In light of the political situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain a decision has been reached to cancel the season opener Bahrain Grand Prix
The opening round of the 2011 Formula 1 season which was scheduled to be held from March 11 to 13 in Bahrain has been cancelled with no further decision on rescheduling it for another date in the calendar. Earlier last week F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had announced that the final decision on whether to go ahead as planned for the Bahrain Grand Prix would rest firmly in the hands of the Crown Prince of Bahrain HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. In a telephonic conversation with Bernie Ecclestone conveying that the Kingdom of Bahrain will be withdrawing from hosting the Grand Prix, the Crown Prince said, “At the present time the country’s entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain.
Although Bernie Ecclestone had graciously made clear that a decision on the race was entirely Bahrain’s to make and was not yet required, we felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain’s Formula 1 race to a later date. I would like to extend my personal gratitude to Bernie Ecclestone for his support and understanding. After the events of the past week, our nation’s priority is on overcoming tragedy, healing divisions and rediscovering the fabric that draws this country together; reminding the world of the very best that Bahrain is capable of as a nation once again united.”
Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit, Zayed R. Alzayani said, “Bahrain’s Grand Prix is a time of celebration and hosting the race is a source of great pride for Bahrain and Bahrainis. It is a showcase to the world and we look forward to welcoming the teams and drivers and everyone involved in Formula One back to Bahrain in the very near future. I hope that F1 and our friends around the world will understand our decision at this difficult time.” Following the Crown Prince’s decision, Bernie Ecclestone commented, “It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdraw from the race, we wish the whole nation well as they begin to heal their country. The hospitality and warmth of the people of Bahrain is a hallmark of the race there, as anyone who has been at a Bahrain Grand Prix will testify. We look forward to being back in Bahrain soon.”
With the teams to head to Bahrain for a test session at the Sakhir Circuit from March 3 a week before the season opener, news of the Grand Prix being withdrawn will also mean that the Bahrain test will not go ahead either. The Bahrain test is where the teams generally test their final setups on their new season contenders – all previous pre-seasons tests are concentrated on individual areas of the car. The impact of the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix will be huge to the sponsors and investors, but it still does not come close to the political turmoil in the island country. We hope that the situation gets resolved soon and the country that is known for its hospitality around the F1 paddock saddles up and is ready to host another Grand Prix soon.
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