Chaucer said that time heals all wounds. This is not the case for Adelaide's loss of the Grand Prix. Thirteen years on a silent protest continues on social networking site, Facebook. The group "Bring Back the Formula One To Adelaide" boasts more than two-thousand members, dwarfing rival group "Keep the Formula One in Melbourne," at twenty-four.
With most of Facebook's user base aged 15 to 25, many members are too young to remember the final race in 1995, but still they mourn its loss.
The Adelaide circuit was widely regarded as one of the best city tracks of its day. It features high-speeds straights punctuated by delicate turning sections against the lush backdrop of the Botanical gardens. The Grand Prix received international praise both for this fine track design and the excitement and enthusiasm that accompanied the event.
To Adelaide's youth it has become larger than life, a symbol of the South Australia's past success on the world stage.
With Melbourne's 2010 renewal deadline looming it is also a symbol of the future, described by group founder Hugh Waterman as "an opportunity for Adelaide to firmly place itself back on the international map."
With the continuing popularity of the more economical V8 event, treasurer Kevin Foley is unlikely to place a bid on the Grand Prix anytime soon.
For now, it is safe to say that being a little bit narky about F1's is as cemented in South Australian culture as Cooper's on tap or the misphrase "Heaps good."
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