The Crown Prince of Bahrain says there is no reason to cancel the grand prix being held in the country this weekend.
Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa addressed the media on Friday in the paddock to reassure them that they, the teams and spectators aren’t in any danger, despite recent events.
This comes after Force India opted to sit out the second practice session to avoid travelling from the circuit to their hotels in the dark following an incident involving four of their mechanics on Wednesday.
Al Khalifa ruled out cancelling the race, saying it would be seen as a victory for ‘extremists’.
“I think cancelling [the race] just empowers extremists. I think for those of us who are trying to navigate a way out of this political problem, having the race allows us to build bridges across communities, and get people working together.
“It allows us to celebrate our nation as an idea that is positive, not one that is divisive. So I actually think that having the race has prevented extremists from doing what they think they need to do out of the world’s attention.”
He added that any issues which do occur, aren’t directly aimed at F1 personnel, but acknowledged the dangers they face.
“I absolutely can guarantee that any problems that may or may not happen are not directed at F1,” he explained. “It goes to show that there are people who are out to cause chaos.
“You [in Britain] had these problems last year in your country and there is a very big difference between protesting for political rights and rioting, and the attack that happened around Force India was aimed at the police. It was unprovoked, and it was quite dangerous. But at no time was anyone from F1 in danger.”
