaps that´s something, but not what we are really looking for."

Organisers and Ecclestone are heading for a showdown over the future of the race, which has been run in Melbourne since its switch from Adelaide in 1996.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker this week said moves for a twilight grand prix would go "a long way to appeasing Mr Ecclestone´s aim to increase the television audience".

"It is impossible for us to stage a night race without altering the legislation," Walker said.

Walker also said the sprawling Albert Park venue made it impossible to stage the Australian GP under lights.

"We´ve got 300 hectares (740 acres) of land here," he said.

"It´s just not lighting of the track here, it´s lighting the whole park to protect our patrons."

But Ecclestone appears unmoved by the legal and logistical hurdles faced by Australian organisers.

With reports suggesting that Russia and several Asian nations are keen to host the event, the F1 supremo has many options -- all in more appealing time zones and markets -- should his demands not be met.

"It needs to be a night race," Ecclestone said.

The Melbourne race is financially hemorrhaging with Victoria losing almost 35 million dollars (33 million US) of taxpayers´ money in 2007. It is budgeting for a blowout of more than 40 million dollars this year.

"To be honest, I´m more concerned that the (Victorian) Premier has said he does not want the race any longer because it is costing them a lot of money," Ecclestone said. "That is not a good sign.

"I don´t want to have discussions through the newspapers about it, so I will wait until I can speak to Ron (Walker) face-to-face about this.

"That said, we´ve had an arrangement for an awfully long time in Australia, going back to Adelaide. It´s a very, very good event. I´m sure it will be a good race on Sunday and there will be a lot of interest."