British Parliamentarians Against the Bahrain Grand Prix

The seven members of parliament have therefore clearly called on the FIA not to organize this race: Given the current situation, with daily protests and the increasing deaths of civilians, we do not think it is the right time for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain. Until the government takes concerted measures to reform the electoral, criminal, and judicial processes, international observers as well as ordinary Bahrainis can have little confidence that Bahrain is on the path to reform and political stability. We urge the FIA to reconsider its decision to maintain the race.

Nevertheless, while many personalities in F1 share the same opinion, the situation is somewhat more complex. Indeed, the FIA is only the body that establishes the sporting and safety rules, but it is Bernie Ecclestone’s FOM that sets the calendar. It is the one that will suffer the financial loss if the event were to be canceled, even though Bahrain had paid the 40 million dollars planned for the 2011 edition.

However, it should not be forgotten that keeping the event on the calendar could have other financial consequences. Indeed, sponsors might decide to withdraw to avoid being associated with an event that is ostensibly a show of support for the government. While it is possible for the latter to lock down access to the circuit and paddock, it seems highly unlikely that it would be able to guarantee the safety of all team personnel, not to mention all the international media present in the country. We can recall that Jenson Button was attacked while returning to his hotel during the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Maintaining the event could therefore be a gamble for local authorities and Formula 1 itself, as the latter has nothing to gain by keeping Bahrain while it would have everything to lose if an accident were to occur on the sidelines of the event. This security issue is all the more significant as attacks against expatriates seem to be multiplying, which is naturally condemned by the Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa: « Attacks against expatriates and members of foreign communities are unacceptable. They are contrary to all religions and conventions and conflict with the values of Islam, tolerance, and Bahrain’s traditions of engaging with different people.»

Tensions are likely to intensify in the coming weeks as the anniversary of February 14, the trigger for last year’s tensions, is fast approaching. We will see if the schedule will be maintained, which would also have a significant impact on the GP2 calendar since Bahrain is supposed to host two consecutive race weekends.

With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr