Damon does re-think upon Bahrain...

“The route to the BIC was lined with tanks on my last visit to Bahrain.” (Source: Will Buxton; theBuxton blog)

Somehow I suspect that there will NOT be a whole lot of parent’s & children participating in any wide scale Easter egg hunts today in thy Kingdom of Bahrain... You know, that tiny Gulf island nation that Uncle Bernaughty is so keen to return his prized Formula 1 circus to, especially since the Royal Family of Bahrain is all too eager to pay him staggering amounts of money in order to hold a Grand Prix and pose a pretty picture to the rest of the world - you know, as  in Democracy is coming to Bahrain...

As now 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, who’d gone on a “Fact-finding” mission with FIA President Jean Todt last December and given the 2-thumbs up approval to  F1 returning to the Gulf nation Kingdom, after apparently having ‘Juan too many eggnog’s? Has now recanted his statement by saying what’s been apparent all along... That in fact conditions have NOT improved in Bahrain, in fact they may have become worse.

Hill calls for rethink upon Bahrain

As even ‘Ol Damon is quick to point out that Mr. E’s quip ‘bout it being just a pack of unruly teenagers is a ‘Wee bit stretch of the imagination...

“I hope that events in Bahrain are not seen as they are often sold, as a bunch of yobs throwing Molotov cocktails, because that's a gross simplification. "You don't get 100,000 people risking their lives in protest for nothing..."

  

Thus, if the rumours are true about Burger King wishing to expand its horizons towards Asian markets in order to recoup lost market share are true; somehow I doubt they’ll be coming to Bahrain anytime soon... As after all isn’t their ‘Tag-line slogan “Have it your Way?”

Now comes word from British Parliament’s MP Richard Burden that he too agrees with Damon Hill and that indeed a rethink is needed immediately upon the forthcoming Bahrain Grand Prix...

Burden calls for rethink upon Bahrain GP

Meanwhile, SPEED Pitlane reporter “Willie Buxom” (Will Buxton) has finally purchased his Aeroplane flights to the Kingdom of Bahrain and is hopeful of everything going absolutely “Swimmingly” with only Happy, Shiny people in attendance...

On Bahrain

Yet why doesn’t the F1 circus recognize this situation akin to when French teams Renault & Ligier decided to Boycott the 1985 South African Grand Prix due to the countries then continuing resolve towards Apartheid - with then FIA President Jean-Marie Balestre cancelling the event days after and vowing Formula 1 wouldn’t return until the abolishment of Apartheid.

Hmm? Could it have something to do with the influence of money the F1 teams are set to receive? And that’s before we even get to the point about who are major benefactors of McLaren...