Ecclestone, who had been advocating for the Bahrain GP to remain on the calendar this season, and even convinced the FIA to unanimously vote for the reinstatement of the Grand Prix last Friday, now says, with a disarming serenity, that the Bahrain GP “of course it's not on.”
What changed since last Friday? Nothing, really, except for the fact that the FIA seems to have finally read its own rule book. In there somewhere, a little article, No. 66, prevents the ruling body from deciding to amend the ongoing season without the express consent of the teams. A consent that, obviously, is nowhere to be found on this matter.
“Hopefully we can return in the future, but of course it’s not on,” Ecclestone told BBC. “The schedule cannot be rescheduled without the agreement of the participants - they’re the facts.”
Obviously, this statement is not yet the official announcement surrounding the cancellation of the Bahrain GP. It will probably become official soon, making the entire debate of the past week, with tons of ink dedicated to the subject, a complete waste of time.
So why was the FIA so anxious to announce the reinstatement of the Bahrain GP last Friday? Hard to tell. At the time, the King of Bahrain announced that peace has fallen from the sky upon the kingdom, and all will be well. Only a few days later, after the state of emergency had been lifted, protesters were back out on the streets, clashing with the government forces.
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