“We are a real country with real issues and we hope you see us with all our complexities and all our shades,” said HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. “I genuinely believe that this race is a force for good. It unites many people from many different religious backgrounds and sects. Cancelling the race would encourage the extremists.
“I think this race should continue because it is indeed a very big event for this country. It is important economically and socially.
“Political parties from across the whole spectrum, both conservative and opposition, have welcomed the race and as far as I understand it was a few politicians [in Britain] who made those comments and it doesn’t certainly represent the entire British political spectrum.”
“I absolutely can guarantee that any problems that may or may not happen are not directed at Formula 1. And it goes to show that there are people that are out to cause chaos.
“You had these problems last year in your country and there’s a very big difference between protesting for political rights and rioting and the attack that happened around Force India was aimed at the police and it was unprovoked and it was quite dangerous.
“But at no time was anyone from Formula 1 in danger.”
“Protests will happen. It is part of the political protest in any county. There is a very big difference between protesting and rioting.”
“I am here to go racing.”
joeblogsf1 
Many extremists in relatively recent history have worn crowns.
Hmm, more the like cancelling the GP would be the entirely sensible and appropriate thing to do.
What was the ‘crown prince’ doing giving politically driven press conference at the circuit?
Very good,kar.
The Franco-German TV channel Arte is programming for tomorrow evening a docuentary that was clandestinely shot (apparently only sports news are allowed to operate in Bahrain) and shows the striking difference of treatment between the minority of Sunnis and the majority of Shias. It shows among other things the ruthlesness, the sheer brutality with which the local police dwells against the people’s riots.
I guess that instead of being in front of my tv on Sunday for the GP, I’ll watch this movie tomorow
It’s already a victory for the protesters.
I was watching Sky News before work this morning and the protesters are getting great coverage from this. I watched about a 15 minute segment and it was critical of F1 going to Bahrain. It included the shadow foreign secretary (I think) and she was critical too.
I don’t imagine that was the kind of coverage the Bahrain powers that be were expecting, probably not the F1 powers either. I’ve been at work all day so haven’t seen more coverage but if it’s all like that then this visit to Bahrain is a huge PR win for the protesters.
One image made me smile a little; there was video footage of youths protesting, camera angle behind a group of 20 or 30 of them as they ran towards security forces. Centre of shot was a young man throwing something at the police – he was wearing a grey t-shirt with a very large Prancing Horse logo on the back.
Oh I forgot to mention…….the Sky reporters had been banned from entering Bahrain – that didn’t exactly endear them to the regime…..
The journalist is question was a Sky News reporter. Not a Sky Sport reporter. The Associate Press guys were to cover the race but one presumes that the government felt that was not the true purpose of their visit.
Seems we have at least 7 incidences of reporters being turned away so far. And yes it does appear that sport journalists are being allowed entry and those working for the official news divisions are being ejected. I’m sure this jibes perfectly with ‘“We are a real country with real issues and we hope you see us with all our complexities and all our shades,”
Perhaps the addendum – “but not that particular shade, and obviously not that form of complexity”…
Mr Ecclestone’s actions remind me of the age old proverbial expression “There is no such thing as bad publicity…” Has the F1 circus leader finally pulled his most politically manipulative move yet? As Oscar Wilde said, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” Sadly in this case, I think this his Ecclestone’s end game. More publicity but at the expense of a hurting Barainian people. I hope I’m wrong.
So by that logic if the GP goes ahead it’s a victory for murderess tyrants
Spot on.
Absolutely!
All the tyrants are women?
“I am here to go racing.”
I know the Al Khalifas own the circuit and all (along with the government, the media and the courts), but I wasn’t aware they’d bought themselves a seat in one of the cars.
Unless you count the McLaren ?
I think mention of Labour’s headline grabbing opposition on the eve of the race should be downplayed.
Had last year’s race kicked Bahrain off the calendar then we would only be working ourselves up for an earlier European race. Nobody would be thinking about Bahrain’s people in the slightest.
Should F1 be in Bahrain? Of course it should. The protestors would be completely lost without it.
Yeah, on the opposite side, F1 in Barhain vindicate repression though.
Yeah sure. Completely lost. Just getting zapped by small arms fire every evening as usual.
Are you really making out that F1 is in Bahrain to do demonstrators a favour ?
Well, yes.
Otherwise Bahrain would be the other Syria that you never hear about.
Besides, if you’re so bothered about what’s going on in Bahrain, why don’t you go there to help out?
Check it out, the hacker group anonymous has taken down formula1.com: http://jalopnik.com/5903732/breaking-anonymous-takes-down-formula-1-website-with-ddos-attack
Just checked formula1.com, and all appears normal there…11:30am PDT
yeah, it’s been up and down all day…
Why haven’t we heard any statements from the FIA? This is more their political territory and where’s Max when you need him?
Sport and politics should never mix…
Max isnt in charge of the FIA anymore
Anonymous attacks the F1.com website! What’s Bernie have to say about that, Joe?
