Formula 1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has defended the FIA’s decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix on the 2011 calendar.
The announcement that the postponed race would go ahead this year was confirmed on Friday following a World Motor Sport Council meeting. It will replace the Indian GP on October 30th, the latter moving to a December 11th slot.
Ecclestone says the decision was made by the 26 members of the WMSC, not just him, and the teams should accept the ‘unusual circumstances.’
“The truth of the matter is, this was voted on by the FIA, that was it. It went through the World Council,” he told AP.
“The FIA sent people out there to check on the situation, they came back and reported everything is fine.
“It’s obvious that everybody feels they need to be safe when we get there.
“In the end we’ll have to wait and see what happens in Bahrain. If there is peace and no problems then I suppose the teams will be all right.”
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says the decision to reinstate the race and therefore end the season in mid-December was ‘unacceptable’.
“I think it is unacceptable and we’ve told Bernie that and he knows our opinion.”
Ecclestone responded: “Of course they’d rather not be racing in December, but these are unusual circumstances.”
The matter may not yet be over, as the majority of teams released short statements to acknowledge the decision, but all mentioned the matter would be discussed internally within FOTA. Could this lead the door open for some, if not all teams, to boycott the race?
