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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Human rights groups have welcomed the cancellation of the 2011 Bahrain Formula 1 GP and the sport's governing body has requested a revised 2011 calendar.
The Bahraini organisers pulled the plug on race, ending efforts to reschedule an event that angered rights groups in the politically and violently tense Gulf nation; even the racing teams were against extending the season into December and drivers were scared of on-track protests by groups seeking political change.
Basically, the initial decision to move the race date was a public relations disaster. The subsequent dithering made things even worse.
PROFITS OR PEOPLE?
The International Automobile Federation, F1's governing body, tried to clear up the mess caused by its decision a week earlier to reschedule Bahrain for October 30 and bump the inaugural India GP from that date to December. It's now waiting for F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to propose a new calendar to the World Motor Sport Council.
The FIA, already under fire for putting profits ahead of human rights, came off looking dangerously ill-informed about the fighting, deaths and oppression in Dubai and eager to please a well-heeled Gulf monarchy at the expense of racing teams who fear the calendar changes would create a logistical nightmare.
Nabeel Rajab, a leading Bahraini activist and president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said: "The government has admitted that Bahrain is not back to normal. It can't hide the crisis - you can't have a race while a big proportion of your population is in jail and being systemically tortured."
UNCONVINCING LIARS
At least 31 people have been killed since the protests, inspired by revolts against autocratic leaders in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, began in February, 2011. The protests were sectarian, the majority Shi'ite protesters taking to the streets to against the Sunni-led kingdom.
Government ministers and race organisers tried to convince FIA that conditions in the country had returned to normal but fell victim to events on the ground - shots fired at protesters last week, attacks on a religious procession on the weekend, and closed-door trials of doctors and nurses who treated anti-government demonstrators.
Ecclestone, however, said the decision by local organisers to pull the race from the schedule was less about safety than concerns over extending the 2011 race calendar by a week.
NO HIDING THE DISSENT
"We had a report that said it was perfectly all right," Ecclestone told The Associated Press ahead of 2011 Canadian GP in Montreal. "I don't think there's any problem with the safety of the drivers. It's more about the people (of Bahrain). It just would have been another week at the end of the year."
Bahraini GP organisers couldn't deny the ongoing political unrest which caused the race to be postponed from its original date in March.
Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani said: "It has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress. We respect that decision. Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would extend the calendar or detract from the enjoyment of F1 for drivers, teams or supporters.
"We want our role in F1 to continue to be positive and constructive."
Rescheduling the race was scorned virtually as soon as the FIA voted unanimously to green-light it for October. Human rights groups warned the race would be targeted by anti-government protests and the British government said that could lead to tragedy.
MOST PROFITABLE RACE
The Formula One Teams Association, from which the FIA needed approval to make any calendar changes, objected on Monday for logistical and insurance reasons, prompting FIA president Jean Todt to ask Ecclestone to revise the calendar - again. By Wednesday the race looked doomed after Ecclestone admitted he didn't have the teams' permission.
The Bahrain GP has been F1's most profitable race since 2004 when the Gulf kingdom became the first Arab country to have a GP and the track is still scheduled for the first race of 2012.
"There's no problem with the future," Ecclestone said. "They'll be back."
The Bahraini organisers pulled the plug on race, ending efforts to reschedule an event that angered rights groups in the politically and violently tense Gulf nation; even the racing teams were against extending the season into December and drivers were scared of on-track protests by groups seeking political change.
Basically, the initial decision to move the race date was a public relations disaster. The subsequent dithering made things even worse.
PROFITS OR PEOPLE?
The International Automobile Federation, F1's governing body, tried to clear up the mess caused by its decision a week earlier to reschedule Bahrain for October 30 and bump the inaugural India GP from that date to December. It's now waiting for F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to propose a new calendar to the World Motor Sport Council.
The FIA, already under fire for putting profits ahead of human rights, came off looking dangerously ill-informed about the fighting, deaths and oppression in Dubai and eager to please a well-heeled Gulf monarchy at the expense of racing teams who fear the calendar changes would create a logistical nightmare.
Nabeel Rajab, a leading Bahraini activist and president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said: "The government has admitted that Bahrain is not back to normal. It can't hide the crisis - you can't have a race while a big proportion of your population is in jail and being systemically tortured."
UNCONVINCING LIARS
At least 31 people have been killed since the protests, inspired by revolts against autocratic leaders in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, began in February, 2011. The protests were sectarian, the majority Shi'ite protesters taking to the streets to against the Sunni-led kingdom.
Government ministers and race organisers tried to convince FIA that conditions in the country had returned to normal but fell victim to events on the ground - shots fired at protesters last week, attacks on a religious procession on the weekend, and closed-door trials of doctors and nurses who treated anti-government demonstrators.
Ecclestone, however, said the decision by local organisers to pull the race from the schedule was less about safety than concerns over extending the 2011 race calendar by a week.
NO HIDING THE DISSENT
"We had a report that said it was perfectly all right," Ecclestone told The Associated Press ahead of 2011 Canadian GP in Montreal. "I don't think there's any problem with the safety of the drivers. It's more about the people (of Bahrain). It just would have been another week at the end of the year."
Bahraini GP organisers couldn't deny the ongoing political unrest which caused the race to be postponed from its original date in March.
Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani said: "It has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress. We respect that decision. Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would extend the calendar or detract from the enjoyment of F1 for drivers, teams or supporters.
"We want our role in F1 to continue to be positive and constructive."
Rescheduling the race was scorned virtually as soon as the FIA voted unanimously to green-light it for October. Human rights groups warned the race would be targeted by anti-government protests and the British government said that could lead to tragedy.
MOST PROFITABLE RACE
The Formula One Teams Association, from which the FIA needed approval to make any calendar changes, objected on Monday for logistical and insurance reasons, prompting FIA president Jean Todt to ask Ecclestone to revise the calendar - again. By Wednesday the race looked doomed after Ecclestone admitted he didn't have the teams' permission.
The Bahrain GP has been F1's most profitable race since 2004 when the Gulf kingdom became the first Arab country to have a GP and the track is still scheduled for the first race of 2012.
"There's no problem with the future," Ecclestone said. "They'll be back."