Crown Prince Gives Bahrain Green Light

Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa says the weekend's grand prix will go ahead despite protests.

"Cancelling the race just powers extremists. Having it allows us to build bridges and celebrate our nation as an idea that's positive," he said.

Unrest in the Gulf state has led to calls for the race to be cancelled for the second year running.

On Friday, thousands attended a protest in Budaiya, demanding an end to the crackdown on dissent.

Riot police initially showed restraint, but when a group of about 100 protesters broke away and attempted to reach the site of the former Pearl Roundabout - the focus of last year's pro-democracy demonstrations - they fired stun grenades and tear gas.

The overnight demonstrations called for the "overthrow of the regime" and the release of the human rights and political activist, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike in prison for more than 70 days in protest at the life sentence he received from a military tribunal in June.

Earlier in the day, the Force India team missed Friday's second practice session because they wanted to return to their hotel before dark.

Four of their mechanics narrowly avoided being hit by petrol bombs during a clash between protesters and police on Wednesday.

On Thursday, a bus containing 12 mechanics from the Sauber team took to the hard shoulder after encountering a burning bottle in the road and seeing masked men running towards their lane. No-one was hurt in either incident.

Several British politicians have called for the race to be cancelled while Amnesty International said "not much has changed" in Bahrain since last year's protests led to the deaths of more than 50 anti-government demonstrators.

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a matter for Formula 1, but Labour leader Ed Milliband insisted it would send out the wrong signal if the grand prix went ahead at a time of protests over human rights abuses.

However, Prince Salman said he thought the race could be "a force for good".

"I think this race should continue because it is indeed a very big event for this country, important economically, socially," he said.

"It was only a few politicians who made those comments and it certainly doesn't represent the entire British political system."

The crown prince, flanked by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, gave a media briefing at the track.

Ecclestone said: "We came here because this race asked to be put on the calendar. We're happy and delighted it was.

"What happens in this country is nothing to do with us. This race has given the protesters an incredible platform for all you guys to talk to them.

"They say they talk about democracy, which is freedom of speech. They've had all the freedom in the world to talk."

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said teams had been given assurances about their safety.

"With regard to security, we have received all the guarantees from the federation and the organiser and so far everything is under control. I don't feel we as teams are the target of the protesters and that is really important," he said.

"I would say there are two points. One there is the race, a sporting event, where we have to be focused as a team here in the paddock.

"Secondly, there is a political issue that is not really on our side to comment."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: "We're cautious, and we try to take the right precautions, but ultimately we're a race team. We're here to go motor racing and that's our number one priority."

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Stewart Against Bahrain Cancellation

Sir Jackie Stewart fears cancelling the under-threat Bahrain Grand Prix would lead to repercussions that could have a damaging effect on Formula 1.

Teams are set to discuss whether the race should be called off amid security concerns caused by civil unrest.

"I'd be disappointed if F1 allowed itself to be threatened in such a way," three-time world champion Stewart said.

"The repercussions of following any bully-boy tactics and not going could last for a long time."

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone will meet the 12 teams in Shanghai on Friday to discuss whether the controversial event should go ahead.

It was cancelled last year following pro-democracy protests in the country.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber has already expressed some misgivings about the prospect of racing in Bahrain on 22 April.

Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Al Zayani said on Tuesday that "scaremongering tactics" had helped create misconceptions about the current situation and insisted the Middle East island state was ready to host the race.

"I think this has been taken rather largely out of context," agreed Stewart, 72.

"It's negative for the sport in general to cancel an event. And where would it end then - the Olympics, the World Cup?

"Formula 1 is worth a lot of money to the country and is like any other sport, it can bring people together.

"When all the trouble was going on in Northern Ireland we still had rugby and football matches going on."

Ecclestone Lets F1 Teams Decide

Bernie Ecclestone says teams will have the final say over whether they compete in the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix. Ecclestone was speaking on Tuesday after learning of the latest outbreak of violence in the troubled country in which seven policemen were injured in a bomb attack.

Last year's Bahrain GP was postponed in the wake of anti-government protests that resulted in deaths, before being cancelled completely. The 2012 event – race day is scheduled for 22 April – has been shrouded in controversy due to the clashes.

Ecclestone said there were commercial reasons why teams should take part but admitted he could not force individuals to participate. 

"We've no way we can force people to go there," he said. "We can't say 'you've got to go' – although they would be in breach of their agreement with us if they didn't go – but it doesn't help. Commercially they have to go, but whether they decide to or not is up to them. I've had no one say anything other than 'we're going to be racing in Bahrain'."

