Bahrain - What a rubbish place to start a Championship!

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 10 Jun 2011, 08:34

Finally, common sense. But that won't suffice.

Go home, Bernie Ecclestone!

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 10 Jun 2011, 16:59

It's been a mess unfortunately. Why FIA and FOM insist on walking the harder path baffles me. It is like F1 is masochist. Likes to punish itself in order to reach the outcome everyone clearly knows it is the best. I am starting to think Mosley was made for the job...

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 10 Jun 2011, 22:12

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92158

You know what follows, so I won't repeat it.

Post by **mario** » 10 Jun 2011, 22:24

DanielPT wrote:It's been a mess unfortunately. Why FIA and FOM insist on walking the harder path baffles me. It is like F1 is masochist. Likes to punish itself in order to reach the outcome everyone clearly knows it is the best. I am starting to think Mosley was made for the job...

Given Mosely's recent legal adventures, I would suggest that you leave that comment right there...

And now, predictably, the blame game has started, with the FIA, justifiably, pointing out that FOM and some of the teams should take part of the blame for this fiasco by supporting the decision to reinstate the race. To be honest, though, as many say the damage has already been done, and now what we're seeing just makes things worse because it just keeps on dragging the same figures into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 10 Jun 2011, 22:33

Is there a chance that the "Reject Of the Race Award" for Bahrain 2011 might be awarded retroactively?

Walsh_e · Post by **Walsh_e** » 11 Jun 2011, 03:14

Yannick wrote:Is there a chance that the "Reject Of the Race Award" for Bahrain 2011 might be awarded retroactively?

With Williams improving its looking like the Bahrain fiasco could get reject of the year at this rate!

dnhrudi · Post by **dnhrudi** » 15 Jun 2011, 05:50

Considering the behaviour of the Bahrain regime as soon as the cancellation of the Grand Prix was confirmed, there can now be no doubt that the Grand Prix was to be used as a blind to legitimize their actions. The military trial of Doctors and nurses for carrying out their duty of care in treating all injured people I find utterly morally bankrupt as a medic and as a human being. It was absolutely the right thing for F1 not to go there, and i live in hope F1 never goes back there again. b*****ds......

pablo_h · Post by **pablo_h** » 15 Jun 2011, 17:05

Not to mention the fact the Bahrain government is now pursuing legal action against a UK newspaper that reported all this stuff happening in Bahrain.
They wouldn't be doing that now if the GP was happening there this year. Only started trying to sue as soon as this years GP is now canceled.

Post by **Londoner** » 16 Jun 2011, 13:15

It's now been confirmed by the FIA that Bahrain has now been officially dropped from the calendar for this year.

Revelo89 · Post by **Revelo89** » 16 Jun 2011, 13:26

East Londoner wrote:It's now been confirmed by the FIA that Bahrain has now been officially dropped from the calendar for this year.

And nothing of value was lost.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 20 Jun 2011, 09:52

East Londoner wrote:It's now been confirmed by the FIA that Bahrain has now been officially dropped from the calendar for this year.

About time...

pablo_h · Post by **pablo_h** » 21 Jun 2011, 04:17

The main opposition party in Bahrain, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, has called for anti-government protests after Friday prayers today to mark the fourth month of the uprising (which actually began on 14 February), reports Press TV, the Iranian-government-controlled news network. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/185057.html

All of al-Wefaq's MPs resigned from parliament in March in protest at the deaths of anti-regime demonstrators.

Meanwhile, protests were held overnight in a number of places, according to YouTube footage (update: see 11.43am). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle- ... e#block-16

In a significant development this week, the US, a close ally, put Bahrain on its list of human rights abusers, a list that includes Iran, North Korea, Syria and Zimbabwe. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-1 ... syria.html

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Jun 2011, 16:53

pablo_h wrote:... after Friday prayers today ...

Excuse me for being ignorant, but how can you have Friday prayers on a Tuesday?

Post by **Londoner** » 13 Jul 2011, 08:39

Someone's throwing all their toys out of their pram! :lol:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/interviews/article-23969259-our-grand-prix-is-far-bigger-than-all-britain-has-to-offer-says-bahrain-chief.do

Post by **mario** » 13 Jul 2011, 12:19

East Londoner wrote:Someone's throwing all their toys out of their pram!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/interviews/article-23969259-our-grand-prix-is-far-bigger-than-all-britain-has-to-offer-says-bahrain-chief.do

That official has definitely come out with some questionable comments there - whilst he may be unhappy with what has happened, publicly attacking the teams, even if he is insisting that he doesn't want to stir up a fight with the teams, is likely to further damage his relations with the teams and do just that. And although Mosely might no longer be head of the FIA, he still has extensive personal contacts and some influence within the FIA, so proceeding to attack him - however much truth there may be in the suggestion that Mosely's is motivated as much by revenge as by moral objections - is potentially risky.

