Bernie Ecclestone: “It is business as usual. There are some clashes with police, isolated in villages. Some of these clashes are very small — 10 or 15 people — but it gets blown out of proportion and made to sound as if the whole nation is rising up. Seriously, the press should just be quiet and deal with the facts rather than make up stories.”
Zayed Al-Zayani: “Whatever story we have tried to put out has always been overshadowed by conflict or political issues in the country, with people getting arrested, killed or injured, or whatever. But the worst is behind us now. There’s a genuine move towards progress, getting the country back on track.”
A genuine move towards progress.
Anonymous team principal: “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.”
Uncomfortable about going to Bahrain.
The February 14th Youth Coalition, an online organising body for anti-regime protests, said it would not be able to ensure the safety of Formula 1 participants amid popular anger that would be triggered by the race going ahead.
joeblogsf1 
Joe, is there any way apart from Facebook and Twitter where we as fans can protest against this race taking place? I find it hard to swallow that the Bahraini people might be put in jeopardy because of a sport taking place. It might be too late already, but still I want to give it a try.
It is the job of the race commentators to protest that the race does not take place. If they refused to attend then it would be much harder for the race to take place. However, they are all going to the race it seems.
That’s seriously debatable! It’s the job of the race commentators to commentate over the race……but then I think they should be more worried about their own safety than the political ramifications. It’s just not worth it…Joe is arguing that it’s worth going so that they can report exactly what is happening, something the international media has been unable to do up until now.
Specialty F1 press reporting on International human rights matters? It’s just not necessary to put them in that kind of danger, is it?
That is not your problem.
You lost me, Matt. Who exactly are these ‘commentators’, since when did it become their job to protest (rather hard to be a ‘commentator’ if you boycott the event that requires comment), and why on earth do you think that would prevent the race from happening if Bernie wants it to go on?
Peter, if there were no commentators and no race correspondents at the Bahrain Grand Prix then TV stations would have difficulty broadcasting it and newspapers would have difficulty writing about it. Since Bahrain wants (positive) publicity from the race this would make them think twice about holding the event. However, since not one single journalist or commentator has had the guts to say they will not attend the race, this will not happen…
Matt, is there no end to your naive drivel? It is not brave to say that one will not attend the race. It is irrelevant. No-one gives a toss what a motor racing journalist does in protest. Let’s turn the question around and give you a bit of your own medicine. If you feel so strongly about helping the people of Bahrain, how come you are not on a plane, flying to join the protesters, showing that you have some guts. No, I did not think so. You’re going to sit on your couch and spout forth about what is right and wrong until you have to “dodge the bullets” in order to turn your TV off in protest.
You are massively disrespectful of the journalists who have decided that they will be going to Bahrain if the Grand Prix happens. They understand that they have a job to do and that there are risks involved in this case. They accept those risks nonetheless. The blog rules say: “it is necessary to be respectful of others”. Learn a little respect.
Joe, my intention was not to be disrespectful. I think Steven Roy puts it well when he said that it is a shame none of the team principals or drivers have any bottle any more. In the past some of them would have gone public and said they simply were not going to attend. I don’t think any of us would doubt that if the team principals or drivers refused to attend it would stop the race happening. My point, very simply is that if the journalists and commentators did the same thing it would have the same effect. That is my opinion and it reflects Steven Roy’s opinion. We are entitled to it just as you are your own. Many journalists and commentators have made a point about saying that they WILL agttend the race but not one person said that they will NOT attend. Given the atrocities in Bahrain I find that remarkable.
Personally I don’t think commentators & journos have as much sway (uhh, or any to be frank! (sorry Joe! I still love you!)) as drivers/team principles. Surely it’s be a relatively easy task for the affected stations/broadcasters/whatever to fill their spots, not sure that applies to drivers and the like…
Not that I know of.
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Wichard
Here are some petitions against the Bahrain GP:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_f1_in_brutal_bahrain/?r=act
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-f1-in-brutal-bahrain/sign.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernie-Ecclestone-Boycott-the-Formula-1-in-Bahrain/203492862997892
I was thinking that F1 usually tries to avoid political issues, but there were boycotts in the 80s at the South Africa GP.
But this isn’t getting as much media coverage and political push as apartheid was… which makes it even more risky to run a F1 GP there in my opinion – this is a major opportunity for both sides (the ones in power and the opposition) to attract attention. F1 has more to lose and little to gain…
I have no problem with the race in Bahrain when there are races in the UK and US, countries with far worse human rights abuses.
And you are from?
Sounds like a troll m8.
The UK. Although what relevance does that have?
All I will say is that you have a very curious definition of ‘far worse’.
Stupid is , as stupid does…….
If 20% of the population of the UK took to the streets in a peaceful protest, and asked for the F1 race not to go ahead (& if Silverstone were owned by a relative of our prime minister who had been in power for the last 30 years), I would have a problem with the Silverstone GP going ahead.
I think you ought to take a long look in the mirror.
Rohan, some statistics for you chew on as you spout nonsense.
The Economist Democracy Index rankings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
Norway – #1
…
United Kingdom – #18
United States – #19
…
Bahrain – #144
…
North Korea – #167 – last
Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World
Note: They use a one to seven scale. One being a free electoral democracy and seven being a dictatorships.
