Common sense must prevail, a rarity for Formula One

It has been announced by Motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, that the Bahrain Grand Prix will return to the 2011 Formula One race calendar.

The announcement comes after its postponement in February as a result of fears of safety following pro-democracy protests in which more that 20 people died.

The race will now take place on 30 October – pushing the Indian Grand Prix back to December.

BBC F1 Commentator stated via twitter that it is a mistake to reinstate the Grand Prix.

“GP date changes are bad especially for fans planning to attend the India Grand Prix, costs and time off work. Racing until Christmas, develop and test new car, 21 races in 2012. Too much.”

Zayed Rashid Al Zayani, the Bahrain International Circuit Chair hailed it as an event capable of unifying the nation once more.

“As a country we have faced a difficult time but stability has returned, with businesses operating close to normal and countries removing travel restrictions.”

Former Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart admitted his pleasure at the news.

“I’m pleased. Sport is a very good equaliser in the case of unrest because sport somehow unifies people. An F1 race going there might help to do that.”

Former FIA president Max Mosley on the other hand is of the belief that there is no chance the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mosley said “I don’t think there’s the slightest chance the grand prix will actually happen.

“Apart from anything you cannot change the calendar, in the way it has been proposed, without the unanimous agreement of the teams.”

Bahrain Human Rights President Nabeel Rajab admitted his sadness at the decision.

“It’s a very sad moment. It seems that their benefit and their interest has more importance than the human rights of people in this part of the region.

Already they have called the day of that racing ‘a day of rage’, where they’re going to come out everywhere, in every city of Bahrain, to show anger to what the Bahrain government, the Bahrain regime, is doing towards their own people.”

As a result of the furore caused by the re-jigging of this years race calendar Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has conceded that he does not know what will happen.

“The way things are at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen.

“Better we move Bahrain to the end of the season and, if things are safe and well, then that is fine, we can go. If they are not, then we don’t go and there are no problems.”

With Formula One teams urging the FIA to abandon plans to reschedule the Grand Prix this year Ecclestone finds him self stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Does he take the race to Bahrian, risking civil uprising for the public there along with unrest from a number of teams already looking to form a competition away from Ecclestone’s jurisdiction. Or does he chase the Arabian dollar, a very lucrative part of the world for Formula One with Abu Dhabi one of the stand-out races in the Grand Prix calendar.

One hopes common sense will prevail and the safety of not only the Bahrain people but that of the teams themselves will be taken into account when a decision is made.