Besides, what this spokesman has done is to shed further light on the behaviour of the authorities earlier this year and to highlight the fact that divisions within Bahrain are still rife - a move which could well backfire on the Bahraini Governments attempts to persuade the sport back to the region.

F1000X · Post by **F1000X** » 13 Jul 2011, 14:37

East Londoner wrote:Someone's throwing all their toys out of their pram!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/interviews/article-23969259-our-grand-prix-is-far-bigger-than-all-britain-has-to-offer-says-bahrain-chief.do

If the Grand Prix is the biggest and most important event of the year in your country, you live in a boring bathplug country. This dude has a massive amount of USI (Unwarranted Self Importance). Your race sucks, nobody missed it, and nobody misses it now. Get over it.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 13 Jul 2011, 14:52

Zayed Alzayani wrote:At Silverstone you feel the race only on the track. You don't see anything at the airport, maybe a small banner, nothing in London. You come to Oxford Street, nobody knows the grand prix is on. If this was the race weekend in Bahrain, you would see posters and fliers and advertisements in every shopping mall, in every corner of the town. To us, the grand prix is definitely the biggest event of the year.

We anticipate it all year long, it puts Bahrain on the map, transforms the nation and changes the mood of the people. It is bigger than your Silverstone, the FA Cup, the Derby, the Grand National all rolled into one.

Maybe that's the case in your country, but to everyone else the Bahrain GP is 1-and-a-half hours of guaranteed boredom. It's in the middle of the desert, there is literally nothing to see on television, no interesting corners, scenery or a skyline worth mentioning. Silverstone may not be the biggest event in Britain, but people still turn up to it, and in droves at that. Why? Because it's a great track, it's got plenty of passing and variables and awesome corners and history and a chance of rain. Bahrain has none of that, and that is why people didn't particularly mourn the loss of the race this year. I bet that us making shite up in place of the GP was more exciting than what would've actually taken place.

In short, go home you silly deluded man.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 13 Jul 2011, 22:21

Zayed Alzayani wrote:We anticipate it all year long, it puts Bahrain on the map, transforms the nation and changes the mood of the people. It is bigger than your Silverstone, the FA Cup, the Derby, the Grand National all rolled into one.

Just as well then that we also have Wimbledon and the 2012 Olympics, amongst other sports too. What else do you have? That's why your GP is so big within your own country. Because you don't have anything else... We don't advertise in Oxford Street, that's true, because there is no need to.

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 14 Jul 2011, 01:22

dr-baker wrote:
Zayed Alzayani wrote:We anticipate it all year long, it puts Bahrain on the map, transforms the nation and changes the mood of the people. It is bigger than your Silverstone, the FA Cup, the Derby, the Grand National all rolled into one.

Just as well then that we also have Wimbledon and the 2012 Olympics, amongst other sports too. What else do you have? That's why your GP is so big within your own country. Because you don't have anything else... We don't advertise in Oxford Street, that's true, because there is no need to.

He's overestimating the importance of horse-racing a tad, I feel...

Post by **Londoner** » 08 Oct 2011, 10:04

I'll dredge this thread back up again, as there have been fresh doubts (unsuprisingly) about Bahrain going ahead next year. Somehow, I feel this time the race will survive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15226521.stm

WeirdKerr · Post by **WeirdKerr** » 08 Oct 2011, 10:13

yawn..... im getting slightly bored by this....

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 08 Oct 2011, 12:07

Sod the Bahrain Grand Prix, if that goes, we get Istanbul back.

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 08 Oct 2011, 12:23

redbulljack14 wrote:Sod the Bahrain Grand Prix, if that goes, we get Istanbul back.

My thoughts exactly.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 08 Oct 2011, 15:25

AdrianSutil wrote:
redbulljack14 wrote:Sod the Bahrain Grand Prix, if that goes, we get Istanbul back.

My thoughts exactly.

Exactly, Istanbul is one of the good Tilke tracks, along with Sepang and Shanghai.

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 10 Oct 2011, 13:16

The last race at the Sakhir Desert International Circuit was so boring this circuit does not need to return to the F1 calendar anymore.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 10 Oct 2011, 14:24

Yannick wrote:The last race at the Sakhir Desert International Circuit was so boring this circuit does not need to return to the F1 calendar anymore.

I wonder if it was, say Monza or Spa, instead of Sakhir, people would be so vocal in wanting to see the back of the Bahrain GP. (Assuming those other circuits were going through the same problems.)

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 11 Oct 2011, 01:36

DanielPT wrote:
Yannick wrote:The last race at the Sakhir Desert International Circuit was so boring this circuit does not need to return to the F1 calendar anymore.

I wonder if it was, say Monza or Spa, instead of Sakhir, people would be so vocal in wanting to see the back of the Bahrain GP. (Assuming those other circuits were going through the same problems.)

