With the increasing turmoil in Bahrain, it looks like the first race of this year’s Formula One season could be called off. BBC reports that “this weekend’s GP2 Asia event at the Sakhir circuit has been cancelled after the unrest overnight, when police moved in to clear a protest camp in a square in the middle of the Bahrain capital Manama.”
[Virgin Racing team boss] “Booth said a decision on whether the test would go ahead would need taking by 25 February, when the freight is scheduled to be sent out, and one on the race a week later, at the beginning of March.”
If the decision is to skip Bahrain, then the F1 season will start two weeks later in Australia (March 25-27).
It’s official – “Bahrain withdraws from hosting 2011’s opening round”. “No decision has been made on a new date for the rescheduling of the race, which was due to take place from March 11th to 13th.”