Formula 1: Green light for Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will go ahead, despite criticism from a coroner over the death of a marshal at last year's race.

Graham Beveridge was killed by a stray wheel after Jacques Villeneuve's BAR slammed into the back of Ralf Schumacher's Williams, sending debris flying into the air and through a safety fence.

Victoria State coroner Graeme Johnstone concluded that the tragedy was "avoidable".

Johnstone added that the risk of debris travelling through gaps in safety fencing had been known "years prior to the running of the 2001 event at Albert Park".

But despite the criticism, world governing body the FIA has confirmed the race will go ahead as scheduled on March 3.

The FIA said: "The FIA sets minimum standards, below which it will not authorise an international motor race. It anticipates that the Australian Grand Prix Corporation will continue to endeavour to exceed these standards.

"It must not be forgotten that by far the most dangerous element of a visit to a grand prix remains the drive to and from the circuit.

"It is to be hoped that the Melbourne coroner and local traffic police can now concentrate once again on road casualties, which remain a very serious and ongoing problem within their jurisdiction as in the rest of the world."

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation, which organises the race, said "a great deal of thought and effort has been expended on coming up with solutions to avoid such an occurrence again".