Tuesday 22nd February 2011

Bahrain GP Canned

Civil unrest causes first F1 race of 2011 to be postponed

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The Bahrain GP has been called off due to the continued civil unrest in the Gulf state.

Anti-government protests have caused the organisers to postpone what was to be the first race of the 2011 F1 season, originally due to be held on Sunday 13th March.

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa told Associated Press that the country must "focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain's Formula One race to a later date."

[roosevelt]

213th March? should be ok by then!

[vescaegg]

BBC says it is being considered to slot in either the week before or the week after Abu Dhabi. What an exciting end to the season it will be!

[Mafioso]

Won't be missed...

[RRS_Staffs]

Most of the enormous wealth is controlled by a tiny minority leading to major resentment and eventual uprising

The Bahrain royal family today
Bernie Ecclestone tomorrow?

[Ozzie Osmond]

Maybe Bernie will hold it in Tripoli instead!

[RichB]

Thread already running here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... GP called off.

[TVR1]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Maybe Bernie will hold it in Tripoli instead!

You may laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WP-IqICI8&fea...

4mins 53sec Mercedes Benz dominates '38 Tripoli GP

[Papa Hotel]

RichB said:

Thread already running here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... GP called off.

Ouch!

[Richard-G]

after seeing this.....(NSFW! and a bit eye opening to say the least)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIPLLERpKI


im not that sad the race has been cancelled, and i have been counting the days to the start of the season

one word for that. bds

[Stedman]

Richard-G said:

after seeing this.....(NSFW! and a bit eye opening to say the least)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIPLLERpKI


im not that sad the race has been cancelled, and i have been counting the days to the start of the season

one word for that. bds

I have no words for what i've just seen. How the GP could have gone ahead after 1 shot was fired, I do not know.

[E36GUY]

Mafioso said:

Won't be missed...

This.


Boring circuit, boring race making it a very bad race to open the season with. I guess the only saving grace is that it is over and done with early!

[Papa Hotel]

Stedman said:

I have no words for what i've just seen. How the GP could have gone ahead after 1 shot was fired, I do not know.

One shot? I heard automatic, or at least several guys firing rapid. The country isn't safe for such a high-profile event right now. If some naughty people wanted publicity on the world stage there are fewer better places than an F1 season opener. Perfectly correct to call it off.

[anonymous-user]

Richard-G said:

after seeing this.....(NSFW! and a bit eye opening to say the least)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIPLLERpKI


im not that sad the race has been cancelled, and i have been counting the days to the start of the season

one word for that. bds

That is terrible. Hope the country gets sorted, but it was an awful GP last year, I don't want to see it back.

[Stedman]

Papa Hotel said:

Stedman said:

I have no words for what i've just seen. How the GP could have gone ahead after 1 shot was fired, I do not know.

One shot? I heard automatic, or at least several guys firing rapid. The country isn't safe for such a high-profile event right now. If some naughty people wanted publicity on the world stage there are fewer better places than an F1 season opener. Perfectly correct to call it off.

Maybe I should have added, "let alone the few automatic bursts", as that's what I meant.

[Marcia]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Richard-G]

how a country can treat its people like that i do not know, you can hardly say it was an angry mob. i have a funny feeling the decision to equip live rounds is down to the crown prince. The very same crown prince we have seen the beeb arse licking last season on the grid walks...........................

[RichB]

Didn't I just point thatout?

[bishbash]

Papa Hotel said:

One shot? I heard automatic, or at least several guys firing rapid. The country isn't safe for such a high-profile event right now. If some naughty people wanted publicity on the world stage there are fewer better places than an F1 season opener. Perfectly correct to call it off.

Whilst the safety of the teams/support personnel is important, surely there's a bigger issue here, the government are killing unarmed protesters, how can F1 (or any organisation) support a regime that does this to it's own people.

[clorenzen]

...interesting (and not that surprising development). I wonder what this does to the financial situation at McLaren where the Bahrain ruling family have a large minority position at a time where McLaren is ramping up for production.

Edited by clorenzen on Monday 21st February 17:17

[Papa Hotel]

Stedman said:

Maybe I should have added, "let alone the few automatic bursts", as that's what I meant.

Ah, I wasn't sure if you were making light of the situation or meant "one shot is bad enough but those nutters are going for it." The latter then.