Saturday, February 19, 2011

Formula 1 and the unrest in Bahrain: Between Morality and Business

They fight in Bahrain - a race, their Grand Prix. On Thursday sent the "Bahrain International Circuit" already the second e-mail in the world. Write a tranquilizer. Formula 1 will be able to go. The entourage but rotates ago. Because of all chief executive Bernie Ecclestone on Wednesday expressed great skepticism.

The 13th for the March with pomp and planned season opener of Formula 1 is also available for the small British very questionable. This is a signal. For the 80-year-old Englishman has for decades for a tough fiscal policy. The environment and the prevailing political conditions were to him always matter as long as only wheels and rolled rubles.

This time seems different. The news of violent reactions to the demonstrations have rattled the team bosses racing teams. They fear that Formula 1 could be with their world-wide appeal to a platform. For the protesters, as the vice president of the Center for Human Rights in Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab, announced on Tuesday.

But also for the government, which wants to prove with an undisturbed Grand Prix to the world that she has everything under control. As the race far in the Sakhir desert on the outskirts of the capital Manama is located in the wilderness, so to speak, the play could easily be screened. With a few tanks, the only highway to the race track would be blocked quickly.

"We should not allow ourselves to be clamped," said Niki Lauda "image. de "frank and free, while others advocate a refusal to remain anonymous," We should think of times at last we have a moral obligation. We can not but act as an advertising medium for a system that shoots and beats people who ask for decent conditions, "a team manager said on Friday.

He does not want to be named because the motives in the discussion are to no longer see through. For behind many humanism could hide a cool calculation: who likes riding on 13 March before when his car was not deemed fit for competition? This bill would rise. For a change occurs on a different track hardly questioned.

It takes about seven months to make the complex organization on its feet. The season would be so until 27 March in Melbourne start. Then were the teams that go behind yet, two weeks for improvements or even for copies. The very best new cars have become objects of study. According impatiently await the protagonists of the leader of the season: "I hope the riots do not interfere with the race," said Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull, of those days.

The team of world champion Sebastian Vettel wants to convert his advantage into points as quickly as possible. McLaren has distinguished himself so far back. Crown Prince Salman ibn Bahr is one Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa on one of his companies to be involved in the England team. He is also commander of the armed forces.

As much as the teams on Friday also discussed: a decision is in their hands. As long as European countries advise their citizens not urgent, to travel to Bahrain, the organizers its negotiating partners Ecclestone, the functions of the marketing rights to compel compliance with the agreements.

The Englishman is for information of this newspaper in constant contact with the Crown Prince, the Grand Prix at heart. He is like in China, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi a more or less public affair. Are purchased to promote the image. Bahrain wants to present itself as a financial center in the world.

In the case of the comparatively poorer Kingdom, you pay a departure fee of - estimated - $ 25 million. Transferred the amount is allegedly from the Ministry of Finance. The participation of the government and ruling makes the Formula 1 show a political issue. "Only when Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa to withdraw might be the calm," says Katja home.

It markets around the world Grand Prix. For five years they did so exclusively in Bahrain. She still maintains an office in the capital Manama. That the race of the GP2 Asian junior series were canceled over the weekend, it considers an attempt by the organizers to offer no point of attack and Formula 1 is not scaring off even more.

However, there was also a sad statement: the many doctors and ambulances, which must be distributed by a distance not ride it, have been used to treat the wounded to a Pearl Place. Frauenheim is concerned about the safety of their employees: "One of my employees was hit in the face because he has photographed." Ecclestone believes until middle of next week to come with the crown prince to a decision.

"I have hope," he told the BBC. To democratic conditions it will make its efforts for the Grand Prix in Bahrain barely. Neither South Africa's apartheid policy nor China's human rights abuses have hindered him. For dictators of whatever stripe he has a weakness: ". You need one that has been upheld" Maybe make him but this time Democrats have a spanner in the works: the first Germans had canceled on Friday its planned for late February trip to Bahrain: President Christian Wulff.

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