Of course it is! I was relieved when I got home from work this evening to find that The Bahrain Grand Prix has been officially postponed. Any attempt to run it on March 13th would have surely been a disaster.
The Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa made the announcement today after F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had put the decision in his hands at the end of last week.
Speaking on Twitter, the Crown Prince said: “We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest. Bahrain’s priority is on overcoming tragedy, healing divisions and rediscovering the fabric that draws this country together to remind the world of the very best that Bahrain is capable of as a nation once again united.”
And that’s exactly the point. The country is still in a state of civil unrest due to the ongoing protests. Radical decisions are being made. People have lost their lives over what they believe. Is this really the time to host a global sporting event. Would you feel right, celebrating a pole position or victory in a country which is still in turmoil. And the whole event would just create more trouble, due to it being pretty much run by the Bahrani royal family.
There should never have even been a debate about the sport going there at this time. In fact, should it even be the matter that’s being discussed?
The F1 season will now start on March 27th in Australia. There’s a very strong chance that a race will still be run in Bahrain this year after the current ‘unrest’ has come to an end. But if Bahrain is to follow the massive wave of change traveling through the middle-east at the moment, it could be a very different country by the time F1 does pull up there again.
Shame it won’t be a different track!
Posted by chrisbheath 
The Rich, Harsh Poet 