Formula One’s season-opening grand prix in Bahrain could be in jeopardy as newly emboldened protesters in Manama call for the royal family to scrap what they see as a costly vanity project, though the race also is the Gulf island’s premier international event.
Demonstrations shaking the Arab world have put F1 smack in the middle of a power struggle in the small kingdom and U.S. ally, and those trying to oust the island’s dynasty know they have an important political tool in the Bahrain GP.
The race, which has been held since 2004, is meaningful to Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Having it called off would be embarrassing for the country and painful to him.
“There is a big connection between [the uprising] and Formula 1,” said Hasan Dhani, a 23-year-old protester.
After days of seesaw battles in which seven demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded in battles around a landmark in Manama, government forces retreated Saturday and allowed protesters to reoccupy Pearl Square—giving demonstrators a victory, at least temporarily.
The streets were calmer Sunday as hundreds of marchers prepared to spend a second consecutive night in the square, with some planning to stay longer. The protest encampment included a makeshift clinic and a barber. Food donations were being collected in the center of the square. As night fell, protesters carried blankets to their tents and men gathered in open-air “cafes,” sitting in arm chairs and smoking water pipes.
The drama turned to political haggling over demands for the monarchy to give up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions, with the March 13 race playing into the equation. Opposition leaders from the nation’s Shiite Muslim majority—in a nation ruled by Sunni monarchs—seemed in no hurry to sit down and negotiate or make promises not to disrupt the grand prix.
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said Sunday he would rely on the prince, who also is deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, to decide whether the grand prix will take place.
“If anyone’s going to sort it out he’s the right guy to do it,” Ecclestone said on Sunday. “He would decide whether or not it’s safe for us to be there. ... Let’s wait until Tuesday and see if this one’s going to take place before we decide what to do.”
UPDATE: February 21, 2011 12:29 pm
Currently, the Middle East region of the world is experiencing a massive change and in this current situation, there is no place for a massive worldwide sporting event.
It seems that Formula One is in agreement with this assessment, as the demonstrations in Bahrain have caused a cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening race of the 2011 Formula One season.
Following successful demonstrations and a regime change in both Egypt and Tunisia, protestors have taken to the streets in Bahrain in an effort to overthrow the current government which they feel has been corrupt in its nature. While most of these events have nothing to do with racing, the one is Bahrain does, as it hosts the opening race in the F1 season. Torque News
The mass protests planned for Tuesday in support of calls for political reforms and other concessions coincide with planned return of Hassan Mushaimaa, who is the leader of Bahrain’s largest opposition party—the Haq Movement.
Mushaimaa, who has been living abroad, had previously been detained by the government for campaigning for more democratic rights in the island monarchy.
Meanwhile, fallout from last week’s violent protests continues.
A 20-year-old protester in Bahrain, who was shot in the head on Friday, has died, hospital sources said Monday. Ridha Mohammed was advancing toward the Pearl Roundabout with other demonstrators when security forces opened fire.
Prior to Mohammed’s death, about 10 protesters were thought to have died in five days of protests, but opposition activists say dozens more are unaccounted for.
Bahrain canceled its participation in a Grand Prix auto race that had been scheduled to begin March 11. Testing for the race had been scheduled to start March 3, and protest organizers had threatened to disrupt the event. CNN International
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the son of the king, on Monday told the Formula One promoter Bernie Ecclestone by telephone that Bahrain was obliged to cancel the race date.
“At the present time, the country’s entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain,” Prince Salman said in a statement released by the Bahrain International Circuit. “We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain’s Formula One race to a later date.”
Although there has been speculation in recent days that the race would be moved later in the year, the statement said no decision had been made.
“It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdraw from the race,” Ecclestone said. “We wish the whole nation well as they begin to heal their country.”
“We look forward to being back in Bahrain soon,” he added.
Bahrain has held the race since 2004 at a purpose-built circuit about 50 kilometers, or 30 miles, from the capital city. But the majority of the teams, media and foreign spectators stay in hotels in the center of the city, many of them near Pearl Square, which has been the central meeting point of the demonstrations.
The Formula One teams had also planned to hold a winter testing session in Bahrain next week. Instead, they will again test at the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona, where the Spanish Grand Prix will take place May 22. New York Times
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