I hear Egypt is nice this time of year - oh, maybe not..
They'd be crazy to opt otherwise. A stroll smack into the middle of a sectarian storm would be completely mindless.
Absolutely, not to mention completely pointless. The F1 journos I follow on Twitter are all talking as if the GP cancellation is a foregone conclusion.
I'm not at all surprised about Bernie's stance, although I totally disagree with him. This is, afterall, the man who said that female racing drivers should wear white overalls 'like other kitchen appliances'! http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/02/18/bernie-ecclestone-on-bahrain-lets-hope-that-this-all-blows-away/
From this photo...looks like things are very serious. Race needs to be canceled, not worth the risk. On the lighter side of things (I guess you could give each team a tank, and have a NASCAR race) Image Unavailable, Please Login
from Benie F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is now more 'hopeful' the F1 2011 season opener in Bahrain will go ahead as planned. Yesterday evening he seemed rather pessimistic about the event taking place and his advice for anyone making travel arrangements was not to bother [see separate story click here]. However less than 24 hours later, the 80-year-old seemed a lot more optimistic, although his comments were made before new reports of civil unrest. I'm more hopeful today than I was yesterday, Ecclestone said in an interview with the BBC. "I haven't spoken to anybody in the Crown Prince's office this morning, but I've spoken to our people who are there. As you know we've pulled the GP2 race because it's the Asia Series so it's not terribly important and it doesn't give a bad message to anybody, so we didn't want to take any chances. But that was yesterday we decided to do that. Probably today if we had to make the same decision, on the information I've got, we wouldn't do that. Our people there today say it is quiet, no big problems. They're there. I don't know if I was there or you were there, we would say there are no problems, I've no idea, but that's what people have said. Let just hope this all blows away. In these parts there have always been skirmishes, although this is perhaps a bit more than that. Ecclestone however, didn't rule out the possibility of shifting the event to a different date, as was done back in 1985 with the Belgian Grand Prix. We scheduled that later. We may be able to do the same with this one, he continued. "I hope we don't have to do anything, I hope things will just carry on as normal. Obviously some people were killed, nobody's happy with that. Let's wait and see. I hope we don't have to do anything, I hope things will just carry on as usual.
Its because the insurance underwriters for the material and drivers is not about to let a race happen given the level of risk and overt violence that has already been displayed. Bernie is hanging on to this because of the loss he must be about to endure. I can see no other reason why he would hold such an optimistic attitude, given that this is a national upheaval. He is not in tune with reality. He is communicating with a Crown Prince whose family is about to become much less relevant to the governing of a country. Sad. The minute innocent and peaceful protesters died yesterday should have prompted an immediate cancellation from FOM. They are idiots.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110218/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain_protests Bernie is delusional. NO doubt. Its much calmer on the ground today? What a pathetic soul. The robbery and beating he endured must be affecting his common sense. This is hardly over or improved. People have posters of the King- 'remove the dictator' -labled on them. I think that pretty much sums it up as far as intent of the people goes.
from F1 fanatic. I completely agree The full horror of what has gone in in Bahrain in recent days has now emerged. Reports have emerged detailing protesters being killed with live rounds and surgeons beaten for trying to treat the injured. Foreign journalists have been barred from entering the country and some of those who bore witness to the governments clamp-down were beaten as well. This weekends GP2 Asia race meeting was cancelled. Ambulances that should have been on stand-by at the track were instead among those driving the governments victim to hospitals by the hundreds. It is easy to make arguments about moral hypocrisy, and point to questionable actions taken by other governments in countries that F1 visits. But showing up in Bahrain and accepting their money to race days after the world has watched it murder its citizens would be unconscionable. The difficulty in guaranteeing the safety and security of the teams employees and everyone else who travels with the F1 circus is a further concern. With testing due to begin at the circuit on March 3rd the first staff will be scheduled to arrive in Bahrain next week. The desire to ensure the smooth running of the race would likely provoke another wave of repression from the security forces. Those with longer memories recall how Formula 1 continued racing in South Africa in the seventies and eighties long after most other sports, repulsed by the brutal and racist apartheid regime, boycotted the country. This attracted little attention 30 years ago when F1 was far less popular. Today the eyes of the world are on whether F1 will again turn a blind eye to the plight of an oppressed people out of its eagerness to line its coffers. It must not.
The race and its 'glamour' would be an insult to the majority who simply want a better govenment that represents them. F1 should be better than this. The drivers need to lead the way and respect the fans there who are just a bit pre-occupied at the moment with something far more important than F1. I do not expect Bernie to say NO first. He has had ample opportunity already.
Of course the race should be canceled. The army is shooting people in the streets. Sunni v Shia dates to the dawn of Islam, there's more here than "the people" v "the dictator."
Well, on the other hand that GP is on the middle of the desert not near cities, and it's usually empty, it's not like it's a super popular GP with modest people of the region attending it. Anyways in doubt just cancel it.
You know its bad when people are getting killed and thats whats happening in Bahrain. They need to cancel the race, its too dangerous.
Some fighting of Biblical proportions going on out there. Why has this area of the world consistently been ruled by psychopathic dictators? Is it because that's what the people in area of the world require to behave? "Be good or we will not only kill you, but your entire village/town will go too". I seriously don't get it.
Brilliant, more heavy handed treatment, the powers that be need to take some history lessons....quick. As a F1 fan I'am gutted, but I know that is the least of my worries, compared to what is going on. Well done Bernie, dig yourself out of the sand pit this time.
Bernie profiting through tin-pot dictators and on the backs of the people has blown up in his face. I wonder if he'll learn his lesson? It'll probably depend on how much money he loses.
Like someone said earlier: Remember South Africa. F1 has always been like that... Bernie or no Bernie. They get blinded by money far more than any other sport. Blood money or any other color.
I don't know, but could a F1 race be arranged between now and when Bahrain was supposed to take place? I don't think so but I suppose anything is possible
