F1 teams’ principals likely to back out of 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix – Formula 1 news
The team principals of F1 hope that International Automobile Federation (FIA) will call off the Bahrain Grand Prix which is going to be held at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on April 22, 2012, said an anonymous team principal to the Guardian.
Despite the worsening conditions of public demonstrations and civil unrest, the F1 chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone and the race organisers have been quite certain about the occurrence of Bahrain GP.
Moreover, FIA recently declared that they have been completely monitoring and persistently evaluating the situation in Bahrain in order to ensure the safety of all the teams and the spectators during the race weekend.
However, after the incident of a person’s death due to the prevailing distress and violence, Damon Hill, former F1 driver insisted FIA to give a second thought to the race in Bahrain.
Furthermore, the nameless team boss stated that he cannot take part in the race until or unless all the necessary security measures have been taken.
“I feel very uncomfortable about going to Bahrain,” he said. “If I'm brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lock-down there. And I think that would be unacceptable, both for Formula One and
for Bahrain. But I don't see any other way they can do it.”
In addition, he said that they are worried because these demonstrations and act of violence happen every single day.
“We're all hoping the FIA calls it off,” he added. “From a purely legal point of view, in terms of insurance and government advice, we are clear to go. But what we find worrying is that there are issues happening every day.”
On the other hand, Ecclestone said that they will not force any team which is feeling uncomfortable, to be at Bahrain GP. He added that every team is free to follow its own decision.
Besides, it has been reported by the Telegraph that John Yates, a former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, acting as an advisor to handle the security issues at Bahrain, has said that 95% of the country is safe while he said that there are only
few places which are hit by the turmoil.
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