While Bahrain might not be in the international news headlines as often as regional neighbour Syria, the situation in the tiny Gulf nation has far from stabilised.
But despite ongoing reports of violence and demonstrations, there has been no official suggestion from FOM, the FIA, or F1 teams that the race is up for cancellation.
Far from it, in fact - in a January interview with Salzburger Nachrichten quoted in Autosport, Bernie Ecclestone said "everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems."
This morning the F1 world awoke to the news that seven members of the House of Lords had written an open letter to The Times of London, urging the FIA to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix:
"The continued political crisis in Bahrain is a troubling source of instability in the Gulf region, and the lack of any move towards political reconciliation concerns those who wish to see Bahrain move in the direction of greater democratic accountability. ... Two months on we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict. Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain. ... Bahrain is a major trading hub and financial centre in the Middle East but this brings greater responsibility. Human rights and economic stability go hand in hand and the government of Bahrain must do more to persuade international events and corporations that Bahrain is a stable place to do business. Until it takes concerted measures to reform the electoral, penal and judicial processes, international observers as well as ordinary Bahrainis can have little confidence that Bahrain is on the path to reform and political stability. We urge the FIA to reconsider its decision to continue with the race."
The letter was not the only incident to ensure Bahrain's return to British newspapers.
It was revealed this week that a British expat living in Bahrain was attacked around 2am last Friday, and that his assailants cut off two of his fingers with a sword. Reports of the incident vary - the Briton was either lost and dragged from his car, or attacked by a group of assailants at a roadblock while heading for Budaiya Highway.
In the interests of fairness it must be noted that not all Bahrainis support the protestors, and that many of those opposed feel that what started out as an attempt at reform has turned into an excuse for violence.
In a letter to the Gulf Daily News, one correspondent said:
"The peaceful protest that you nobly support has now become pronounced thuggery, villages made almost uninhabitable by youths who claim to represent 'peaceful protest', but define it with gas explosions, Molotov cocktails, hurled iron rods, stones, and the burning of tyres."
A separate letter to the same news outlet read:
"Some people here accuse the government of not being hard enough on these saboteurs, vandals, and thugs! ... In the four-day riots in England last year, five deaths were reported, 16 members of the public were hurt, and 186 police officers and five police dogs were injured. How many more would have died or suffered if it had gone on longer? Residents in various London areas were subjected to looting, arson, and rioting. The public demanded that those involved be made to pay for their actions and the police did what they had to do - restore law and order. What makes those lawbreakers and thugs different to the ones we have here?"
While we will never know the truth of the matter from a distance, it seems foolhardy to press ahead with a grand prix that is at real risk of leading to protests and uprisings that have the potential to further endanger Bahraini citizens while also putting spectators and the F1 fraternity at risk.
The Jerez paddock has been buzzing this week with the rumour that Bahrain is unofficially off the calendar, due to be replaced by Turkey. For now, the story remains a rumour that has yet to be confirmed by any of Formula 1's stakeholders.
But despite ongoing reports of violence and demonstrations, there has been no official suggestion from FOM, the FIA, or F1 teams that the race is up for cancellation.
Far from it, in fact - in a January interview with Salzburger Nachrichten quoted in Autosport, Bernie Ecclestone said "everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems."
This morning the F1 world awoke to the news that seven members of the House of Lords had written an open letter to The Times of London, urging the FIA to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix:
"The continued political crisis in Bahrain is a troubling source of instability in the Gulf region, and the lack of any move towards political reconciliation concerns those who wish to see Bahrain move in the direction of greater democratic accountability. ... Two months on we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict. Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain. ... Bahrain is a major trading hub and financial centre in the Middle East but this brings greater responsibility. Human rights and economic stability go hand in hand and the government of Bahrain must do more to persuade international events and corporations that Bahrain is a stable place to do business. Until it takes concerted measures to reform the electoral, penal and judicial processes, international observers as well as ordinary Bahrainis can have little confidence that Bahrain is on the path to reform and political stability. We urge the FIA to reconsider its decision to continue with the race."
The letter was not the only incident to ensure Bahrain's return to British newspapers.
It was revealed this week that a British expat living in Bahrain was attacked around 2am last Friday, and that his assailants cut off two of his fingers with a sword. Reports of the incident vary - the Briton was either lost and dragged from his car, or attacked by a group of assailants at a roadblock while heading for Budaiya Highway.
In the interests of fairness it must be noted that not all Bahrainis support the protestors, and that many of those opposed feel that what started out as an attempt at reform has turned into an excuse for violence.
In a letter to the Gulf Daily News, one correspondent said:
"The peaceful protest that you nobly support has now become pronounced thuggery, villages made almost uninhabitable by youths who claim to represent 'peaceful protest', but define it with gas explosions, Molotov cocktails, hurled iron rods, stones, and the burning of tyres."
A separate letter to the same news outlet read:
"Some people here accuse the government of not being hard enough on these saboteurs, vandals, and thugs! ... In the four-day riots in England last year, five deaths were reported, 16 members of the public were hurt, and 186 police officers and five police dogs were injured. How many more would have died or suffered if it had gone on longer? Residents in various London areas were subjected to looting, arson, and rioting. The public demanded that those involved be made to pay for their actions and the police did what they had to do - restore law and order. What makes those lawbreakers and thugs different to the ones we have here?"
While we will never know the truth of the matter from a distance, it seems foolhardy to press ahead with a grand prix that is at real risk of leading to protests and uprisings that have the potential to further endanger Bahraini citizens while also putting spectators and the F1 fraternity at risk.
The Jerez paddock has been buzzing this week with the rumour that Bahrain is unofficially off the calendar, due to be replaced by Turkey. For now, the story remains a rumour that has yet to be confirmed by any of Formula 1's stakeholders.
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