Formula 1 Bernie Ecclestone returns Bahrain race fee after cancellation
The Formula one commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, has returned a multi-million-dollar check to the Bahrain ruling family in the desperate times they are facing. The Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled when activist threatened to target the race to
strengthen their cause. The Prince of Bahrain refused to organize the race, due to the current critical nature of the political and civil unrest in the country.
It is revealed that the amount returned might be something over 60-million-dollars, but Ecclestone refused that rumor. ”Nobody gains from this,” Ecclestone said. “I want to be loyal to the King [of Bahrain]; because he is doing everything he can to put things
right with his people.”
Bernie told the media that this was a gesture of good will towards Bahrain’s prince in times of desperation. “Right from the start, we talked about the problems there, and he was straight with me. But the King was concerned about Formula One and our safety,
which is why he took the decision to call off the race,” he added.
It’s not over for Bahrain, as Ecclestone said in his last interview, as the race is just postponed and not cancelled and that it will be adjusted somewhere between the last two races. If this happens, the last race in Brazil will be pushed to December, which
will be the second time in the history that the season will go deep in a year.
The Vice-President of world motorsports council, Mohammed ben Sulayem has come up with a possible solution. He said, “Originally, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain agreed to have a big separation on the calendar to make the most of the exposure that a grand prix brings.”
Abu Dhabi can still swipe slots with Bahrain, in this way Bahrain will not be squeezed in the last part of the year. This is a possibility, but no official words have confirmed this. It will be interesting to see how Bahrain and the FIA respond to this view.
The fans will miss the Bahrain race, but the recent cancellation will add more drama to the upcoming 2011 Formula 1 season.
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