The government in Bahrain has issued a warning against anyone trying to disturb Formula One race at the Bahrain GP to be held from 17^th to 19^th April. Minister of Information Isa bin Abdulrahman Al Hammadi said in a statement that the Interior Ministry is ready to handle any attempt to disrupt the international event, which will be held at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

Bahrain Grand Prix 2015

The minister said that strict measures would be taken against any attempts to undermine Bahrain’s interests before, during and after the race. He said that Formula One races are of paramount importance to the country due to its positive contribution to the national economy and the major role it plays in the entertainment sector including tourism.

Bahrain in the past has attracted a lot of anti-social elements who have tried to disrupt the race weekend. Since the inception of Formula One at Bahrain in 2004, the country has seen numerous protests against the Formula One races. A major turmoil back in 2011, initially postponed the race from March to October. Reports had poured in that widespread protests were being planned for the day of the race. Several drivers expressed willingness to race under the condition that their safety could be guaranteed. In response to this, FIA president, Jean Todt promised that the sport’s governing body would monitor the situation in Bahrain carefully and leaving open the possibility of a cancellation should the country deteriorate ahead of the race. Following the massive controversy over the reinstatement of the race, organisers of the Grand Prix abandoned their bid to host a race in 2011 which meant the race had to be cancelled eventually.

Human rights activists called for a cancellation of the 2012 Formula One race due to reports of alleged human rights abuses committed by the Bahraini authorities. Team personnel also voiced concerns about safety, but the race, nonetheless, was held as planned. Since Pirelli tyres and DRS, both were introduced in 2011 season, the teams had no prior data about the car’s performance at Bahrain. This also added to the confusion and was a testing weekend for the teams.

Bahrain is a middle-eastern country with majority of the population following Islam. They are rigid followers of the region and hence the local communities have a tendency to strongly oppose the spread of western culture in their region.

Tags: Bahrain GP, Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, BIC, F1, FIA, Formula One, Motorsport, Motorsports