Formula 1 suffered a setback when official from Bahrain International Circuit announced on Monday that the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix has been cancelled as a result of the current political unrest in the country. As the Crown Prince informed Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone of the BIC’s decision by telephone, the final pre-season Formula 1 test session has also been called off. The 2011 F1 season will now begin two weeks later, in Australia on 27 March.
Aerial View Of Bahrain Grand Prix, Formula One World Championship
HRH Prince Salman 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.”
Talk of Bahrain has very much overshadowed the last four days’ of testing in Barcelona, with the majority of drivers having expressed their fears for the event and Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone having placed its destiny in the hands of the Royal family.
It is likely that the race will be placed further down the calendar, possibly becoming Round 18 between India and Abu Dhabi. Today’s news marks the first date change for a Grand Prix since Belgium 1985, when the Spa track surface was breaking up.
Source: Formula1