United Kingdom – 1
United States – 1
Bahrain – 6
Press Freedom Index from Reporters without Boarders: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index
United Kingdom – 28th
United States – 47th
Bahrain – 173rd
These are just three examples. Go to any respected, third-party, international monitoring group and they will tell you the same thing.
Rohan… Are you sure you are not mistaking the US and UK for some other country? Or do you not think about what you say before you type it out?
What is the weather like in Iran today?
Bernie could have maintained the same profit level of a few years back and kept F1 a west europe/aus/canada/us/brazil affair, but no, asia, near and far east, china, india even…
That’s fair enough, money to be made: let’s make it.
But conflict, strife, death has always been part of the global experience, and we can chase the cash and avoid the realities for so long but not forever. Now our luck has run out…. Many, including Joe here, were all for globalisation. They will have to have their cake now, and eat it.
Maybe there will be a return to sense, and the scrapping of 5 or 6 GPs [incl china] as from 2013, but I doubt that very much…..
You and the other journalists who care should organize a boycott of the travel and coverage. Time to man up and put your money (quite literally) where your morals lie.
So, let me get this straight: I will be less of a man if I go to Bahrain and face whatever is thrown at me (quite literally), in order to tell the story of what is happening, as it really is, than would be the case if I stayed at home, hid behind my sofa and stuck up a placard reading “The Bahrain Grand Prix is wrong!”
I have explained several times what it is that real journalists do. I cannot help you further.
Joe, not sure if you will be allowed to report on anything but the race. Isn’t there some kind of media blackout there?
BTW it would be really cool if you would comment on your Facebook page.
I do not have time. I have to earn a living.
If I go to Bahrain I will report on what happens there.
question:
Joe do you have a visa to enter Bahrain?
Yes, I do.
Well you may win a Pulitzer…
unbelievable, what comments you often get. (Not talking about the one you commented now).
I hope you can report over the situation there and for al the people it can happen in safety.
All those people that say, you may not go. Are they gonna stop watching all F1 races to protest against this?
I personnaly am thinking of not watching the Bahrain race. But that are decisions we have to take on us own.
Joe, your job is not to tell the story of what is happening outside the race, we have foreign affairs correspondents at the BBC for that. This is where you are mistaken. You are acting as if you are a foreign affairs correspondent but you are a race correspondent. As such, you do not have to go to the race to tell the story of what is happening and you could take a stand by not going if you wanted to do. You do not want to do that and clearly you do not think it is too unsafe for you. That is your decision and I respect that.
Matt,
What is your job? To be an expert in everyone else’s business? To tell people how to do their jobs properly? To sit around and make presumptions? I am not mistaken. You have an opinion. I have an opinion. The subject is me and thus, inevitably, your opinion is wrong because I decide what is right and wrong for me. If I consider going to Bahrain to be part of my job then that is the way it is and your opinion is not going to sway me. I do not consider staying at home to be an option. If you knew anything about this blog you would know that the last thing I am is a race correspondent. I spend my life life telling F1 fans about what is happening outside the races. I will do the same over Bahrain. I think it is fairly unsafe to go, but I am going nonetheless because that is what professional journalists do. Journalists do whatever is necessary. If I have to interview a Prime Minister, I will interview a Prime Minister. If I have to write about economics, I will write about economics. If I have to get shot at, I will get shot at. That is all you need to know.
I am sorry Joe, I am simply making the point that if you choose to go to the race it can not be too unsafe for you to go otherwise you would stay at home. That is a matter of fact.
You are an accredited member of the F1 media and if you were a foreign affairs reporter for the BBC then you would not be getting race accreditation. Like most of the people here I respect and value your blog but I do not visit it for foreign affairs news. I am here for news from inside the paddock. As I said in an earlier comment, I think you may have lost sight of the purpose of your job in all of the concern about Bahrain. That, as you rightly say, is my opinion and I am not trying to force it on you.
No, it is not a matter of fact. We have no idea what to expect. I have lost sight of nothing.
It is a fact because if it was too unsafe to go you would not go. You have decided it is worth the risk and, thankfully, you have not been forced to do it. It is a choice you have made.
I am sure you are right.
Drunk philosophers – don’t you love’m
It might actually be that this is the only way a journalist can get into the country right now. I do disagree with Matt…A journalist is a journalist whatever he’s reportng on. I find it commendable that Joe wants to go but don’t think it’s worth it, not least if he’s gonna be “shot at”. Just my opinion. I’ll be looking very closely at his reports from the circuit. Thinking more about this, we will have a grandstand view of what’s REALLY happening there.
Fingers crossed that common sense will prevail and it’ll just be canceled.
How right you are Joe. A reporter is a reporter regardless of what subject he reports (current events, politics, sports, arts, economics . . .) Jim McKay was in Munich for ABC Sports to cover the ’72 Olympics, but is remembered by Americans for reporting on the terrorist act at this event. Likewise, Al Michaels ended up calling the San Francisco earthquake instead of the World Series. Bravo Joe. Keep your eyes open and tell us what you see.
Its quite an interesting point though, indeed I read your blog Joe for everything other than the qualifying and race results.
🙂
I agree with Josh too!
