Bahrain government official says Formula One grand prix will go ahead

• Fawaz Al Khalifa says ‘Mabrook, Bahrain, will host f1′ • Official adds: ‘FIA finalising date now’ A Bahrain government official has used Twitter to say that the Formula One Bahrain grand prix will go ahead this season. Fawaz Al Khalifa, the president of Bahrain’s information affairs authority, said on Twitter : “Mabrook, Bahrain, will host f1.” He later added: “FIA finalising date now.” The FIA’s world motor sport council met on Friday morning in Barcelona to discuss the restaging of the Bahrain race, which had been due to open the Formula One season on 13 March. The race was postponed in February, due to civil unrest in the Gulf state and across the Middle East – options for restaging it included running it on 30 October, in place of the Indian grand prix, which would then move to 11 December. Formula One teams had opposed such plans on grounds of cost and given the length of the season, which would in that case be the longest since 1963. The Formula One commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, said on Friday that financial concerns would have “nothing to do with” any decision on whether the race would go ahead, and that safety concerns in Bahrain would be paramount. Reports on Friday morning said that teargas and rubber bullets had been fired at protesters who were marching towards Pearl Square in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. Formula One Motor sport guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 3, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.