Bahrain, drivers take a vow of silence

If the pressures for the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix have increased this week, in the Shanghai paddock, it should be noted that the drivers are treading carefully on the issue. Thus, during the traditional FIA press conference on Thursday, none of the six drivers present responded when a journalist from ESPN Star Sports asked if any of them had moral reservations about going to Bahrain next week.

But the other drivers were not more talkative in the paddock, with Michael Schumacher simply answering affirmatively when asked if he would feel comfortable going to Bahrain and negatively when questioned about any potential scruples. As for Heikki Kovalainen, he states that he will follow his team’s decision: “I don’t want to get involved in this debate at all. Whatever the team decides, I will follow them.”

Mark Webber, for his part, trusts the FIA, which assured this week that it is continuously monitoring the situation. The Australian also believes that a discussion among the drivers would be a waste of time, as the final decision does not depend on them: It’s a difficult decision because we’re only a week away from the Grand Prix. Now it’s making headlines, there’s more pressure on the decision-making which lies with the FIA, as the teams and Bernie [Ecclestone] indicated. We all know why it’s dragging on a bit. With investments coming from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and the Middle East in general, they clearly want to give them a second chance.

As the Australian points out, Formula One is facing a financial reality, not only because the teams and the championship have many partners and investors in the region, but also because the cost of cancellation will fall on the one who backs out first. Thus, Bernie Ecclestone stated on Thursday that unless it is canceled by the country’s national sports authorities, the race scheduled in Bahrain would remain on the calendar.

But Formula One must also face political and moral challenges while the sport in general aims to be apolitical: « When we enter a country, we generally do not concern ourselves with religion or politics » declares Bernie Ecclestone. However, Formula One finds itself today in a situation where, no matter the decision it makes, it will necessarily have a political echo since both authorities and protesters have made Formula One a political issue, some highlighting the unifying power of the Grand Prix while others argue that it will legitimize potential exceptions made to human rights.

While some protesters no longer hesitate to threaten to disrupt the Grand Prix, Mark Webber acknowledges that it can be difficult to form an objective opinion: « I have tried to watch the news to form the best viewpoint possible without being corrupted by other information. […] If I had the choice, then I would want to race. That’s what I wish. Having said that, you can’t ignore deep down that there are many well-intentioned people in our sport, and everyone wants things to go smoothly. We don’t want to be involved in this situation, but the people who support the race are stakeholders, and that’s why it’s sensitive. »

Mark Webber confides that he is more concerned about the safety of others than his own: « Safety measures have been taken and they have been reinforced. But we also agree that not everyone has access to them and that makes me uncomfortable. Hopefully, these measures will be unnecessary. »

In any case, the fate of the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix should be settled during the weekend, in Shanghai.