The difference between your blog and James Allen’s blog or whoevers is that while he has recently posted strategy bits and factory tours you post about F1 politics and larger scale things.
Keep it up!
Yeah me too, come to think of it!! LOL
Honestly, it probably wouldn’t be ‘that’ dangerous to go and report exclusively on the race. Yes the protesters are likely to make a point, but stick to the race and chances are you would be fine. But as you say Joe, you report on so much more, and for me that is where the danger lies here. I am very fearful that you could suffer repercussions from the state if you are your usual honest self Joe. Frankly having read this blog for years now i don’t expect you to be anything other than brutally honest. Additionally, as far as i am aware you are not supported by any international organization (Large TV company commentators, presenters, writers etc). If they spoke the truth, chances are they might get away with it, and this isn’t a dig at them if they don’t, as frankly I’m not sure i would put myself in that much danger with a family at home to support.
I am sure you have considered all this Joe and will be as honest as ever. Personally i was disappointed to read that you were going when you posted that news up, not because i thought you were ‘less of a man’ but because i immediately felt it would be dangerous to be honest about what is going on in Bahrain as the authorities are not going to like that.
If F1 wasn’t going back to Bahrain after this year i would urge you to record what is happening there and then report it when you return home. But what good would that do when you are going back next year. The world does need to know the truth about Bahrain, i just hope that the complete lack of compassion/mercy they have shown towards their own people doesn’t extend to the foreigners covering the race.
Very well put. Exactly what I think I’m just unable to articulate it so well.
yeah, kuddos to you Joe – you’ve made it clear what you think F1 should have been doing regarding Bahrain.
Your boycotting the GP would be pointless and achieve nothing – the best thing you can do now is covering the facts as they happen.
Yeah, for Mr. E. is business as usual – the money are flowing in, regardless of the country.
The Times and Guardian both ran stories for team people reluctant to go there.
My hunch – no race this year, too.
When you hear reports like the one where an official gave an interview and claimed 50k out of 700k people is a small majority, it kind of explains what kind of place it is.
Just cancel the event and set something else up, they have given two sets of flight tickets for china, one to Bahrain and one to Europe, lets just have a race. I couldn’t care where it is.
These are highly organised teams and making a trip to central europe for a race would be easy for them. With 2 weeks for ticket sales, you can be sure they will sell if priced right.
End this silly debate of should we or shouldn’t we and make a decision.
I suspect Mark is waiting for the moment when it will be most effective. No doubt he has to keep RB relatively happy at the same time.
This was a response to Nick Spriggs. Maybe the reply buttons got confused. But I hope Mark does his job of weathervane, as Damon has done.
“Anonymous team principal”
I hate that kind of spineless response. Webber was the only one with any guts to speak up last year, it’s a little disappointing he hasn’t done so this year.
Seems like Gary Hartstein is the only FIA person speaking up (via twitter) but I don’t think anyone would pay much attention to that!
I take your point, and would also appreciate more forthright responses from people in positions of power. But we should remember that most team principles have have rather more at stake than Mark Webber – and that you and I have bugger all at stake, so we might do well to be less judgemental of those who are actually at risk.
Peter – your comments are something that just about EVERYONE commenting on here would do well to remember. Oh how easy it is to pontificate from the comfort of our risk-free homes.
I hope nothing grave happens, but if it happens, innocents will pay the stupid decisions of the big fishes. No doubt Mr. E. will go to the circuit in a tank. Will he ever be there, anyway? I hope so.
I see an iceberg.
Joe , thank-you for your frankness , on this , and everything else F1 .
I hope , for your sake , it is cancelled once again .
I guess it’s for my sake , too , as I value your views because you shoot straight , keeping your confidences , and therefore have some well-placed friends in the family .
Losing you is not a nice sounding option , but it is a distinct possibility in a place where the government has a vested interest in debunking everything you say .
Be careful , as the desert is a big place with few landmarks and little water .
I think , because you don’t seem to have been warned off posting about this Bahrain thing , that you must assume that Bernie approves , and would be fine either way , cancelled or not .
The “cancel camp” seems to be growing , and the pressure must be ramped up right now .
I know you’ll go , if it happens , and you’ll tell the real story .
It’s both an enticing prospect , being informed by someone with real morals , and one that fills me with dread , about your safety , because you have those same morals .
Be safe if you go , and keep up the fight against going , so you won’t have to go at all .
Hey Joe,
After reading various reports and never having been in Bahrain can you give us a glimpse of what it’s like in good times.
Joe
Another attack on protesters that was not reported in Al Jazeera or Gulf News http://article.wn.com/view/2012/04/06/Police_descend_on_Bahrain_rally_for_hunger_striker_2/
That rally was in support of :
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja one of the original protest leaders charged with attempting to overthrow the government and having been in prison on hunger strike for two months. He has dual Bahraini/Danish nationality. The Danes have requested that he be sent to Denmark, but his has been refused. Should he die in captivity then things may really kick off. He has an appeal due to be heard on 23rd April.
It seems there are many still in prison charged with all sorts of highly contentious crimes which all boil down to “being in a protest.” I believe this includes many of the original circuit staff who were arrested purely depending on whether their name was of Sunni or Shia origin. Many were then tortured in the circuit buildings, until they confessed to serious crimes.
