Bahrain GP situation: postponed, reinstated, cancelled

[Giblet]

@n_smikle

Germany surrendered. They are not the same country or regime. Please don't invoke Godwin's law. When you start typing the word Nazi, stop.

None of the other countries you mentioned have an incumbent leader who recently had his own people shot, and is hosting the race that you say is has transcended the politics?

I really think that people that think this way should not get their toys after being such bad boys. In Bahrain, the politics are tied right into the race.

Speaking of Adolph (this actually relates), I don't think that the world would have gone to watch the Olympics in Germany if they were held in 1940 instead of 1936. I think the world would have been responsible and not bend to whim of rich oil barons who kill their own and then want to play with racing cars.

Besides, Bahrain puts up some pretty crappy races and hardly anyone attends. The reward vs risk are far more askew then usual for a race.

[Mr Alcatraz]

Today, Bernie Ecclestone told BBC TV that the
reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix...quote
'..has nothing to do with money...' unquote

Please can one of you comment on this!!!

Only because you said please
It's totally consistent with BE's unbounded concept that making F1 news, any news is a good thing. He demonstrates time and time again that he will pounce at every opportunity to practice his finely honed art of being a shameless Pimp. When it comes to promoting F1 there is nothing he will not do if he thinks the show needs some Ink.
I am not at all surprised by this comment.

[ringo]

Besides, Bahrain puts up some pretty crappy races and hardly anyone attends. The reward vs risk are far more askew then usual for a race.

They will use the old shorter cicuit which produces some ok races.

My only gripe is that I don't like that the season is too long as the teams don't get enough time on their new cars.

Other than that it's just a bunch of cars running round on a track in the middle of nowhere and should have anything to do with politics.

If the race was in libya or north Korea let it run. Anywhere in the world they put it, i'll watch it and enjoy it. It's a show that was payed for.
Watching Thor in Libyan theater should be no different than watching it in the UK.
F1 is entertainment just the same.

The world powers seem to have a "sanctions" mentality, where if you don't do what they like, they starve your people and force them to turn on you.
It's a nasty mentality that may seem like it's just, but it's really affecting the people more than the individual target.

Thousand's of bahrainis would like to have their home race. Don't let the BBC or CNN give you a false impression.

There is no moral reason to deprive them of their race.
It almost sounds like the UN bombing the hell out of libya for months just to kill one guy but say it's to "protect the citizens". Makes no sense at all. Though that's another topic.

[spinmastermic]

Thousand's of bahrainis would like to have their home race. Don't let the BBC or CNN give you a false impression.

There is no moral reason to deprive them of their race.
It almost sounds like the UN bombing the hell out of libya for months just to kill one guy but say it's to "protect the citizens". Makes no sense at all. Though that's another topic.

And thousands of bahraini's would like to be able to vote, along with other basic human rights.

Read up on the Lybia situation Ringo. That one man has thousands of rockets that he'd have no problem using on his own people to cling to power. You think the UN are in there for a laugh?

Bernie tried for years to have the British GP taken away because the pits were too old. Now he bends over backwards to get Bahrain back on the calender because of money. Money is the reason all these human rights abuses take place. Nobody will take on China cause they manufacture everything for pennys.

[kalinka]

There was a new race in 1986 - Hungary. In that time, it was a communist country with a leader in place ( Janos Kadar ) who had major role after the 1956 revolution in hunting down and executing people who takes part in revolution. People in Hungary in that time couldn't get even a passport without communist party permission.
There was no problem for teams to take part. The regime lasted until 1989.
Just to take note. In that time we saw Senna, Prost, Mansell, Piquet, Brundle...etc.
I was happy beacause it was my only chance to see these stars, because I live 250km from the Hungaroring in another country ( and I'm hungarian too ). So this Bahrein thing is not new to F1. The only difference now is that ordinary people has much more information in what's happening in one counrty, so we are much sensitive than before.

[andartop]

It really comes down to how far one is prepared to go with suddenly trying to be "political": once you start off somewhere, it's hard to decide where to stop. Think about it. Even if F1 never sets foot again in Bahrain till the end of time, the fuel powering these cars may as well be coming from Bahrain, and likeminded regimes. Isn't that hypocritical?

As far as I'm concerned the teams could easily protest the decision as racing in December is not what they signed for. But they won't. They're in it for the money as well..

[myurr]

And thousands of bahraini's would like to be able to vote, along with other basic human rights.

...

Bernie tried for years to have the British GP taken away because the pits were too old. Now he bends over backwards to get Bahrain back on the calender because of money. Money is the reason all these human rights abuses take place. Nobody will take on China cause they manufacture everything for pennys.

And in Abu Dhabi they get to vote? Just because the Royal family there was a little more careful in taking care of their populace, giving them less cause to feel aggrieved, doesn't mean that they are any more elected. China, India, Turkey, all bastions of human rights where there have never been state sanctioned executions and murders? Italy is devoid of political corruption both in the ruling elite and judiciary? There are no human rights questions over Hungary, Singapore, or Malaysia (Amnesty International is highly critical of all three and accuses them of recent state sanctioned killings / murders and oppression)?

