The teams could, of course, boycott the race if they wished, either
collectively or individually. Or even state their concerns on the record.
But they will not.
While many of them admit in private to being uneasy about going to Bahrain,
both from a security and an ethical perspective – one anonymous team
principal claimed on Monday that “we’re all hoping the FIA calls it off” –
commercial considerations will hold sway.
The race is worth some $40 million (£25 million) to F1’s coffers and the
Bahrainis might try to recoup that money if the race is pulled when even
Britain’s own Foreign Office is not advising against travel to the region.
Ecclestone claimed none of the teams had voiced any concerns to him. “Quite
the opposite,” he said. “One of the teams sent a person over there recently
– and I’ve spoken to them today actually – and they said everything’s
perfect, there’s no problem.”
The team in question, Lotus, were last night unhappy that the “confidential
report”, compiled by their team manager during a fact-finding visit to
Bahrain 10 days ago, had been quoted from in a press release put out by the
Bahrain International Circuit yesterday.
The release claimed “scaremongering tactics of certain small extremist groups
on social networking sites has created huge misconceptions about the current
situation” and contained numerous statements of support for the grand prix
from such figures as John Yates, the former Metropolitan Police assistant
commissioner who is acting as an adviser to Bahrain’s interior ministry;
Britain’s ambassador to Bahrain, Iain Lindsay; and from Mahmoud Cherif
Bassiouni, chairman of Bahrain’s Independent Commission of Inquiry into last
year’s bloodshed.
All are of the opinion that the race can be a unifying force and that what
sporadic violence there is, is confined to outlying Shiite villages.
Zayed Al Zayani, Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit, concluded by
insisting once again that the country is ready to host a grand prix and by
criticising “armchair observers” who “have been driving this debate at the
expense of those neutral parties who have taken the trouble to investigate
the situation at first hand”.
It is very hard to find anyone without a vested interest. From FIA president
Jean Todt, for whom Bahrain’s representative on the World Council is a key
ally; to McLaren, who are part-owned by Bahraini sovereign-wealth fund
Mumtalakat; to the commercial rights holder for whom Bahrain represents an
excellent supply of cash. This is a very delicate issue.
But a decision will have to be made sooner or later.
With teams gathering in China ahead of Sunday’s grand prix, and Ecclestone and
Todt due to join them shortly, a resolution will be reached one way or
another. For now everyone is busy positioning themselves.
“At this time, there are no indications it won’t go ahead,” Ecclestone
concluded. “It’s really not up to me to decide whether it should go ahead or
not. It’s up to the people in Bahrain to decide.
“At this time, they are not cancelling the event, so presumably they are
happy.”