“Nobody has been shot,” Ecclestone said. “What are you talking about?”
Despite the confidence of the sport’s rulers, there are many within the
paddock who remain unconvinced about the wisdom of returning to Bahrain
after last year’s bloodshed, both from a security perspective and because of
the negative impact it could have on the sport’s image.
The awkward position it has placed teams in was highlighted when a member of
the catering staff at Williams had her contract terminated after refusing at
the 11th hour to travel to Bahrain for moral reasons.
The Grove-based team was understood to be worried that unless they held her to
her contract others might follow suit.
Hundreds of Bahrainis demonstrated on Sunday after the main Shiite opposition
party called for a week of pro-democracy protests to coincide with the grand
prix.
Al-Wefaq said it had called for the protests to “take advantage of this week’s
race to highlight our political and democratic demands”.
It added that there were no plans for protests near the Sakhir circuit where
the race will be held.
However, the “Revolution of February 14” youth group, whose members have
clashed with security forces, has called for “three days of rage” from April
20 to 22.
Bahrain’s cabinet insisted on Sunday that the decision by Formula One to go
ahead with the race reflected “confidence in the country’s security and
stability.”