Bernies motivations are his own, and you can criticise the guy for it as much as you want. But the moment you allow politics into what should be sporting decisions then you open pandoras box. Where is the line to be drawn? If you want to get rid of all GPs in countries where there have been recent state sanctioned killings, and you trust/believe organisations like Amnesty International, then you'd have to get rid of China, India, Turkey, Hungary, Singapore, and Malaysia for starters. I'm sure that others would fall by the wayside too. If you want to include the right to vote then you can get rid of Abu Dhabi as well. If you want to eliminate political and state corruption then you can say goodbye to most of the season.

There is also the flip side to consider. By holding a GP in these places they are placed under the scrutiny of the World media, attention is drawn to their deficiencies, and the populace gain a platform where their views are shown around the world. To me that will do more to aid the populations than if GPs weren't held in those countries and they dropped out of the media.

[Giblet]

Other than that it's just a bunch of cars running round on a track in the middle of nowhere and should have anything to do with politics.

I disagree with this aspect. The race is hosted by the government that ordered its own people shot. This is directly political. If the race was a people's race, I would understand, but it's not, the people of Bahrain don't attend their own race in any reasonable numbers. 28,000? That's an attendance joke in F1. Now this great leader of men is going to fluff his feathers on TV as if nothing happened and shake hands with beef.

If the race was not so tied in with the government, I could understand hosting it. Like if for some insane reason the British gov started a little murder party, Silverstone is not tied to gov like Bahrain is.

[Ciro Pabón]

Has FIA said anything about this?

"The Reuters news agency reported that 28 out of 108 staff members of the state-owned Bahrain International Circuit , which hosts the Grand Prix, were fired from their work. All those fired were Shia Muslims, according to a colleague."

This is a "bad thread". Fortunately, it seems we don't have much discussion on the issue.

I won't see the race, of course, but perhaps someone wants to protest in a, perhaps, more effective manner than ranting here.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_f1_in_brutal_bahrain/

There are 394.000 signatures as I write this.

Webber has already said that "if people in a country are being hurt, there are issues bigger than the sport". Who knows, perhaps Red Bull will do the right thing.

Sure, they are a bunch of cars in the middle of the desert that have nothing to do with politics. BUT THOSE CARS ARE ON GLOBAL TV! So, it's an opportunity for politicians, isn't it?

... starting with the Khalifa family, whose interest in the race is well beyond the sport. They are using it as a way to show they're back to normal.

[PlatinumZealot]

So not bringing F1 is a form of punishment for the government then?

I just don't see how hosting a F1 race is going to hurt the people of Bahrain. Sure the government will make money off it, and hell yeah Bernie is going to make even more, but we do not know the situation in Bahrain. We do not know the political dynamics of that country. We are not justified to comment on this. There might be many locals there who rely on tourism as a form of income, there are sports fans there and regular people just like us in the west.

Maybe it is just me but if my Government was abusing me and cutting of my human rights I would still want to see a Formula 1 race in my country. It is for the people of Bahrain to decide not us.

[ringo]

Thousand's of bahrainis would like to have their home race. Don't let the BBC or CNN give you a false impression.

There is no moral reason to deprive them of their race.
It almost sounds like the UN bombing the hell out of libya for months just to kill one guy but say it's to "protect the citizens". Makes no sense at all. Though that's another topic.

And thousands of bahraini's would like to be able to vote, along with other basic human rights.

Read up on the Lybia situation Ringo. That one man has thousands of rockets that he'd have no problem using on his own people to cling to power. You think the UN are in there for a laugh?

Heh heh. BBC and CNN got you where they want you man.
Put it this way, when all of this is over. Libya will be like an Iraq. No ruler, no infrastructure, no laws, no peace. Even worse than it was.
All that's left is the oil, that will be shared between the colonial powers.

I used to think like you are now, until the same thing happened to my country. Not a damn thing was going on the way how they reported it. The warped reporting cost us billions in tourism. No one wanted to come because of what was happening in one square mile (i'm serious 1 sq mile!!) was reported as nation wide chaos.

What is happening in Bahrain probably involves a small number of people, with the rest of the country getting on with their everyday lives. CNN and BBC focus their cameras on that small little group and tell you that that is what is happening nation wide. Ratings, sensationalism, power plays and politics.

Let the show go on. If redbull don't want to go, who ever wants the free points can go.

[N12ck]

Deleted post

[strad]

Heh heh. BBC and CNN got you where they want you man.
Put it this way, when all of this is over. Libya will be like an Iraq. No ruler, no infrastructure, no laws, no peace. Even worse than it was.
All that's left is the oil, that will be shared between the colonial powers.

Absolutely right Ringo!!!

[Giblet]

So not bringing F1 is a form of punishment for the government then?

Yes, in the case of Bahrain it is directly a form of punishment to the government. Like I already said, its the royal's race, not the people's. It's a playground where they ask Bernie to bring all his expensive historic F1 cars so they can play more. As Ciro said, they want to appear as if everything is back to normal and use formula 1 as a political tool, which it should not be.

I am only my own opinion, and I can completely understand other people with different sets of ethics as me (not worse, different). There are logical reasons on both sides.

[Max Speed]

Not all countries that host Formula One races shoot people for protesting against their goverment - the line needs to be drawn somwhere

Maybe not but they are guilty of horrendous crimes against humanity in other countries, usually hiding behind a noble facadde.

Shooting your own people is just as bad a shooting innocents in other countries in my book. It is never justified.

I see the point you are making, but I still say the line needs to be drawn somewhere...so is it a Libian Grand Prix next, with Martin on his gridwalk asking the colonel his thoughts on witnessing F1 for the first time?