The organizers of the Bahrain Grand Prix had hoped to stage the opening race of the Formula 1 season this year, but that hope was dashed by a small, very inconvenient revolution that erupted in the Middle Eastern country. Now, the diehard local organizers are seeking a new date on the 2011 F1 calendar, though calling them “diehard” might be an unfortunate choice of words, since rebels in the country still seem to be dying at the hands of the government.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally slated for March 13, but then a wave of unrest across the Middle East forced its postponement. Now, the government of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa believes the situation is stable enough to warrant squeezing the race back onto the schedule -- and you can bet that from a dollars-and-cents point of view, Formula 1 would like to accommodate, but there are issues.
One central issue is finding an appropriate date. Initially, there was some talk about rescheduling during the series’ traditional late-summer break, but then someone figured out that Dubai in August is not a particularly pleasant place to be. Now an end-of-season date is much more likely.
Of course, it is equally likely the race won’t happen at all. Formula 1 has had a history of associating itself with some rather strange characters, but it is doubtful the organization wants to tie itself to a government that is at war with some of its own people. According to published reports, some 30 protestors have died since the political unrest began, and while the situation has calmed down a bit, hundreds of Bahrainians are still in government custody. This hasn’t prevented Bahrainian officials from remaining hopeful that the race can still take place this year.
“We are in constant contact with concerned authorities to reschedule the Bahrain Grand Prix 2011,” says Sheik Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Bahrain International Racing Circuit CEO. “Now that security has prevailed and normal life has returned to Bahrain, thanks to the wise leadership, we are stepping up contacts to host the race anew.”
Odds are if a new date is not inked by May 1, it won’t happen at all.
