As momentum for the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix gathers the FIA has been told to keep calm and carry on. The news came in the form of a letter from John Yates, former UK head of counter terrorism, to Jean Todt, FIA President.
Yates who is currently an adviser to the Bahrain Ministry of the Interior said: “I am aware of the very real concerns that those involved in F1 may have regarding the holding of the fixture here in Bahrain next week.”
That’s good. He’s aware that civilians are getting shot by police and fighting back with home-made bombs, right?
Apparently so. “Some troubles do still exist,” he wrote. “The almost nightly skirmishes that take place in certain villages are a potential block on progress and are putting those involved in their policing and innocent members of the public in significant danger. However, in spite of how these events may be portrayed through the medium of YouTube and other outlets, their significance should not be overplayed.
“These are now lawful protests, which are permitted, but violent conduct by a very small minority—often groups of 15–20 young men. These are criminal acts being perpetrated against an unarmed police force who, in the face of such attacks, are acting with remarkable restraint.
“These people are intent on causing harm to the police and the communities in which they live. They are not representative of the vast majority of delightful, law-abiding citizens that represent the real Bahrain that I see every day. Along with my family, I feel completely safe. Indeed, safer than I have often felt in London.”
Okay, then. So it must just be the imagination of the US Government running wild in this official White House statement from spokesperson Jay Carney: “The United States continues to be deeply concerned about the situation in Bahrain, and we urge all parties to reject violence in all its forms.”
“We condemn the violence directed against police and government institutions, including recent incidents that have resulted in serious injuries to police officers,” added Carney.
“We also call on the police to exercise maximum restraint, and condemn the use of excessive force and indiscriminate use of tear gas against protesters, which has resulted in civilian casualties.”
Meanwhile, Mark Webber has given his thoughts to the BBC on the matter saying: “Obviously we are putting an immense amount of trust into the FIA—I’m not talking about the drivers, I’m talking about you guys [the media], photographers, catering everybody going to and from that track each day. Competing at that track and having a normal grand prix weekend is what we would all love to see.”
Webber also confirmed Red Bull Racing will be hiring extra security for the event. “I accept not everyone can have that and that doesn’t make me feel comfortable,” he said.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal offered this: “We enter a championship to do all the races. Bahrain still very much on my calendar. Our plans are to travel to Bahrain unless somebody from the governing body tells us differently.”
That may well happen, too, with a meeting between FIA representatives, Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 teams to take place in Shanghai later today. We’ll bring you any updates as they come to hand.
One reply on “Don’t worry everyone, it’s not that bad”
[…] “Mark Webber stands alone as voice of reason on Bahrain Grand Prix” reads the headline in The Guardian. If nothing else they have offered greater detail in respect to Webber’s latest comments than our report, via the BBC, from early this morning. […]