Bahrain GP situation: postponed, reinstated, cancelled

[Hail22]

Don't Forget Ferrari they don't lose money what Bernie gets they get a percentage a long with RBR, Mercedes.

The only team really hurting from this is Macca as 50% of Mclaren is owned by Bahrain royals...go figure.

That must really suck for McLaren. But if they end up winning the WDC and WCC which they have atleast a fair shot of doing i'm sure they will be okay.

As long as Red Bull don't I'm happy as a clam.

Anyways I'm following an earlier post we will see an announcement during the Chinese GP.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Very interesting article today in the Herald Tribune(NYTimes).

http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/201 ... -in-2012/?

[Maelstrom]

Really puts things into perspective.

Also it occured to me is that the people who will be safest in Bahrain are the drivers. They will get the highest security possible. But what about others? The engineers, pit crew, journalists, etc. Will they be as safe?

[strad]

Formula One teams were weighing the risks Monday of a return to racing in Bahrain this month, following the cancellation of the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix due to violence and political unrest in the Gulf State.

Jean Todt, the president of the sport's governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of Formula One, say the 2012 race will go ahead despite continuing unrest in the country.

But The (London) Times reported Monday that Formula One teams have drawn up plans to abandon the 2012 race amid fears that security in Bahrain will deteriorate further.

Hundreds of engineers, mechanics and catering staff have been issued with two return tickets from the grand prix in China this Sunday, the newspaper reported.

One of the return tickets is for Bahrain, which is scheduled to host the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 22. The other tickets -- to be used in the event of a race boycott or cancellation -- is for Europe or back home.

British lawmakers told the newspaper that concerns about human rights abuses in Bahrain had not been sufficiently addressed in the Gulf state since last year's race was canceled, and that the 2012 event should be scrapped too.

"How has Bernie Ecclestone been satisfied that this year is different?" one lawmaker said.

Ann Clwyd, a Labour lawmaker and member of the Foreign Affairs select committee, said, "People have to show their condemnation of what is going on in Bahrain by staying away."

Debate over whether the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix would go ahead began almost immediately in the months following the cancellation of the 2011 event.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/04/ ... z1rZ2pnrID

[MIKEY_!]

Drivers aren't that well looked after. Remember Button, Sao Paulo, 2010? Admittedly the car was bullet proof.

[Maelstrom]

Drivers aren't that well looked after. Remember Button, Sao Paulo, 2010? Admittedly the car was bullet proof.

They are definately looked after better than others.

[Hail22]

Drivers aren't that well looked after. Remember Button, Sao Paulo, 2010? Admittedly the car was bullet proof.

They are definately looked after better than others.

Especially better than Fans/Marshals are treated/looked after.

[WhiteBlue]

Really puts things into perspective. Also it occured to me is that the people who will be safest in Bahrain are the drivers. They will get the highest security possible...

If someone decides to invade the track and throw himself or his remote controlled device at an F1 car on track the drivers will not be safe.

[Maelstrom]

Really puts things into perspective. Also it occured to me is that the people who will be safest in Bahrain are the drivers. They will get the highest security possible...

If someone decides to invade the track and throw himself or his remote controlled device at an F1 car on track the drivers will not be safe.

If they are unsure if they will be able to prevent people from getting onto the track there will be no race at all. They won't risk it.

If one driver so much as gets injured it will be a huge international incident.

Also the protestors will probably lose a lot of the goodwill people around the world have for their plight if they commit acts of terrorism. But I suppose the fact that we are having this conversation at all underlines the point why the race should be cancelled.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

If someone decides to invade the track and throw himself or his remote controlled device at an F1 car on track the drivers will not be safe.

Im not saying its impossible that what you are saying will happen, but it is highly unlikely.
First off they are trained by the Americans to a very high standard. What they lack for in outright numbers they make up for in proffesionalism.
You then have the Saudi's who would be more than willing to send men to help in security situations, as we have seen.
You then have an unlimited budget for search security technology. Manned and electronic search stations that would help prevent devices getting through.

The only way a driver would be in harms way would be from a distant mortar attack IMO.

And then you have the fallout of an indiscriminate bombing. Overnight the Bahraini Freedom movement would be added to the global terrorist list and become a defacto "enemy of all that is right". I really dont see them wanting the negative press.

I think the low profile guys that work in F1, PR mechanics etc will be the most exposed to any wrongdoing. Be that at their hotels or en route to the track, they will need protecting, and this is a massive task 24/7.

But as we get closer to the GP date, it seem less likely that it will go ahead.
Lets hope it doesnt happen.

[ESPImperium]

I recon cancelation and the teams going Testing at Imola or somewhere like Jerez or Ricardo Tormo is on the cards. It would also allow teams to put their test, reserve and development guys in the cars for a change.

And what team wouldnt want to go testing one more time this year?

The top guys could dial in their exhausts better, the mid feild guys could get a stronger baseline and get their exhausts on, the lower guys could get their cars porpperly baselined, and for Virgin and HRT it would mean they would be able to make up the ground they lost in missing the last test.

I dont see a race, unless a track like Imola or Magney or even Istanbul could get ready in a short period of time and have a race there.

As for the GP2 back to backs in Bahrain, i say send them to either Abu Dhabi, Imola or Portamao, or more likley Portamao and Imola for 2 stand alone races.

[Hail22]

ESPI As I recall from discussions with FoM (for our corp packages)the decision for an emergency replacement would need at least 2 months to give marketing, ticketing, catering firms, fast food trucks, television trucks, cable runners enough time to set the event up.

A further weekend testing may possible, three tracks are Available and ready the most preferred would be Jerez, Imola, or Paul Richard.

[Richard]

The teams can work in a security bubble, the key problem is the safety of the rest of the F1 circus and fans.

Also that allows a face saving response from FOM and the teams. They can stick to a PR line saying they care about their fans hence side stepping political issues about boycotts.

[Hail22]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formul ... ds-newsxml

Bernie is too busy counting the money so he has decided to place the decision on the teams all of a sudden?

[Richard]

That's standard, he'll be wanting to move the decision to most politically acceptable option.

Also, if he cancels then he'll forfeit the fee, if the circuit cancels they'll forfeit the contract. The only escape route is for the teams to cite safety reasons. Then everyone can express the will to participate, contracts stay in place, money doesn't need to be handed back.