Although he was unaware of the exact details of the bomb explosion in Eker, a Shia village outside the capital Manama, he said that, at this stage, the race is still on. 

"Yes, if the people in Bahrain are happy that they can run the event," he said. "We're not involved in any of the politics in Bahrain, over who is right or wrong. When you go to somebody's country you have to respect exactly how they run their country and the laws of that country."

Burden Adds to Hill F1 Bahrain Query

Pressure was mounting on the motorsport authorities to reconsider the decision to go ahead with this year's Bahrain Grand Prix. 

MP Richard Burden, who is active in Parliament on both the Middle East and motorsport, echoed Damon Hills' call for the FIA to think again about holding the race on April 22. 

Mr Burden, Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield, said: 'Damon Hill is right to call on the governing body of motorsport to rethink its decision to go ahead with this year's Bahrain Grand Prix. 

'I say that as someone who is a motorsport nut as well as an MP with a keen interest in the Middle East. 

'The inquiry which the Bahrain government set up into the events on its streets last year proved to be more independent than many expected and there is no doubt that there are those amongst the country's rulers seeking genuine reform. It is also true that not all the problems in Bahrain come from one side. 

'In a context where genuine and sustainable reform is taking place, holding a grand prix could be a unifying event for the people of Bahrain as well as a positive showcase on the world stage. But things are not at that stage. 

'Since February last year, 45 people have died on Bahrain's streets. The latest victim was killed by live ammunition only last week. 

'Hundreds of protesters gathered at the cemetery near his home outside the capital, Manama. Reports say riot police fired tear gas and stun grenades into the crowds, setting off running street clashes.'

He added: 'Bahrain is nothing like as bad as the terrible situation in Syria. And F1 teams do race in other countries with unenviable human rights records. 

'But that does not mean it is right for F1 to collude in presenting to the outside world a cocooned picture of normality at the Bahrain International Circuit, when what is likely to be going on just few miles outside the circuit could be very different indeed. 

'In hindsight, the FIA should not have scheduled the 2012 race so early in the season. It was always going to be too early to know how far things had moved on in Bahrain since last year. F1 can't turn the clock back but, with three weeks to go before the race, it can still rethink. It should do so.'

Hill was vocal a year ago at a time when the season-opening event was postponed in the wake of anti-government protests that resulted in a number of deaths before it was cancelled completely.

But following a visit to the Gulf kingdom earlier this year, alongside FIA president Jean Todt, he expressed his support and championed the positive aspects the race could bring to Bahrain. 

Since then, though, the protests have continued, and Hill said yesterday: 

'What we must put above all else is what will be the penalty in terms of human cost if the race goes ahead. 

'It would be a bad state of affairs, and bad for Formula One, to be seen to be enforcing martial law in order to hold the race. 

That is not what this sport should be about. Looking at it today, you'd have to say that the race could be creating more problems than it's solving.'

Hill, now an expert summariser on Sky Sports F1, is not advocating the race be cancelled again, but he is expressing his misgivings given the situation, and calling on the FIA to 'tread carefully'.

Lords Want Bahrain F1 Off

Formula 1 has been urged to call off the Bahrain Grand Prix by a group of leading British peers in the wake of continuing unrest in the Gulf state.

Seven Lords, along with Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, wrote a letter to the Times expressing "concern [about] the decision to go ahead with the race".

It added: "We do not believe the time is right to return to Bahrain."

The race, called off last year in the wake of civil unrest, is scheduled as the season's fourth event, on 22 April.

“Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain”Seven Lords and Green MP Caroline Lucas in a letter to the Times

The authors go on to say they feel there has been little progress towards a political settlement in Bahrain, despite a damning report by an independent inquiry last year and pledges by the ruling royal family to instigate reform.

"It was hoped that the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) would provide a starting point for political reform which both government and opposition forces could agree upon," the letter says.

"However, two months on we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict.

"Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain."

The letter is signed by Lords Ahmad of Wimbledon, Ahmed of Rotherham, Alton, Avebury, Hylton and Boswell, Baroness Falkner of Margravine and Brighton MP Lucas.

The letter comes a month after the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, an opposition group, called for the F1 teams to boycott the race .

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said he sees no reason not to hold the race.

"Everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems," he said in an interview with the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper last month.

The F1 teams have said they will be led by Ecclestone and governing body the FIA.

The situation is complicated for F1 bosses by a rule that says any race called off within three months of its scheduled date cannot be put on the following year's calendar except in the case of force majeure.