Bahrain GP situation: postponed, reinstated, cancelled

[Traction]

And now its taken off again. ......


http://www.f1technical.net/news/16393

[Slife]

And now its taken off again. ......


http://www.f1technical.net/news/16393

Well at least it looks like they tried to accomodate Bahrain.

[donskar]

Bahrain is dead. May it remain so.

[sknguy]

Found this on Youtube, interesting CNN story on the race's reinstatement... obviously coverage from prior to the race again being cancelled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgXLDv1 ... r_embedded

I'm one of those who's releived the race is cancelled.

[FrukostScones]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93051

[andartop]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93051

Haha, this is hilarious!!!! The guy has a go at the teams for being too temperamental, then in the end admits the GP2 race had to be cancelled as there weren't enough ambulances available left to meet safety standards for the race!

Hey, here's a thought: if they ensure that next time they only shoot to kill rather than injure, there should be enough ambulances around for the F1 race.

[WhiteBlue]

Update on Bahrain:

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?s ... &p=5488414

The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) did an in depth follow up on the situation over the year. Interviewed one of the 24 doctors that were charged with treason for treating injured civilians. They spent months in jail. They were forced to give confessions under torture. Under foreign pressure the government declared that these confessions could not be used they would drop the charges and release the doctors.
As soon as the international pressure was off, these same doctors were hauled back into court for the same charges and the confessions were submitted as evidence. The trials continue today.
Another interview was with an American member of a human rights organization (part of UN) that was to monitor and supervise the elections. He had valid passport, was granted a special visa for this purpose and arrived a month before the elections. At the airport he was detained by the military, interogated and shipped out of the country. After the election (3 months later) the Bahrain government claimed it was all a mistake and of course invited him back.
Both the doctor ( a Bahrainian woman) and the observer (a New England Proffessor) felt that only continued external monitoring and pressure would be effective. The people themselves are virtually helpless under this opressive government.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQyT6AOlR4g[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfX4DEtpnXg[/youtube]

It would be madness for F1 to have the race. It is obvious that the demonstrations are now more violent then they were a year ago. They are carrying Molotow cocktails and clubs now.

It can only end in a confrontation and that is not safe for the F1 community. First the people must be protected, drivers, team personnel, journalists all have to go if the race is on. They would needlessly risk their lives. If the GP has to be delayed a third time and the second year it will show the international public that the leadership in Bahrain is still suppressing their own people.

http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/4987

[bhall]

Governments in that region suppress their own people as a matter of course. This is nothing new.

I fully expect the Bahrain Grand Prix to take place. There's no way Bernie leaves that pile of cash on the table two years in a row.

[ESPImperium]

Bahrain paid their $24m to Bernie last year, i believe its gonna cost $26.5m this year for the right to a GP.

We will be there, wether its right or wrong there will be a race, even if they hold it with the grandstands more or less empty, there will be a race. Teams will be given Army protection, if not stay at the air force base close to the circuit or the airport Adjacent. The drivers will all stay in the nearest hotel, which is a few minutes drive from the track. However its the Journalists that i worry about, there is double the amount of journalists to Team members. Id recon they will all be given limited visas and be within a certain radius to the track. Also the GP2 guys will probably have the same protection that the F1 teams have.

Like it or lump it, there will be a Bahrain GP 2012.

[bhall]

Wow, so they did pay. That's almost tantamount to blood money. "If we pay you, will you stop paying attention to what's going on around here?"

[ESPImperium]

They paid so they could get on the callender this year. In effect with them canceling, but paying means they stay on the shedule this year.

Bernie isnt wantint to piss them off, however BIC and Bernie could do nothing to get the Bahrain GP put back to the one in front of Abu Dhabi as he was wanting a double header in that region within a week of each other. The FIA (Motorsport Council) said no to this as they wanted Bahrain to swap with Abu Dhabi if Bahrain if Bahrain wanted more time. Abu Dhabi said no thanks, as they want to be toward the end of the callender.

If Bahrain is missed this year, whitch i doubt, i will suggest its the death-nail for this GP, untill they sort their social problems out.

If Bahrain is missed this year, id recon the teams will try and get a second in season test as it would be 5 weeks between China and Spain, whitch would mean two 3-day tests could be orginised, whitch would be more helpful than a GP weekend. Also would mean that there would be more time for young drivers as well. Ideally the teams may want two 4-day tests, one at Mugello and one at posibly Portamao.

[SeijaKessen]

I think Formula 1 racing in Bahrain is disgraceful given the events there.

Yes I understand it's money, but this is the problem with the Bernie Ecclestone dictatorship. Good sense is not used like usual, but I suppose it's par for the course with the people who have been running FIA and F1 for many years now.

Unfortunately, none of this matters, but it should.

[bhall]

Is it really any worse than China, where dissent is crushed, and human rights and the free flow of information aren't even pipe dreams? What about India, which has the largest population of people living in abject poverty in the world? The neo-totalitarian Russia? The military-industrial dominated U.S.?

[WhiteBlue]

Bahrain paid their $24m to Bernie last year, i believe its gonna cost $26.5m this year for the right to a GP.

We will be there, wether its right or wrong there will be a race, even if they hold it with the grandstands more or less empty, there will be a race. Teams will be given Army protection, if not stay at the air force base close to the circuit or the airport Adjacent. The drivers will all stay in the nearest hotel, which is a few minutes drive from the track. However its the Journalists that i worry about, there is double the amount of journalists to Team members. Id recon they will all be given limited visas and be within a certain radius to the track. Also the GP2 guys will probably have the same protection that the F1 teams have.

Like it or lump it, there will be a Bahrain GP 2012.

I would like to have your crystal ball. Do you have sources for this story?

[SeijaKessen]

Is it really any worse than China, where dissent is crushed, and human rights and the free flow of information aren't even pipe dreams? What about India, which has the largest population of people living in abject poverty in the world? The neo-totalitarian Russia? The military-industrial dominated U.S.?

I am against running any race in China for the same reason, Russia as well.

India has no business hosting a F1 race.

Military-industrial dominated US?

Are you kidding me? The military doesn't dominate the US one bit.