Re-scheduling Bahrain GP will raise Brazilian GP and football conflict - Formula 1 Update
Brazil officials have it made clear that they have not yet been contacted about the re-scheduling of its Interlagos Grand Prix in the first week of December. They say that shifting Brazil Grand Prix in December will conflict with their much waited football
season, 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled after the Bahraini Prince Salman withdrew from hosting the race due to political unrest in the country. Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has stated that the Bahrain GP will be re-scheduled if the political situation
is solved. There are two options for the Bahrain GP which include shifting it to the summer break in August or in the last week of November.
An Abu Dhabi official has said that they would love to swap positions with Bahrain, but no heed was put on this suggestion. On Thursday, Ecclestone ruled out the August option by saying, “It's too hot for the public to sit in the grandstand at 40 odd degrees.”
This leaves Ecclestone with only one option to fit the Bahrain GP in between the Abu Dhabi and the Brazilian Grand Prix. “We will have a look and see what we can do, how we can swap things around a bit. Maybe we can change it with Brazil, or something like
that,” added Ecclestone.
If this is done, the Brazilian GP will be thrown back to the first week of December, thereby making it second longest Formula 1 season. In December, Brazil’s National League football season with be at its climax and the people will do anything not to miss
it. This creates technical and logistical problems, which eclipses the Grand Prix support and viewership.
The official’s of the Brazilian Interlagos circuit are claiming that the 25th-27th November will be the race dates. The decision on the Bahrain GP will be taken on next Tuesday, as the World Motor Sport Council sits in Paris. For now,
the Bahrain GP decision hangs in balance and the 2011 Formula 1 season opener is the Australian Grand Prix on the 27th of March, after the last pre-season test is conducted in Barcelona on the 8th to 12th of March.
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