But circuits like Monza and Spa are full of history, you could never permanently drop those two tracks. Look at Monaco, it's probably the worst 'circuit' on the current calendar, but it throws up the odd exciting race and is steeped in glamour and royalty. So you couldn't drop that.

Bahrain is set in the middle of the desert, none of the teams or drivers really like it and the longer track used in 2010 made it worse.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 11 Oct 2011, 02:17

plus bahrain's track was created for all the wrong reasons. OIL MONEY.
monza was created because they wanted a racing venue up to the caliber of Indianapolis and Brooklands, and they saw racing as a venture of bringing new eyes toward the then recovering (from ww1) Italy.
bahrain has done the opposite, and been used for bernie's pocket, everything i stand against, yadda yadda yadda.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 11 Oct 2011, 09:26

What I meant to say was that if it was Italy or Belgium to beat the crap out of protesters, torture them and making some disappear, we would be so vocal in wanting their venues out of the F1 calendar.

dnhrudi · Post by **dnhrudi** » 29 Oct 2011, 07:13

DanielPT wrote:What I meant to say was that if it was Italy or Belgium to beat the crap out of protesters, torture them and making some disappear, we would be so vocal in wanting their venues out of the F1 calendar.

human suffering or a piece of tarmac....well I would like to think that would be a no brainer, but that depends I guess on how important motorsports are in a persons life. Syrian Grand Prix anyone? C'mon, could be as much fun as the Argentine GP's in the 70's.....

Post by **Londoner** » 15 Nov 2011, 09:07

And here's Bernie insisting that all will be well in April, and that we can forget having Turkey back as a potential replacement :roll:

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/64350.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 15 Nov 2011, 12:05

Typical. Money well and truely does talk

It will kill off F1 in the long term though

Alianora La Canta · Post by **Alianora La Canta** » 16 Nov 2011, 15:46

And the WEC too (the FIA's decided to put in a Bahrain round for the new World Endurance Championship that clashes with Petit Le Mans, in a way that strongly suggests it's only happening due to F1's troubles with that country and Bernie keeping hold of the deposit).

Way to shoot yourself in the foot, FIA.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 18 Nov 2011, 03:01

I am a fan of Istanbul as well, but I must say, so what if it's all for money? That's Ecclestone's job. Yes, he may be a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket sometimes, but his job is to ensure that there are maximum profits over the long term for the owners and shareholders of Formula 1. He can't put a race on the calendar if it's not willing to pay up fully and adhere to his financial requirements, he has money which he needs to make.

I am sure that, if we were all in his position, we would all, regardless of the public criticism of his decisions, do it anyway, because it is our job. He is not a troll sitting at his desk, crossing off good tracks on the calendar to replace with entertaining races, for the purpose of ruining the racing for us. And besides, who said that Bahrain would still provide us with a boring race under these brand new regulations? They were set to revert to the old layout this year, which was certainly much better for racing. Not only that, but with that preferred old layout, refueling being banned, Pirelli tyres, KERS and DRS, I am sure that it would easily provide us with the most entertaining race ever to take place at that track.

Post by **Londoner** » 08 Dec 2011, 16:15

Joe Saward, stoking the anti-Bahrain fires again...

FMecha · Post by **FMecha** » 08 Dec 2011, 18:04

^ Partially agree with Saward's article, but...

Jack O Melley · Post by **Jack O Melley** » 12 Dec 2011, 11:48

"The danger is you go out there [Bahrain] and they pick you up in a limousine and take you to the best hotel and take you to dinner and then put you back on the aeroplane."

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 12 Dec 2011, 12:52

Jack O Melley wrote:"The danger is you go out there [Bahrain] and they pick you up in a limousine and take you to the best hotel and take you to dinner and then put you back on the aeroplane."

Seriously, how can someone live so outside of the real world? Bernie is again delusional and showing how he doesn't give a s**t about those who cannot afford a limo. I am starting to find that Bernie thinks he is immortal...

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 12 Dec 2011, 14:52

DanielPT wrote:
Jack O Melley wrote:"The danger is you go out there [Bahrain] and they pick you up in a limousine and take you to the best hotel and take you to dinner and then put you back on the aeroplane."

Seriously, how can someone live so outside of the real world? Bernie is again delusional and showing how he doesn't give a s**t about those who cannot afford a limo. I am starting to find that Bernie thinks he is immortal...

Let's hope hasn't found a secret to immortality.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 12 Dec 2011, 15:30

redbulljack14 wrote:
DanielPT wrote:
Jack O Melley wrote:"The danger is you go out there [Bahrain] and they pick you up in a limousine and take you to the best hotel and take you to dinner and then put you back on the aeroplane."

Seriously, how can someone live so outside of the real world? Bernie is again delusional and showing how he doesn't give a s**t about those who cannot afford a limo. I am starting to find that Bernie thinks he is immortal...

Let's hope hasn't found a secret to immortality.

Don't worry, he hasn't. Otherwise he would be trying to publicly sell that for all the money in the world x 2...