Still there ya go, literally in some cases. As I suggested yesterday, to Berne this is just another venue, until his advisers tell him it is not safe, the race will still be on, that is unless the sponsors pull out, the teams have no choice, they have to go if there is a race but Bernie could perhaps be persuades by a sponsors committee.
Spot on, Joe.
Shame none of the team principals or drivers have any bottle any more. In the past some of them would have gone public and said they simply were not going to attend. Now they all do what Bernie says regardless how stupid and regardless of what it costs them.
I would have a lot more respect for them if they just put out a press release and said point blank that they would no go under any circumstances.
You have to wonder if there is anything Bernie could do that would result in anything close to a mutiny. You get the impression that he could organise a race in a minefield and all you would get is bland statements about how we have to trust the FIA to do the right thing.
It’s time for people who can make a difference to stand up and be counted. Imagine the effect if Ferrari or McLaren (unlikely due to ownership) or Red Bull announced they were not going.
So many of the top drivers are very young now but Schumacher despite all his faults has always had a grasp on what is really important. He went public at the time saying he thought the Monza race after 9/11 should be called off. If he thought that race should not happen after so many people had been killed it is hard to believe he is in favour of a race taking place that could result in people dying.
Unfortunately in the same way that many of the sport’s safety advances only happened AFTER someone had died I expect all sorts of statements from teams and drivers about why the race should not have taken place after the tragedy.
Yes, but speaking up on a “let’s not race out of respect for a tragedy” issue is easy. The problem here is that no-one dares to call this a tragedy, we’re not talking about a terrorist attack or an earthquake and tsunami, we’re talking about a political conflict.
Schumacher is no more prepared to get involved in this fight than anyone else and yet is possibly the most untouchable driver on the grid. Note that neither he nor anyone else called for a boycott of the US grand prix after the invasion of Afghanistan, nor Iraq, nor the various scandals about abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay.
What did lead to a selected boycott of the US GP was the safety of actual F1 people (namely the drivers, but potentially marshals and fans) with the whole Michelin tyre fiasco.
Oh, and this comment?
“Shame none of the team principals or drivers have any bottle any more. In the past some of them would have gone public and said they simply were not going to attend.”
Sadly, complete tripe. F1 continued to race in South Africa well into Apartheid rule after SA had pretty much been blacklisted by all the other major sports they compete in. It only became an issue in 1985 when the French government started throwing its weight around.
Ironically, 1985 was the birth year of one Lewis “First black driver in F1” Hamilton.
I know I always bring up apartheid South Africa, but it’s the best benchmark F1 has for a country inflicting internal oppression on its people and essentially ostracising certain sectors of society. And F1 turned a blind eye.
Joe,
Thank you for your honest, straight forward reporting on this. Especially when so many are afraid to bite the hand that feeds in sports journalism or just simply don’t care enough about the wider ramifications of the sport.
With this comes a question: Does the FIA or even FOM have a code of ethics, guiding principles, or even basic event safety doctrine? Sorry, it’s the MBA student in me.
Larger companies – like the ones who would advertise and partner with Formula One – are trying to address the world of instant communication with more transparency to show their organizations as moral being in the world. In my opinion, F1 is seems to be moving in a opposite direction. To be honest, I don’t know who to blame more: Bernie will to make another pound/dollar, Jean Todt’s and the FIA inadequacy to be a moral compass for motorsports, or the general malaise that many are taking towards this situation.
In a way, it’s sad that the sport has reached this level. I was hoping after South Africa fiasco of the late 80’s that the sport would of learned its’ lesson. I was optimistic weened itself from its dark past of grand prix races being used as tool for imperialism, fascism, dictators and tyrants. Yet, here we are again.
Thanks again Joe.
Yes, the FIA has statutes. The only relevant article is the first:
ARTICLE 1
The FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L’AUTOMOBILE (FIA), a non-profit making world organization and an international association of national Automobile Clubs, Automobile Associations, Touring Clubs, and national Federations for motoring and for motor sport, was founded in 1904 and enjoys consultative status with the U.N. It has its Headquarters in Paris, or in such place as the General Assembly may determine.
The FIA shall refrain from manifesting racial, political or religious discrimination in the course of its activities and from taking any action in this respect.
As far as I am concerned by holding a race in Bahrain, the FIA will be in breach of its own statutes, but these are, of course, open to interpretation.
In that vein, Jean Todt has been deafening in his silence.
Joe, maybe BCE should take a note out of the ANC’s book and try and muzzle the media? It’s clearly the media’s fault that there’s such chaos in Bahrain…
@Matt- you clearly have no idea of the workings of the world, neither do you have any idea (very remote I might add) of how Joe operates, how this blog works nor the appreciation of what Joe provides to the enthusiast. Its called the broader picture. SA recently lost a great photographer to Gaddafi’s forces, a gent who went to pursue what he loved so deeply..
Food for thought Matt. Build a bridge …..
Matt probably won’t have time to read your well-put comments Badger, most likely took Joe’s challenge and already on his way to Bahrain to walk his talk.
Well whatever happens, we will all be watching and reading. I wonder what type of escape plan is in place for the various teams should the worse case scenario happen.
