Bahrain GP gets more time from F1
Ecclestone says world body will wait for improvement.
LONDON:
Formula One is prepared to give Bahrain more time to decide whether the country’s postponed grand prix can be held this year, said the sport’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The grand prix at Sakhir was originally scheduled to be the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom that left at least 29 dead.
“We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made,” said the 80-year-old Ecclestone, adding that he might have to say ‘bye-bye Bahrain’ but a decision was not imminent. “I suppose we’d be safe by early June or something like that.”
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said last month that it had asked Bahrain ‘to communicate by May 1 at the latest’ whether it would be in a position to reschedule the race.
“Things can change in a couple of weeks...so you don’t know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month’s time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there.”
Tension in Bahrain rising
Meanwhile, the situation in the country got tense after a Bahrain military court sentenced four men to death over the killing of two military policemen. Three other defendants were handed life sentences.
Ecclestone said he and FIA President Jean Todt were assessing the situation.
Teams have left it to Ecclestone and the FIA to make the decision, even if senior figures privately doubt there can be any hope of rescheduling.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2011.
Formula One is prepared to give Bahrain more time to decide whether the country’s postponed grand prix can be held this year, said the sport’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The grand prix at Sakhir was originally scheduled to be the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom that left at least 29 dead.
“We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made,” said the 80-year-old Ecclestone, adding that he might have to say ‘bye-bye Bahrain’ but a decision was not imminent. “I suppose we’d be safe by early June or something like that.”
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said last month that it had asked Bahrain ‘to communicate by May 1 at the latest’ whether it would be in a position to reschedule the race.
“Things can change in a couple of weeks...so you don’t know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month’s time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there.”
Tension in Bahrain rising
Meanwhile, the situation in the country got tense after a Bahrain military court sentenced four men to death over the killing of two military policemen. Three other defendants were handed life sentences.
Ecclestone said he and FIA President Jean Todt were assessing the situation.
Teams have left it to Ecclestone and the FIA to make the decision, even if senior figures privately doubt there can be any hope of rescheduling.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2011.