Ecclestone: Bahrain can refuse to hold a GP in Qatar

Bernie Ecclestone is negotiating with Qatari officials to hold a Formula 1 Grand Prix in their country, but it is not going as hoped because it is subject to the approval of the Bahrain GP organizers, who can veto the organization of a new Formula 1 race in the Middle East.

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While Bernie Ecclestone recently revealed that Qatar was negotiating to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the coming years, he added this week that holding such a race required the approval of Bahrain.

If Qatar is ready to pay a fortune to host F1 – 63 million euros per year, much more than any country currently on the calendar, Ecclestone told *Reuters* that the agreement of the Bahrain GP officials was needed for this new race in the Middle East to take place: « I thought it was an idea that was going to work. But I had a little problem that nobody really knows about but I’m sure it won’t be the case soon. I made an agreement with the people of Bahrain and they said, “if we have to be something new in this region, which we are, will you give us the assurance that you will not organize another race in the region, in the Gulf?”. I said yes. A typical Ecclestone handshake with the Prince. »

Bahrain became the first Middle Eastern country to host a Grand Prix in 2004, followed by Abu Dhabi in 2009 – with the first twilight Grand Prix in F1 history. To allow the race to take place on the Yas Marina circuit, Ecclestone sought the opinion of the Kingdom of Bahrain: « I explained the position I was in to them and said they should ask the people of Bahrain if they were satisfied. If they were, I was. If not, neither was I. They discussed it, and it happened. »

But for Qatar, it did not go as well: « Then, this other race [in Qatar] was proposed and I gathered the people and said ‘Can you settle this among yourselves?’ and they failed to do so. »

So even though Qatar already has a circuit — in Losail, where a round of the MotoGP World Championship is notably held — and the financial means to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix, it seems they are dependent on the goodwill of Bahraini officials to appear on the Formula 1 calendar.

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