Webber says Bahrain 2011 will 'cause more tension.'
by Jack Lamure on Jun 4th, 2011Red Bull star Mark Webber has hit out at Formula One's decision to run the Bahrain Grand Prix later this year, saying that the race will cause more tension in the country.
The Aussie has been against reinstating the race since its postponement in March, suggesting that waiting until 2012 would have been the most sensible decision for both the sport and the people of Bahrain. Following yesterday's confirmation that the event will take place in October - replacing the Indian Grand Prix, which has been pushed back to the second weekend in December - Webber has made his thoughts clear on his website.
“In my personal opinion, the sport should have taken a much firmer stance earlier this year rather than constantly delaying its decision in hope of being able to re-schedule it in 2011," said the 34-year-old. "It would have sent a very clear message about F1’s position on something as fundamental as human rights and how it deals with moral issues.
Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images
"It’s obvious that the parties involved have struggled to reach a decision but sadly I feel that they still haven’t made the right one. Like it or not, F1 and sport in general isn’t above having a social responsibility and conscience. I hope F1 is able to return to Bahrain eventually but now isn’t the right time.
Webber went on to say that the race will likely up tensions in the nation - and that F1 has made a big mistake by putting itself in this position.
“As a competitor I do not feel at all comfortable going there to compete in an event when, despite reassurances to the contrary, it seems inevitable that it will cause more tension for the people of that country. I don’t understand why my sport wishes to place itself in a position to be a catalyst for that.”
Despite the reinstatement of the event fears remain high that the grand prix could present a prime opportunity for protestors to make a statement to the world, having failed in their attempts to overthrow Bahrain's ruling royal family.
Comments and Discussion
Rumour is that the protesters are already planning mass demonstrations on race day all over the country, presumably at the circuit itself as well. If the Bahraini authorities are going to be as heavy-handed against the protesters as they have been so far, we could be seeing some very ugly scenes on worldwide TV... with the F1 logo all over it. What the **** were the FIA thinking??
Good boy webber at least someone has the eh... grit, to tell it how it is. According to the bbc there are protests happening now and according to f1 fanatics owner. Journalists that were in the country at the time of the media black out have been tarnished with the same brush as the protesters e.g beaten detained abused simply for having been witness to certain events and the same goes for medical professionals who try to help the injured...
Something else that is strange from the very moment the fia reinstated the race royalist bahraini's have been showing up on many formula 1 forums spouting the same clap trap about how nice the country is. How clearly safe it is since they are able to type a message on the internet safely from their familys compound surrounded by armed guards. They sware they have not seen any violence at all since febuary despite tv footage to the contary and there would be more if it were not destroyed by the bahraini police I don't know if these people are being paid by the bahraini government but that is what it seems like. It is being done in a proffesional way they are doing it like a job and it is certainly not beneath a people who kill their own. Nationally they are fighting a civil war and internationaly a propaganda war and the fia have been suckerd in.
Could the india race contract owners take legal action against the fia? not likely i know if they want another contract somepoint down the line but it does seem as though they wern't given a choice about rescheduling.
Rumour has it that the extra few weeks will come in handy to have everything ready
Very handy! Call me cynical if you like, but I wouldn't be surprised if the FIA made this decision more for the sake of the Indian Grand Prix than for Bahrain.
It wouldn't be difficult for the FIA to say in a couple of months that Bahrain needs to be cancelled again, but now that India has been told December they'll have to stay there. No Bahrain and six more weeks for India to get ready. Everyone's a winner, expect the poor team crews who have to be working in India when they should be putting up their Christmas trees.
F1 should not indulge the murderous Bahrain regime's private scalextric track.