Its great to hear joe’s side and more so of a political side, only because I get the feeling BBC foreign affairs reporters are very much in no mans land, I actually think the BBC has become very much like USA news, its geared up from the powers above. Not too much different than china I guess.
You should go and see what’s happening because how we got to the point of the race happening is just as important as some other topics.
I still think it should be cancelled and maybe it should be dropped altogether because all this speculation of the race happening is not needed. I could plan something else for that weekend.
Joe
A hard question- is Jean T toeing the BCE line???
“As far as I am concerned by holding a race in Bahrain, the FIA will be in breach of its own statutes, but these are, of course, open to interpretation.”
No, I do not think this is the case. I think JT believes that it is the right thing to do.
How do you feel about going to China, Joe?
As I have said to you many times before, Johan, if you have something positive to say, it would be nice for all of us. All you ever do is try to stir up irrelevant points and look at the negative in everything. If the race in China was politicised I would say the same things that I am now saying about Bahrain. But it is not and therefore your comment is completely irrelevant. We have been over this several times already, but you just don’t seem to be able to get it.
Calm down, it’s only a question. Talk about looking for the negative in everything…
And I have in fact said nice things about your posts on several occasions.
Which hopefully you didn’t mean coz quite frankly this blog is nonsense. You get everything on this place other than quali and race reports. Oh no i’m wrong, you might get a one liner “Lewis on pole”
Syed : “Missing the point” doesn’t even begin to cover your comment. The big glossy headlines, the obvious, and non-new stories are what everybody else does, and there are hundreds of websites that can give you that two dimensional reporting by the truckload. What Joe does here (in my opinion) is pretty much unparalelled..to get behind the stories in the way he does, and allow us readers such detailed insights into the backroom workings of the sport at all levels..we can enjoy access and information via Joe, that none of us would even get a sniff of if all we relied on was the big media blandness.
I know not everybody cares about all that technical and busines stuff, and thats fine..there are plenty of nice pictures of shiny cars, colouring books and lego sets available for those who just want an easier ride.
Syed, this should be your last comment then, right?
What Robbo said, plus the fact that if you want Joe’s quali and race reports, then you can subscribe to GrandPrix+ and get all of that – and much much more – far more quickly and cheaply than the likes of Haymarket Publishing will provide.
If I remember correctly last year, the UK Home Office issued advice that it was unsafe to travel (to Bahrain), at which point anyone travelling would be uninsured by any of their usual policies. If this advice is repeated this year, it’s a no-brainer (but also a get out for Bernie) to not go.
Personally, I don’t think F1 should go there. It becomes a political pawn for the rulers by being complicit in racing. I’m sure the protesters have nothing against the individuals in the F1 circus, but they will also have no qualms about using them and the event to further their own cause. F1 should not put its participants in this position of risk.
At this moment, the Foreign Office in not advising against going to Bahrain. It says : There are ongoing demonstrations and protests across various parts of Bahrain. We cannot confirm where or when any such activity or resulting disruption will take place, but you should maintain a high level of security awareness, exercise caution, particularly in public places and on the roads, and avoid large crowds and demonstrations.
That is not the same as advising against going to the country, and I would interpret “large crowds” as meaning in the streets, not in grandstands. So I would not think insurers could invoke the advice as of today to invalidate policies [though they may try very hard if a pay-out is actually involved 🙂 ].
The full advice is here:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/bahrain
BBC radio news gave the subject a good run this evening, though not BBC TV news (I wonder why). It was predicted that there would be many meetings during the Chinese GP next weekend which Bernie and Todt will attend, and nothing will be done before then, which seems likely.
He has a point, Joe. Why has the UK Home Office determined that this year it’s OK to go? Have you heard anything on that front?
If I were a racer, team member, journalist, or any other type affiliated with the race in Bahrain, I’d not go. The protesters have made it quite clear what their intentions are. It’s like going into the lion’s den with a sack of meat.
To me, its as if there is some sort of ulterior motive at play. I will not go into it because I don’t want to explain it because there are major geopolitical forces that have been behind certain upheavals in the Mid-East that one would need to be schooled on, and there’s not enough space or time to go into that on this race-blog. But I will leave you with this, if one wants to look into a theory I’ve postulated to myself…..read up on “false-flag” warfare/terror.
If you have something to say, say it.
Gawd not another conspiracy theorist. LAWLZ
Bahrain has the USA’s major naval base in the Gulf. In the current mid-east
turmoil ( Iran/Syria/Egypt/Israel et al) and Russia’s naval base in Syria also threatened, the US will do almost anything to calm things down in Bahrain
and to maintain the status quo. There is one hell of a lot at stake here, far far beyond anything confined to F1.
If the race goes ahead, (I hope it dosn’t), Joe and the other F1 reporters are obligated to go. If the teams show up, the drivers are obligated to show up, no matter what their political beliefs are. That’s their job. I’m sure that CVC has told Bernie to be there come hell or high water.
Take care, Joe. I’ll be watching on TV, hoping I don’t see history being made.
Joe, this is not the platform to have a go at personal beliefs but @Matt, you’re out of line. As a South African, we were starved of F1 thanks to apartheid and many of us were conscripted for two years, something few of us wanted or enjoyed.
