Publications
Partners
LONDON, England - Formula 1 will give Bahrain more time to decide whether its GP can be rescheduled for the 2011 season - and Turkey could be spared the axe in 2012.
Commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said: "We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made." It might be "bye-bye Bahrain" but a decision is not imminent despite a May 1 deadline.
"I suppose we'd be safe by early June or something like that," Ecclestone said. "Things can change in a couple of weeks... so you don't know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month's time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there."
BLOODY CRACKDOWN
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in March, 2011 that it had asked Bahrain "to communicate by May 1 at the latest" whether it would be in a position to host the race at a later date.
The GP at Sakhir was to have been the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Ecclestone said he and FIA president Jean Todt were discussing the situation but many in the GP paddock doubt there can be a rescheduling after Bahrain last month crushed protests by imposing martial law, inviting troops from neighbours such as Saudi Arabia, and arresting activists.
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has declined an invitation to the British royal wedding due to the situation.
Ecclestone also held out hope of Turkey remaining on the calendar after next week's race, despite local officials baulking at the cost.
TOO FEW TICKET SALES
"Turkey generally is one of our better circuits," he said in response to comments by the head of Istanbul's Chamber of Commerce that the race would not be held in 2012 because of a disagreement over payments.
"I think Turkey is a bloody good circuit. All the facilities there are good, everything is good except we don't have a big crowd," Ecclestone said. "I would be disappointed if we lose it but we can't keep subsidising it."
In 2009 a mere 36 000 three-day passes were sold for the race and some stands were empty in 2010.
"We have a long lease on the circuit and we have an escape clause. We can escape now if we want to. When our first agreement was made they subsidised ticket revenue so everyone was expecting a whole bunch of people to be there and if there wasn't the government was going to make up for the missing tickets.
"It looks very much like the crowd is going to be much bigger this year, so it means the government's involvement will be considerably less."
Ecclestone dismissed talk of a possible F1 takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, saying the chances were "close to zero" and suggesting the speculation was being driven by the media and advisers seeking to make money.
Commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said: "We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made." It might be "bye-bye Bahrain" but a decision is not imminent despite a May 1 deadline.
"I suppose we'd be safe by early June or something like that," Ecclestone said. "Things can change in a couple of weeks... so you don't know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month's time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there."
BLOODY CRACKDOWN
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in March, 2011 that it had asked Bahrain "to communicate by May 1 at the latest" whether it would be in a position to host the race at a later date.
The GP at Sakhir was to have been the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Ecclestone said he and FIA president Jean Todt were discussing the situation but many in the GP paddock doubt there can be a rescheduling after Bahrain last month crushed protests by imposing martial law, inviting troops from neighbours such as Saudi Arabia, and arresting activists.
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has declined an invitation to the British royal wedding due to the situation.
Ecclestone also held out hope of Turkey remaining on the calendar after next week's race, despite local officials baulking at the cost.
TOO FEW TICKET SALES
"Turkey generally is one of our better circuits," he said in response to comments by the head of Istanbul's Chamber of Commerce that the race would not be held in 2012 because of a disagreement over payments.
"I think Turkey is a bloody good circuit. All the facilities there are good, everything is good except we don't have a big crowd," Ecclestone said. "I would be disappointed if we lose it but we can't keep subsidising it."
In 2009 a mere 36 000 three-day passes were sold for the race and some stands were empty in 2010.
"We have a long lease on the circuit and we have an escape clause. We can escape now if we want to. When our first agreement was made they subsidised ticket revenue so everyone was expecting a whole bunch of people to be there and if there wasn't the government was going to make up for the missing tickets.
"It looks very much like the crowd is going to be much bigger this year, so it means the government's involvement will be considerably less."
Ecclestone dismissed talk of a possible F1 takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, saying the chances were "close to zero" and suggesting the speculation was being driven by the media and advisers seeking to make money.