The 2011 Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit will remain an early evening race, with the start of the second round of the Formula One season set to take place at 5pm local time, the FIA confirmed on Friday.
There were calls for the race to be moved forwards for this season, after complaints from the drivers that the 2010 event regarding poor visibility in the later stages of the race.
The FIA's own checks on the light levels at the 2010 event showed that they had dropped below their usual safety limits.
But the FIA's official publication of the 2011 start times showed Melbourne's race as still set for 17.00 local time. This translates as 06.00 GMT on Sunday morning, which is apparently sociable.
It had been suggested that the Albert Park race would become a night race in future, but the cost of upgrading the facilities to allow for floodlights and other necessities meant that the evening spot was established as a compromise.
Bernie Ecclestone was keen to move the start time in order for the race to take place at a more 'sociable' time for European audiences.
Australian GP boss Ron Walker reacted angrily earlier in 2010 when drivers suggested that the race needed an earlier start time.
"[The start] is clearly not dangerous," he bellowed at journalists, "You can't please these drivers, they are a bunch of lazy people who won't do anything to help the sport."
The official publication of the start times featured the times for every race bar the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.
The Singapore GP will remain F1's only night race for 2011, with the Malaysian Grand prix staying at a start time of 16.00, an hour earlier than the disastrous 5pm start in 2009 when the race was abandoned following torrential rain.
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