Yes, apartheid was an evil for which we paid the price, but nevertheless, was/is similar to Bahrain- the minority shouted the odds……. and look what happened…
War and Civil conflict are very, very nasty….
It is Joe’s perogative to attend or not attend a race, and at the end of the day, pays for his crust.
Money talks, bullshit walks.
Joe covers a super wide range of topics associated with F1 and we all value his input, given that this blog is for FREE….
If you have so much to say, maybe offer to pay for Joe’s personal protection?? We’ll happily supply a few 32 battalion chaps…
Badger, I totally agree that it is Joe’s perogative to attend or not attend a race and I know that at the end of the day it pays for his crust. I was simply pointing out that if Joe goes to Bahrain he clearly believes it is worth the risk. He is not in a position like the mechanics where his emplopyer is forcing him to go. I do think it is surprising that many journalists and commentators have made a point about saying that they will attend the race but not one person said that they will not attend. I understand that the times are different to the old days when drivers took a stand but there are many other people in F1 who could be vocal and journalists certainly fit into this category as being vocal is their job.
hahahahaha Are you seriously saying Joe hasn’t been vocal on this subject? hahahahahahaha
This could all be small beer by next week if Syria keep firing into (NATO) Turkey…
For all those that oppose f1 journalists going to Bahrain, the journalist does not become the story by protesting, they simply report the story.
A very interesting quote from that “anonymous team principal”. The “brutally frank” part brings to mind a very certain team principal, but I’d be quite surprised if he made this comment, even off the record.
Does the paddock in general believe the event is likely to be cancelled yet again? My guess is that most do.
I cannot say that with any certainty, but people are worried. The problem is that no-one wants to speak out.
That’s the problem with oppressive regimes, speak up, stick your head above the parapet, and it gets blown off. The protestors in Bahrain and the F1 teams have more in common than they think.
LOL
Indeed. It would be funnier if it wasn’t so true..
Joe, you may relate to this, or at least, bernie might…
Never run out ofaltitude, airspeed and ideas at the same time
Joe,
Right you were when you decided to go to Bahrain, if the race takes place. You are a reporter, that’s the role you chose for yourself in life and that must be exercised regardless of pretty much everything else. I would do just the same.
I just hope there’s a minimum of good sense left anywhere inside Bernie’s mind.
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck than it probably is a duck. It is unreasonable for F1 to be in Bahrain this year for the simple reason that they were not there last year and the situation is still unsettled (putting it mildly). The people (read fans) have not sorted out issues and to go now is to INSULT them. In their minds why would we be there if we were not there last year! If anyone looks at your videos it’s clear that all, is not even close to rosy. I’m sorry that not going is going to cost companies like McLaren but I’ve had a crappy couple of years too.
Keep up the very good work.
Elisha
Rhode Island, USA
Thank you Joe ! As usual spot on reporting..
Dear Joe,
Long time reader, first time commenter. So let me start by saying many thanks for the very informative blog.
I’ll state from the very beginning that I am of the opinion that the Bahrain GP should go ahead as long as the Bahraini organisers wish so, on grounds that the FIA is an impartial organisation without a political agenda. Last year the decision was left to the organisers; what has changed since then? Why should FIA of FOM or any relevant non-political body should be forced to take sides on this conflict?
I sympathise with any nation that is trying to improve the living standards and levels of human rights in their country, and from the various reports I have been reading (since I have not been to the country myself) I realise that Bahrain has some deep political and humanitarian issues that must be resolved. I also completely understand the benefits of public action and demonstrations. However, I find it absurd that an organisation whose purpose is to instate democracy in Bahrain would go as far as using threats of violence against competitors and visitors at the GP.
Formula 1 is an international sport, and it takes place wherever it can be hosted in terms of popularity and infrastructure. Politics should not be a concern (within reason of course. The apartheid case is a very different one). Its organisational body should not take decisions of a political nature, and should not give in to threats. I appreciate that safety is of utmost concern, but what sort of precedent would that set for future sporting events? Imagine if anti-establishment organisations around the world used threats against any competition with global appeal, on the ground of whatever cause they may trying to gain publicity for.
I hope the race will go ahead, all journalists stay safe and return with stories concerning not just the sport, but the reality for the situation in Bahrain. This way, the people’s cause can be assisted far more than any threats of violence, which can only harm any message they are trying to put through.
A couple tips from when my father stayed in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, and Qatar:
1. Don’t stay in a western hotel, stay in the hotels Arabs go to. If anyone decides to blow something up, they’re not going to attempt to blow up their own people, they’re going to blow up the foreigners.
2. Leave your TV on.
3. Don’t intentionally stand out.
“I cannot say that with any certainty, but people are worried. The problem is that no-one wants to speak out.”
What wonderful irony in regards to the situation.
The two-pence political analysis is that this is one big proxy conflict. The Bahrain government is financially backed by the Saudis and the opposition protesters are financially backed by the Iranians as a larger contest between the two larger states to see who controls the gulf. The Iranians can hypothetically therefore get a low-level Bahraini protest group to carry out some kind of operation in a high-profile setting that would screw up a few rich foreigners but will be no one that anyone in the Arab world will miss while at the same time undermining the legitimacy of the rule of the Bahrain government.