A victory for extremists? I always thought that having security forces firing and killing peaceful protesters was ‘extreme.’
Joe, there is no coverage of what is happening currently in Bharain on any media in Canada, and the Speed coverage of the latest practice said that they were not going to even talk about what was going on, only going to cover the important “stuff….the racing on the track”. This being whie they are watching the feed on monitors comfortably in the U.S. It is important that you keep reporting as you have been. Be safe.
Well I seem to be going against the grain here, but I agree with everything he said. The comments from Labour today are simply more political posturing, simply trying to tag on to the band wagin of percieved public mood.
Let’s get on with the racing. It’s safe for the teams to race, so let’s just get on with it please, I’m pretty peed off that F1 has been hijacked by both sides as a political tool. Enough already.
Hijacked? Freely given to at least one side…
But the whole race is a political event, design reflect glory on to the Royal family and, as such has giant crosshairs all over it.
If HRH was that worried about the event maybe he should accepted the demands of the demonstrators when the things they wanted were quite moderate, which would have isolated the ‘extremists’.
Well said Itchy
This cartoon says it all.
From today’s New York Times, with some very insightful comment from John Burns, a journalist I have the utmost respect for.
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/timescast/1247467375115/index.html?hp
Let’s see… various Labour politicians, including the leader of the party. That covers the left. David Davis, high-profile Conservative. That covers the right. Sounds like a fair chunk of the British political spectrum to me.
I just read a transcript of the Friday press conference. All credit to the journalists, they asked decent questions on the topic du jour. And the responses they got were an utter disgrace, every one of them. None of the team bosses is prepared to say a damn thing. They’re completely spineless, the lot of them, parroting hackneyed non-answers as if from a script. It’s like Bernie has got them under a spell. I expect this kind of thing from Bernie, not the teams.
Horner said the following: “Formula One is a sport at the end of the day and it’s wrong for it to be used politically”. Err, it’s already being used politically, Christian. By the Bahraini ruling elite.
Bob Fernley (whoever he is) said “hopefully it will help with the healing process for Bahrain, and that’s why we’re here”. Not going to happen, Bob. There are still plenty of protests. Anyone with half a brain can see that the presence of the F1 race is only inflaming the situation further.
This is not F1’s finest hour.
“They’re completely spineless, the lot of them”
Agreed – even Force India could not say the real reason it was leaving early.
Everyone is there now and they might as well have the race, the damage is done.
Our government will not take a view. They can’t call it unsafe as a travel block and evacuation would have to take place, then you have to take a point from the prince, we did have riots here last year and there is nothing to say they won’t happen again and more so during the olympics. Do we cancel the olympics if there is rioting? Imagine the PM saying now that F1 should leave and in 98 days there is rioting, do we then tell the world to leave the UK?
I’m bored of this topic Joe, the guy who holds all the guns wants a race and will get one.
I agree that the damage is done to F1.
Formula One has survived bigger crisis than this
I sincerely hope that one of the drivers or one of the team principals finally breaks the silence during this weekend…
I can understand the Crown Prince’s reasoning completely – he is an articulate and intelligent man, irrespective of whether he is right or wrong – but I am horrified that formula one has allowed itself to become a political puppet. I watched Bernie’s comments on the BBC news and his body language was of a man who wished he was somewhere else. This all seems to be spiralling out of control to the point where someone may die as a result of F1 being in Bahrain. Whether that is a rioter, demonstrator, F1 team member, journalist, policeman or spectator, it will be blood on the FIA’s and Bernie’s hands.
A victory for extremists? I think the Crown Prince is going a little far by referring to Joe in such terms, forthright though he may be from time to time…
Whenever any government starts describing their opponents as extremists we know they have not a moral leg to stand on.
F1’s presence in Bahrain is not about politics.. which is why a senior political figure in the country is giving press conferences, I assume, at the circuit itself?And how in God’s name does the situation in which the Force India people found themselves manage to be both dangerous and yet not dangerous?
It’s a shambles. I have no idea whether the protestors are a few kids (BE’s term, if I remember), a bunch of violent extremists, or an oppressed populace simply trying to obtain the kind of freedoms I take for granted myself. Whoever and whatever they are, such a high-profile event was always going to be a challenge they’d have to take up.
More fool anyone who claims they didn’t expect trouble. I only hope no one, visitor or Bahraini, loses their life because of what happens around the event.
Bon Fearnley, chief of Force India, at the press conference today : “Hopefully, the Formula One programme has brought the world’s media here, it gives a good platform for debate and hopefully it will help with the healing process for Bahrain, and that’s why we’re here.”
Except that the world’s media are being kept out. Josh, take note.
I thought you were there for a race.
SO they ARE finally being open to the fact that they are using a sporting event as a political pawn. Shame on Bernie and the FIA.
So “But at no time was anyone from Formula 1 in danger.”… I’m sure the Force India and Sauber people might not agree with that!!
