Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Who ever thought this was a good idea to go ahead with this Bahrain GP? I cannot see how the Government thought this was going to generate positive press for them, and it isn't. Nor for F1, who are on a hiding to nothing, just look at the cartoons of Bernie getting off a jet walking over the bodies of protesters. There are some great pieces being written by better journalists than I, and Maurice Hamilton has one on the ESPN F1 site:

http://en.espnf1.com/bahrain/motorsport/story/76129.html

Maurice makes the point that even before the protests Bahrain is not a place F1 should be. It is interesting, albeit on a small sample, but the first comment on adverse blogs or articles is a positive one for Bahrain. You don't think they have hired people to monitor and respond to these do you?

Joe Saward is monitoring the world's press which, apart from the obvious partisan ones from the Gulf and Iran, are all censuring F1 and the Government, great PR there.

And now we have the first incident to F1 people. The fact that they were not "targeted" has absolutely nothing to do with it, they were still nearly fire bombed with a Molotov cocktail. It was four mechanics from the Force India Team on their way back to the hotel on the main highway. It seems at least one if not two of the team have now left Bahrain, and Hulkenburg said it was wrong that the teams had been put in a position where their safety could be at risk. Pedro de la Rosa, Chairman of the GPDA said he thought the drivers were safe. Oh good, never mind everyone else, and as one comment on Facebook said why is it only the F1 teams that are being protected, how about the rest of the population? And why would de la Rosa even open his mouth when he cannot possibly know that?

Has it got to a point where the middle east controls this sport? They seem to be spending money like there is no tomorrow to sponsor teams and events. It is impossible to turn on a TV and not see a team sponsored by Etihad, or playing in an Etihad stadium. Is spending millions on Manchester City really helping the people of the region? I know they will say they are investing for when the oil runs out, but is this really the way to do it? Is England playing Pakistan in the desert really helping anybody and is cricket prostituting itself for money? Smacks of self indulgence on the part of those "sovereign wealth funds," run by the sovereign of course. Is Etihad really making any money? Or are we just trying to buy some respect here? Well I for one don't respect them any more for it, and I suspect not many others do either.