Odds of that? 10% sounds right to me. The Iranians are sly bastards that threaten a lot but know not to push too far. It just depends on whether you consider a few rich white guys being made hostages or killed or screwed up as a large geopolitical incident or not to the point it would change international political positions. My guess is no. I think they’d probably threaten on the run-up, it leads to a large military presence to guarantee security, which gives everyone a negative impression of Bahrain that it has to do that, some commentators will say that it was overbearing and that forms the basis for neophyte geopolitical commentary on the state going forward.
It’s clear all the teams are worried. They have responsabilities to their staff. For that matter, so does the BBC and Sky. And this is not exactly the same as Kate Adie reporting from a war zone. I’m not sure MB and DC and JH signed up for riot coverage. Not even EJ !!
How’s everyone’s insurance ? What events in Bahrain would trigger withdrawal of guarantees ? What actions by government would restore it ? Do we really want to know, here where we should be arguing about Jenson v Lewis and Seb v Mark ?
More importantly, how many people in Bahrain are going to suffer withdrawal of all their human rights (life, liberty, etc – all those things we take for granted) over the next week or so in order to present an appearance of “normality” to the outside world ? The “lockdown” has presumably already started.
Thanks Joe for keeping all this in the foreground. When will JT “assume his responsabilities” (as the rench would say) ?
If this race goes ahead it wouldn’t surprise me if it had some of the highest TV viewer ratings ever for a Formula One Race. I know I’ll be watching for my own reasons.
how much do you have to spend on PR to cover up murder?
http://jalopnik.com/5900113/how-bahrain-spends-millions-to-spin-the-press
A few people on this thread seem to have become mired in the side issue of whether journalists should go to Bahrain. The more important point is that F1 should not be going to Bahrain in 2012 and never should have been.
The thing that amazes me is that enough people inside Fortress Bernie can’t see the bigger picture here. I mean the bigger financial picture obviously, as issues of humanity or morality are clearly irrelevant/invisible to those involved. There may be money to be made this year by dragging the F1 roadshow to Bahrain but the 2012 Sakhir race will turn into the biggest PR disaster motorsport has ever seen. It won’t take much. And it will happen.
Why is the FIA so closely aligned with BCE/CVC on this? What’s in it for them to make the coming fallout worthwhile?
When a population’s discontent has fermented and blood has been spilled, trying to cork the bottle with a motor race is beyond foolhardy.
Joe, this is the simplest and most poignant article that I have read on your blog to date.
I didn’t care, yet now I do. Surely, that is a good starting point for journalism?
It certainly is.
Hear hear !
I’ve read every post, and yes you are right. Most significant article and follow-up in any blog to date.
Joe, your very blog taught me that whenever Bernie says something to the press he means the complete opposite. Now that he is saying the Bahrain riots is just a few angry teenagers is that not just a case of showing the Bahrain race organisers that he’s trying to buy them as much time as possible and keeping them sweet.
If he really wanted this GP to go ahead he’d more likely be saying “Unless the Bahrain government can talk to the protestors and calm the situation down it will be very hard for this GP to go ahead”. If he said this then when the GP DOES go ahead it would make it seem like the Bahrain government had some sort of control over the population.
I have faith Bernie will do the right thing for all those involved in F1 & the citizens of Bahrain.
I doubt i would get a reply about this, certainly not publically at least, but if you don’t ask, you have no chance of finding out….
What on earth does Bernie make of your stance on this? I can’t imagine he is happy about it? Has he had a word??
We don’t always agree on things, but we do agree that what is important is that F1 does not get messed up.
Not sure if that is a hint that actually he agrees with you (and is doing his famous double bluff), or if he honestly thinks F1 going there will be fine. But it doesn’t matter, time will tell.
Thanks very much Joe anyway, touched you responded!
Bernie is saying what he HAS to say, and we are doing what we have to do. Which is pressure on Bernie and the FIA.
An anecdote from writer John Perkin (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man) went along the lines of… the CEO of a huge US multinational and the Union Leader, in a hot tub drinking champagne together after a huge industial dispute.
They were celebrating because the CEO wanted to increase benifits and wages, the company was making a fortune. But had he done that without any pressure, the share holders would have sacked him and replaced him with someone much more hard line.
So he needed the Union (opposition), not just for the benifit of himself but for the benifit of the corporation he served.
Bernie is not a stupid man.
Anything but
Interesting… so what does Bernie stand to gain, ultimately? An easy way to make room on the calendar? Could it be that simple? “Any publicity is good publicity?”
I tend to feel that the best way to understant this issue is to follow the money. As it stands now there is too much to loose if the Grand Prix is cancelled. There are large investments in the Arab world with a vested stake in the race being held. Those offset increased insurance premiums, or other non quantifiable costs like PR or safety risk. I also wonder if the fact that the Concorde Agreement is not fully finalized is keeping the teams from speaking out. CVC as we know has a significant stake in a race and very little downside exposure. I am sure it has financial leverage over the FIA as well as the teams. I do believe that momentum is gaining to cancel the race and it will be the commercial sponsors who will tip the scales towards cancelation.
I tip my hat to you Joe, your blog is a model for new media journalism. Keep up the good job, stay brave, independant and bring us your insight.
