2011 Bahrain Grand Prix - back on in October
The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has reinstated the Bahrain Grand Prix on 30th October, moving the Indian Grand Prix to December.
The start of the F1 Circus this year was put back after the Arab Spring made the Gulf Kindom of Bahrain a less than suitable venue for something as frivolous as Formula One, leading to the postponement of the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix.
But now it seems the Bahranians are convinced they’ve put a lid on the populist move to topple their regime (how they’ve done that is debatable), so the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council met on Friday and reinstated the Bahrain Grand Prix for 30th October.
That date was originally supposed to be the date of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, but that too has been pushed back and will now take place at the end of the season, at the same time as the FIA Annual General Assembly and Prize-Giving Gala on December 11th.
Chairman of the Bahrain F1 Circuit, Zayed R. Alzayani, said:
This is welcome news for all of Bahrain. As a country we have faced a difficult time, but stability has returned; with businesses operating close to normal, the State of National Safety lifted and countries removing travel restrictions.
Collectively, we are in the process of addressing issues of national and international concern, and learning lessons from the recent past. By the time the Grand Prix arrives we will be able to remind the world about Bahrain at its best.
All of which seems wildly optimistic. Yes, peace seems to have returned to the streets of Bahrain, but unless the underlying concerns of its people are addressed they will return. And what better time for them to return than when the eyes of the world are on Bahrain during a Grand Prix weekend?
Rumblings of disquiet over the reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix have already started. Mark Webber, writing on his website, said:
In my personal opinion, the sport should have taken a much firmer stance earlier this year rather than constantly delaying its decision in the hope of being able to reschedule it in 2011.
It would have sent a very clear message about F1’s position on something as fundamental as human rights and how it deals with moral issues.
Like it or not, F1 and sport in general isn’t above having a social responsibility and conscience. I hope F1 is able to return to Bahrain eventually but now isn’t the right time.
A thoughtful, reasoned and articulate response. And it’s not just Webber. Max Mosely – of all people – feels a return to Bahrain is premature and World Champions Red Bull are coming under pressure to boycott Bahrain, with 393,000 signatories on a petition calling for Red Bull and other teams not to race in Bahrain this year.
The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix may be back on, but don’t stake too much on it staying that way.
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