F1 should not have gone there. But strangely, now it has, it is IMHO working against the government. Bahrain has been largely out of the news in the UK for months. Now its problems are covered everywhere. Tonight BBC News 24 was leading its rolling news with the Crown Prince saying the race should go ahead, and in the BBC’s words, “despite violent protests.”
Just read this on the sky news app:
‘Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone said that the race actually gave protestors a platform to voice their political concerns. He said “I don’t want to be rude at all, but I think the prince has been a little bit silly putting the race on because he’s given the protestors the incredible platform for all you guys to talk to them. They tak about democracy, which is freedom of speech – they say – they’ve had all the freedom in the world to talk to you guys.”
Astonishing – Now he’s criticisng the prince chap !
The Prince in this situation reminds me of the scene from ‘Animal House’ where the National Guardsmen played by Kevin Bacon is shouting, ‘REMAIN CALM, ALL IS WELL…’ all the while the town riots all around him.
I haven’t been to Bahrain and know very little about the sitrep there but I am a little amazed by the commentary in this thread being so one sided. Until I know more of the facts, I will just say that I for one am just glad to see there is a race this weekend. Politics can go to you know where.
It is not one-sided at all
Just had a look at how much time the contract for Bahrain to host their grand prix race and [dejectedly] found out that it appears to run until 2016! Short of there being some cancellation of this contract, I guess there is no option other than to wait for the contract to run out & think that it will be replaced by another location wanting to host a grand prix race?
I understand money, points, and jobs are at risk, but the deafening silence amongst the team bosses and drivers is disappointing. I’ve lost quite a bit of respect for the sport I love. I don’t think I’ll ever see it the same way again. Maybe it’s time to pick a different motorsport to follow.
Its a forlorn hope of course, but, if they are going to race, it would be nice if all the drivers gathered on the grid for a minutes silence to honour those who have died under the actions of this brutal and oppressive regime. And one or two of our world champions could really ‘man up’ and go and visit the dying hunger striker Al Khawaja in hospital. Think of the good that would do? But then, they probably don’t know he exists. I’ve played at least four concerts in Bahrain during my career, and now my conscience is heavy too, for things i have done (some of these rulers may well have been supported somehow by my little shows). If so, then I am truly sorry for what i have done….
We now live in an information age, where we see everything that’s going on and where its going on, minute by minute via twitter etc; Search ‘Bahrain’ and you’ll see it all – there can be no excuse for ignorance. This is a beautiful world we share with those less fortunate than ourselves. Most of the Grand Prix people are quite comfortably rich by their hard work and the good fortune of choosing this sport as their profession, thanks to the brilliant efforts of Bernie and his like. They can afford to be a little humanitarian and generous here, as they often are in the admirable charitable work many of them do. This is a critical moment for F1 and Motorsport, when it could do so much good – and attract so many new followers. C’mon F1… When Martin Brundle does his grid walk on Sunday, stand together and show the world YOU CARE!
If something unfortunately does go bad – I wonder how quick the scape goating will begin?
Every team will turn around and say “we were against it from the start – we were forced by Bernie”
Every driver will do likewise.
Bernie will blame the teams, the government, the media for stirring up the issue and anything in between (Maybe it will somehow be Mosley’s fault)
By the time we get to the next race this Bahrain farce will be forgotten. It is of course a shame that this is all happening but we need to get this in perspective. China has a worse record on human rights than does Bahrain, but no one was complaining last weekend about being there. Rugby and cricket tours happened in south africa at the time of apartheid. I think Bernie has been caught out a bit but he will live to fight another day. Maybe his agenda is to rid the FIA of Todt, which would be good for F1. However I just hope that no on gets hurt and that the protestors’ story is well publicised. It doesn’t matter if the sports reporters are there and not the news reporters, the story is getting massive world wide publicity.
Sniff Petrol – inappropriate/controversial but spot on the mark again
http://sniffpetrol.com/2012/04/20/breivik-f1-is-go/
“Formula 1 created fresh controversy this week with news that Anders Breivik is to be allowed to set up an F1 team.”
Despite my reservations over F1 being in Bahrain, I now think that F1 being there( though damaging for F1) will actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the protesters.
Right now, the protesters are the cynosure of attention of the global media and their stories told through countless news reports worldwide. In that regard, the Crown Prince’s point that cancelling the race would be a victory for the ‘extremists’ seems rather moot.
I just hope that the F1 personnel who are there leave safe and sound on Sunday. But my respect for Bernie is at an all time low. Money is important, but values are even more so..
Thank you all for your comments on this subject. It is now over. I have read some interesting views from all sides, and have noted particularly the number of people who were pleased that the silent majority has had a voice, albeit a small one. Everyone has a different viewpoint and finding the right balance between the various parties is not easy at all. I hope that there can be some balance found so that the bloodshed can stop. However, this is a motor racing blog and we must now move on.