Bernie Ecclestone quashes reports of Turkey as an alternative to Bahrain GP – Formula 1 news
Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has rubbished rumours of a potential Turkish Grand Prix returning to the F1 season of 2012 if Bahrain’s civil and political unrest keep the event away for next year as well.
During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ecclestone though quashed those rumours and said that he believes there is not problem with next year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, and that it is very much on the 2012 calendar.
Although Ecclestone was firm on the Bahrain issue, but rumours have still been creeping in that the Bahrain situation is not going to go away soon and eventually Turkey will have to step in to avoid a reduced number of races for the 2012 season.
On the other hand, Ecclestone quashed the idea of Turkey to be an alternative to Bahrain as he said that Formula 1 does not have a deal with Turkey and it is not being considered as a feasible alternative to Bahrain.
During the current season, the Bahrain Grand Prix was initially postponed and later cancelled due to the continued unrest in the country. The date for the 2012 race has already been pushed down from the season opener on March 18 to mid April, which will
give the promoters sufficient time.
However, the race could still very much be in danger of being scrapped as the event is still dependent on the situation of the country and how safe it will be if there are signs of violence and unrest.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, “It's always concerning with the media reports that you hear. But we trust in the promoter and FIA to deal with it accordingly.”
One solution to the problem could be using the new circuits being developed like Russia and New Jersey. However, Ecclestone admitted, “we don't know which circuits will get the boot to fit in Russia and New Jersey, but there are a number of solutions.”
With the Korean Grand Prix also in doubt for the 2012 season due to some financial woes the Yeongam circuit organisers are facing, it remains to be seen how the 2012 calendar shapes up in the weeks to come.
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