F1 again not to race in Bahrain?

[GAIAjohan]

Hmm But F1 has a history with countries having a bad regime..
South Africa for example back in the Apartheid days, Argentina with the Junta in the '70's. Spain with Franco in the 70's. Etc etc

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Yes, those regimes use a F1`GP to look good to the rest of the world

 

[GAIAjohan]

The same like that Austrian with a moustache and blue eyes used the Olympic Games (Winter and Summer) in 1936..
Just look good to the world.

 

[TheHemps]

The same like that Austrian with a moustache and blue eyes used the Olympic Games (Winter and Summer) in 1936..
Just look good to the world.

And the world watched it then, as they will watch it now.

 

[Scott Webber]

Christian Horner says the teams will adhere to the FIA's ruling over whether or not Formula One should head to Bahrain this season.

Last year, the grand prix in the island kingdom was cancelled due to political unrest. And although the race was reinstated on this year's calendar, clashes between the government and protestors continue.
This has raised some concerns, although F1 surpremo Bernie Ecclestone recently insisted that "people there seem confident that a race two months away will be alright."

The decision, though, ultimate rests with the FIA and Horner says that is where the teams will take their directions from.

"As far as I'm aware we're definitely going," the Red Bull team boss told Press Association Sport.
"We rely on the FIA - it's the FIA Formula One World Championship after all - and Bahrain is one of the races on the calendar.

"They are far better placed to know what the issues are, and we trust their judgment, as we do the promoter, and we'll see how things develop.

"But as of today there's a race committed to Bahrain, and we'll be there.
"From a team point of view we'll take all necessary precautions that are relevant for our workforce.

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[Bram Hengeveld]

Insane... Money talks!

 

[Chris Jenkins]

I'll be sure to have my pillow ready for that race! Zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Well they are visiting the police state overseas so this should be no problems.
If it's to bad then obviously they won't go, just like last year.

 

[William Levesque]

That track is so sterile it's unbelievable...

 

[Hampus Andersson]

I think the new section is amazing. Like a go-cart track!
The only problem was it was very bumpy but they fixed that.

OLD

"New" section is from T4-T5 in gray.

 

[Markus Neumann]

Mimimimimimimimimimimimimimi. That's all I ever see when I read about someone bitching about F1 going to Bahrain yet again. I simply don't see why F1 should have to meddle in politics. And even if it should, why would it be Bahrain where the line should be drawn?

Oh well.
Didn't they want to revert back to the old layout again because the new one discouraged overtaking?

 

[James Chant]

Mimimimimimimimimimimimimimi. That's all I ever see when I read about someone bitching about F1 going to Bahrain yet again. I simply don't see why F1 should have to meddle in politics. And even if it should, why would it be Bahrain where the line should be drawn?

Oh well.
Didn't they want to revert back to the old layout again because the new one discouraged overtaking?

Correct.

The layout pictured above should be correct for this season.

http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/bahrain_867/circuit_diagram.html

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Didn't they want to revert back to the old layout again because the new one discouraged overtaking?

Wasn't the 2010 layout for some kind of anniversary?

 

[James Chant]

Wasn't the 2010 layout for some kind of anniversary?

No - the crown prince had the extra bit added as the existing circuit was too short and boring, from what I recall of BBC coverage.

Either way, long or short, the circuit is boring.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

What were the lap times on the old circuit?

A lap of the new configuration takes ages it seems!

 

[Eric Parker]

The quickest lap in 2009 on the old lay out was a 1:32.613.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

That's not overly short. They should never have changed it.

 

[Michael Brown]

The whole track was built with all the grey lines you see on the map, so different configurations can be used. The black layout is the circuit used in all years except 2010, where there was the extension used from turn 4 (this is called the Endurance Layout). I'd like to seethe track go from turn 4 to join turn 13 (called the Outer Circuit). This would make the track fast, unlike most Tilkedromes.

 

[Alberto Casado]

The whole track was built with all the grey lines you see on the map, so different configurations can be used. The black layout is the circuit used in all years except 2010, where there was the extension used from turn 4 (this is called the Endurance Layout). I'd like to seethe track go from turn 4 to join turn 13 (called the Outer Circuit). This would make the track fast, unlike most Tilkedromes.

But pretty much no left turns then. We would see super-asymmetric wheel angles there and I am almost certain that the one and only overtaking point would be T1.

 

[Scott Webber]

With recent uprising / Protests still ongoing which people do not like to admit *cough* FIA *cough* and the recent Bombing Yesterday on 7 Police officers which has been classed as a act of terrorism,

The Question is Will the F1 Race go Ahead? The Answer, is most likely not, There has been a few interesting Articles, one from Mr Ecclestone himself saying the security cannot be 100% as the army will not provide security, something which will not happen as it will be bad for F1 in itself.

Check them out below

Mr Ecclestone said he sympathised with the teams’ anxieties. ‘If the teams don’t want to go, then we cannot make them,’ he said.”

“I feel very uncomfortable about going to Bahrain. If I’m brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lock-down there. And I think that would be unacceptable, both for Formula One and for Bahrain. But I don’t see any other way they can do it.”

“Seven Bahraini policemen were wounded, three of them seriously, when a home-made bomb exploded on Monday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said, during a protest near the capital calling for the release of an activist on a two-month hunger strike.”

Bosses urge FIA to call off Bahrain GP
Pressure is growing on the FIA to cancel - or at least postpone - the Bahrain GP after a team boss admitted that teams are "uncomfortable" travelling there.

The Sakhir circuit is due to stage the fourth race of the 2012 F1 season on the weekend of April 22, but the situation in the Gulf kingdom remains tense after fresh violence broke out over the weekend.
Seven police officers were injured when a home-made bomb exploded while protesters have also demonstrated against plans to host the grand prix in the troubled country.

The decision on whether the race goes ahead is firmly in the FIA's hands as more and more reports are emerging of teams who are unwilling to travel to Bahrain after this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.
According to Reuters, some teams have made contingency plans 'by routing personnel on return flights via Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Oman with alternative reservations for the last leg of the journey back from Shanghai'.

Meanwhile in an interview with the Guardian, an unnamed team boss, who claimed his 'views were representative of the other principals', said they don't want to go to the Middle East country next weekend.

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