Bernie is not at all a stupid man (have a look at the Forbes top 50 richest people). His job is to organize Formila One races. Nothing else. He does that job in a perfectly professional way, I.e. he has no personal connections to races.
But that’s quite a fundamental question of business isn’t it? Should one truly and genuinely care about what you do? My personal answer would be yes but personal and business don’t always match 😉
No way would I go if I was involved in f1 , better to be a live coward than a dead hero over a sport 😦
Hi Joe
Do you think that if we didn’t live in the web 2.0 world that we do, F1 would be going to Bahrain and there would be very little fuss over it?
Your blog may not be paying, but its changing the world it seems…
Wow. I’m amazed at the reaction to this particularly those that seem to think a journalists job is to either focus on a very narrow subject or stay away in some sort of impotent protest.
Two thumbs up for Joe. The man has a job to do and is going to do it. The one thing I know we’ll get from his reporting is a better idea of what is happening in Bahrain, assuming the government doesn’t turn the place into an armed camp with a soldier on every street corner, though that will be a story in itself.
I know that journalists staying away isn’t going to send a message, having them there will.
Surely having journalists at this event will only help highlight the problems out there should any thing occur which if this race goes ahead I’m sure will happen. Having them not turn up will achieve nothing whatsoever. The decision has to come from the top of F1 and by that I mean the teams not Bernie and his wallet. F1 could exist without Bernie although he has bought it on a lot since the 80s but it certainly couldn’t exist without the occasional car or driver making an appearance.
Well, I have a comment… Don’t Go. Duh.
While the comment is pointless, it does raise a good question:
Who loses what if they don’t go?
Could, for example, one or more teams make a stand and boycott the race? Are they allowed to miss one race without being thrown out of the championship?
If a driver had a very strong position within his team then I guess he could withdraw and his seat for that race would go to the reserve but he’d need to be very sure of his position to do that.
I’m guessing that if Bernie pulls the plug then he’ll have some fairly significant payouts to make to the organisers, presumably why he left it to them last year.
We seem to be at a point where those who could make the stand aren’t going to and everyone else is just waiting and hoping something happens that forces their hand.
I’d be quite surprised if the race didn’t pass off without incident, as Joe and many others have said, that isn’t the point though…
I really am surprised to see criticism of joe going to this event. Having journalists on the ground is one of the few ways we can get an independent view of what is going on. The more that go the better. I presume they are ther to report, not as show of support or otherwise.
I think criticism should be directed at berie. If he can broker the deals for these ridiculous grands prix, he should take more responsibility for them.
I have absolutely no doubt of Joe’s professionalism and the need to go where the F1 world takes him.
My only question is we all know from the last few Evenings with Joe (Melbourne) how much Joe becomes an advocate for the place he is visiting. How does Bahrain rate on this scale?
I wish that Bahrain would be able to sort out its problems. I like the place and the people and I think there is a lot of potential. However, they cannot paper over the cracks of their problems. They need to solve them. If they can do that and keep the population happy then there is a future. If they keep trying to pretend there is nothing wrong and that F1 is miracle cure to revive the battered economy then they will fail. F1 is in grave danger of being used in this respect and no good will come of it.
A recent news article on Al Jazeera http://youtu.be/i9tboUIYcrI. Stay away would be my advice!
Joe,
Do you feel at all trapped by the fact you have never missed a GP weekend? If you record wasn’t so enviable would you be more inclined to stay at home?
Not at all. I missed about 400 Grands Prix before I started…
Slacker… 😉 Shame as I would love a Saward-esque reviews of 1967-70 as I am strangely obsessed with the era!
whether anyone feels it has any weight or not, team personel (ordinary boys and girls) dont want to go. It would be nice to think they had given this due moral consideration, but those i know dont want to go just because they are scared of what might happen…i mean genuinely scared!
I have many friends living in Bahrain, and have spent some time there during the past year. I would offer the observation that the current unrest eminates from some militant factions of the Shiite community, but does not necessarily reflect the views of the majority of Bahrain’s inhabitants. The popular view propagated by the media is that the downtrodden masses are fighting against the oppressive monarchy and government. In reality, it is just a small fraction of the population that is taking this course of action. The reality is that everyday life in bahrain is pretty normal, and the majority of the population wants to live a peaceful, stable life. As usual, the international media is looking for a story, and if the truth is not so interesting they tend to embellish it a little (that’s what’s called “selective reporting”). I live in Phuket (Thailand), and the same thing happened here following the tsunami in 2004. The media coverage suggested that the whole island had been destroyed, while most of the island was not affected at all. Last year we saw widespread rioting in the UK. Based on your reaction to what is happening in Bahrain, one would have expected the media to be calling for the overthrow of the British government. The current unrest in Bahrain is certainly supported by external influences that would like to see a Shiite government in power that would break ties with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states and bring the country closer to Iran. Are you sure that’s what you want?
How do you explain the size of the recent demonstrations? Yes, I agree that only a tiny percentage may be taking violent action. Most people are too scared. It is always that way. The French Resistance was the same. Northern Ireland. Cuba before Castro. The problem with this argument is that it only takes a tiny percentage to cause an outrage. The kidnapping of Juan-Manuel Fangio in Havana in 1958 showed that.