The source, who claimed his views were representative of the other principals,
said that they all hoped that the race is called off, even though they were
cleared to go by insurers and from government advice.
The team principal said that like his colleagues, he was concerned about the
threat of violent demonstrations and had ensured that all his employees were
covered for acts of terrorism and civil disorder before, during and after
the GP.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was called off in 2011 due to the unrest that gripped
the Shiite-majority state after a mid-March crackdown on protests demanding
democratic reforms that would challenge the power of the Sunni Al-Khalifa
ruling dynasty.
According to an independent probe, 35 people were killed in the unrest between
mid-February and mid-March 2011.
There are also fears about violence if jailed activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja
dies in custody.
Khawaja, a Shiite who was condemned with other opposition activists to life in
jail over an alleged plot to topple the Sunni monarchy during a month-long
protest a year ago, began a hunger strike on the night of February 8-9.
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has insisted that an outbreak of fresh
violence will not affect this year’s race and motor racing chiefs said they
were in “daily contact with the highest authorities” in Bahrain.
The local authorities there had assured them that “all the security
challenges are under control”, the international motor racing
federation the FIA said last week.
But the crackdown on demonstrations has continued, prompting Shiite activists
to demand the race be scrapped.
The chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit, Zayed R. Alzayani, said
that holding the grand prix was essential to help the country move on,
saying it was “not right” to deprive motorsports fans of the
chance to see the race.
“I don’t know why we are being dragged into the politics of the event.
We are a social event, we are a sports event and we would like it to stay
that way,” he said.