Tuesday 11 March at 16:36 : Patrick Head, the veteran co-owner of the Williams team, has indicated that he would not be willing to compromise with F1 officials over the night racing debate.

Amid Bernie Ecclestone's threat to scrap the Melbourne race, Australian grand prix chiefs this week proposed to delay the start time from 2009 for the benefit of television viewers in Europe.

But to the BBC, Head indicated that he would not be willing to similarly back down, let alone give in completely to the push for expensive floodlit races.

F1's first ever night race will be held on the streets of Singapore later this year, and Malaysia is tipped to follow suit for 2009.

"If I was Singapore, I'd be saying, 'well, we're putting up all this money, why don't we have a grand prix at the time that suits us?'," Head said.

"I'd be rather 'nose out of joint' if I was told the only reason you're having the race on at that time is to suit Europe, or someone else," he added.