London - Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone will rely on Bahrain’s crown prince to decide whether the season-opening grand prix will have to be canceled because of unrest on the Gulf island.
The March 13 race has been cast into doubt over the last week as protests mounted, with people demanding the ruling monarchy gives up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions.
At least seven people have been killed and hundreds injured in the capital Manama, where the streets are lined with banners publicizing Bahrain’s premier international event.
Ecclestone said a decision on whether to postpone the race was set to be taken by Tuesday by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also deputy supreme commander of the armed forces.
“If anyone’s going to sort it out he’s the right guy to do it,” Ecclestone told BBC radio on Sunday. “He would decide whether or not it’s safe for us to be there. ... Let’s wait until Tuesday and see if this one’s going to take place before we decide what to do.”
Ecclestone said the race could be moved to later in the season, but said it’s not feasible to move the race to another circuit on short notice.
Meanwhile, the chances of resolving the complex Lotus naming dispute out of court look increasingly bleak, meaning there could be two teams starting the new Formula One season with almost the same name.
Automaker Proton, which owns a controlling stake in Lotus Group and says it alone has the rights to the Lotus name, and aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes have so far failed to agree on an out-of-court settlement.
With the case scheduled to be heard in London’s High Court on March 21, the two Malaysian protagonists had hoped to reach a deal well before then.
But if they cannot, Proton’s Lotus Renault GP team will be lining up on the Bahrain grid — assuming the race goes ahead — along with Fernandes’s Team Lotus, also known as 1MRT.
Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir, Proton’s group managing director, said Fernandes was seeking up to 37 million pounds ($60 million) to give up the famous Lotus name.
Proton offered five million pounds, he said.
AFP, AP
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
The March 13 race has been cast into doubt over the last week as protests mounted, with people demanding the ruling monarchy gives up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions.
At least seven people have been killed and hundreds injured in the capital Manama, where the streets are lined with banners publicizing Bahrain’s premier international event.
Ecclestone said a decision on whether to postpone the race was set to be taken by Tuesday by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also deputy supreme commander of the armed forces.
“If anyone’s going to sort it out he’s the right guy to do it,” Ecclestone told BBC radio on Sunday. “He would decide whether or not it’s safe for us to be there. ... Let’s wait until Tuesday and see if this one’s going to take place before we decide what to do.”
Ecclestone said the race could be moved to later in the season, but said it’s not feasible to move the race to another circuit on short notice.
Meanwhile, the chances of resolving the complex Lotus naming dispute out of court look increasingly bleak, meaning there could be two teams starting the new Formula One season with almost the same name.
Automaker Proton, which owns a controlling stake in Lotus Group and says it alone has the rights to the Lotus name, and aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes have so far failed to agree on an out-of-court settlement.
With the case scheduled to be heard in London’s High Court on March 21, the two Malaysian protagonists had hoped to reach a deal well before then.
But if they cannot, Proton’s Lotus Renault GP team will be lining up on the Bahrain grid — assuming the race goes ahead — along with Fernandes’s Team Lotus, also known as 1MRT.
Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir, Proton’s group managing director, said Fernandes was seeking up to 37 million pounds ($60 million) to give up the famous Lotus name.
Proton offered five million pounds, he said.
AFP, AP
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com