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The Formula One circus will race in Bahrain in 2011 despite the early-season postponement. |
The race, which had been appointed to be the aperture chase of the aristocratic motorsport division on March 13, was canceled in February. The Bahraini acme prince abreast F1 arch Bernie Ecclestone of the accommodation by blast afterwards canicule of agitated clashes. Australia afterwards hosted the aperture accident two weeks afterwards than scheduled.
The chase in Bahrain is now appointed for October 28-30, acceptation that the countdown Indian Grand Prix will be confused from that date to become the final chase of the division afterwards Brazil (November 25-27).The Indian accident will now booty abode on December 9-11, according to the official F1 web site.
Should F1 take the risk of racing in Bahrain?
"This is acceptable account for all of Bahrain," administrator of the host ambit Zayed R. Alzayani said in a account Friday. "As a country we accept faced a difficult time, but adherence has returned; with businesses operating abutting to normal, the State of Civic Safety aerial and countries removing biking restrictions.
"Collectively, we are in the action of acclamation issues of civic and all-embracing concern, and acquirements acquaint from the contempo past. By the time the Grand Prix arrives we will be able to admonish the apple about Bahrain at its best."
Alzayani said the chase "attracts 100,000 visitors, supports 3,000 jobs and generates about $500 actor of bread-and-butter benefit. Its absolute aftereffect will be acquainted throughout the country."
Ecclestone's Formula One Management and motorsport's apple administering body, the FIA, accepted the advertisement on Friday.
FIA admiral Jean Todt and vice-president Carlos Garcia visited Bahrain on Tuesday to appraise the situation, affair government and motor antagonism admiral as able-bodied as as added civic and all-embracing organizations including the Civic Institute of Human Rights.
"It should be acclaimed that the contempo advertisement by the King of Bahrain has accustomed a political chat and adaptation process," the FIA said in a account on its web site.
"After because all the factors and demography into application all stakeholders' concerns, the Apple Motor Sport Council (WMSC) absolutely agreed to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix."
However, the account has been carefully accustomed by arch aggregation Red Bull, which won both disciplinarian and architect apple titles aftermost division and is afresh on top in 2011 with Sebastian Vettel a ascendant force on the grid.
"Red Bull Antagonism has accustomed the FIA Apple Motor Sport Council's accommodation to go advanced with the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix," the Britain-based Austrian aggregation said in a statement.This shows to abounding organizations that F1's interests accept added amount to them than humanity
--Bahrain activist Nabeel Rajab
"We will go through the correct channels and discuss this decision within the appropriate forum with the other F1 teams and our fellow FOTA members."
Red Bull has been targeted by activist group Avaaz, which launched an online petition asking the team and the 11 others in F1 to boycott Bahrain.
"Formula One's decision is a kick in the teeth for the Bahraini people," campaign director Alex Wilks said in quotes reported by the UK Press Association, which said former F1 world champion Damon Hill was among the 340,000-plus signatories.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights also expressed its anger at the FIA's decision, and warned that there would be further protests on the day of the race.
"They have taken the decision on the day two people were buried today: one woman who died from shock from a sound bomb, and one man who died today after being attacked in March," its president Nabeel Rajab told CNN.
"That F1 took this decision without thinking about the human rights in this country, this shows to many organizations that their interests have more value to them than humanity.
"From our side we will see how on that day we will get the whole world to know what is happening here. Already there are pages on Facebook calling it (the day of the grand prix) a Day of Rage.
"I will urge all the drivers, journalists, everyone, to stay in solidarity with us by not going to this event. This will be the sport of the oppressor's regime. A huge number of the staff of F1 Bahrain has been detained, jailed and tortured. None of this is reported."
On Wednesday, Bahrain lifted the state of emergency laws that had facilitated the restriction of political leaders and journalists, but at the same time the government continued its crackdown on the country's major Shiite political opposition movement and stifled the latest street protests.
It filed charges against four top opposition leaders in a move that could weaken the country's Al Wefaq party, according to two opposition sources. This came as King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa appealed for dialogue, saying that talks with opposition groups are scheduled to begin in July.
The lifting of the emergency laws, imposed in mid-March, is thought to be an effort to signal an end to months of civil unrest stemming from the Arab Spring, a wave of anti-government demonstrations that started in Tunisia and have since roiled several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.
But the announcement by the country's Information Affairs Authority followed one from the justice ministry the day before warning against "any type of activities that could affect the security or harm the national peace and safety."
Still, Alzayani on Friday said: "The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been a source of national pride and it is an event than transcends politics. Not only does it receive strong support from the Government, but also from all major parties in Bahrain, including our largest opposition group, Al Wefaq, who yesterday endorsed both the BIC and motor-racing in Bahrain."
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