Bahrain Grand Prix debate is back on the cards as protests continue – Formula 1 news
The debate over the resumption of Bahrain Grand Prix for 2012 is back on the agenda while pro-democracy protests continue in the troubled country.
The government elites of Bahrain have termed it safe to visit and hold the event, but teams and drivers have remained reluctant to visit. The race in the country is scheduled for April 22, 2012, but whether it will take place or not is still ambiguous.
The Bahrain GP for the current 2011 season was initially postponed and later cancelled due to the ongoing civil unrest in the country. The FIA sent a team to Bahrain at the backdrop of all the protests to make sure whether it is safe to hold the events,
and the report gave a positive response. This made FIA reschedule the race for a later date. Although later when more issues started to creep up and the situation seemed more hostile, the Bahrain GP had to be cut.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has remained the biggest supporter amongst the F1 circles to support the venue for a race amid the pro-democracy uprising that has caused the panic in drivers to not want to have an event scheduled in the country.
Mark Webber has been public about his views, where he has expressed concerns and said that it will be unsafe to visit Bahrain. Although he was criticised by the chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit Zayed Alzayani for making such a statement when
Australia is facing issue with their Aborigines as well and that the Aussie driver did not have an issue going there to race.
Bahrain organisers have given assurances that it is very safe to host a race and that it is unfair to hold the single issue of pro-democracy riots to cancel the race altogether.
“We are looking forward to having a very successful race in 2012,” circuit CEO Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa told Gulf Daily News. “It was very disappointing not to have it but I'm always optimistic that for every delay we can do a better job next year
and hopefully you will all enjoy it and come back and say it was better than any year.”
Whether there will be a race in Bahrain next year or not remains to be seen. With the Austin GP also in jeopardy for the new season, the FIA might face new troubles if these two events are removed from the 2012 season.
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