F1 teams come under attack from Bahrain
\nWednesday, 13 July 2011 00:13 <\/p>\n
Bahrain Grand Prix chairman Zayed Alzayani has fired a bitter broadside at Formula 1 teams for their attitude towards the eventually-cancelled event.<\/p>\n
The race, which was scheduled to be the season-opener this year, was postponed due to civil unrest in the country.<\/p>\n
Although the FIA reinstated the Grand Prix, teams opposed the move and the race was eventually cancelled.<\/p>\n
Alzayani said if Formula 1 was not going to Bahrain for the violation of human rights, then most grands prix should also be called off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re going to the US next year,\u201d Alzayani told the Evening Standard, London.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Guantanamo? Isn\u2019t that human rights violation? As Bernie Ecclestone told me, \u2018If human rights was the criterion for F1 races, we would only have them in Belgium and Switzerland in the future\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe teams have been very temperamental. I feel disappointed because it cannot go within three months from one end of the spectrum, \u2018Oh, you are my favourite destination. We love it here. We feel like we are at home in Bahrain.\u2019 To the other, \u2018We don\u2019t want to go to Bahrain.\u2019 Yes, events have happened in between but you can\u2019t be so temperamental.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alzayani said Formula 1 boss Ecclestone always pushed for the race to go ahead, but he denied it was about trying not to lose millions of dollars if the event was cancelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a unanimous vote of all the 26 World Council members. Bernie voted for it. On the June 8, I met him here in London.”<\/p>\n
He said, \u2018There is resistance from the teams but if you want I\u2019ll push for it. We\u2019ll get it sorted.\u2019 He even gave us the option of holding it on December 4. This was never about Bernie losing money by not having a race in Bahrain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alzayani claimed that the main reason why Bahrain decided to pull its race off in the end was because of a lack of ambulances in the country and says that was why the GP2 Asia series race too was cancelled.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe have to have a minimum of 18 ambulances to run a race and, because of the riots and people getting injured, all the ambulances were diverted to attend to the protests. So we couldn\u2019t run the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bahrain is scheduled to return to the F1 calendar next year, having been given the season-opening slot again. …source<\/a><\/p>\n