After the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled, the Gulf Kingdom is set to return to the F1 calendar this year. However, human rights groups are pushing for teams to boycott the event as political unrest continues in Manama and across the country.
The 2011 race - which should have opened the season in March - was postponed and eventually cancelled as travelling to the country was deemed too dangerous, with Formula 1 likely to have been a trigger for more political trouble.
Ahead of the 2012 race, which is scheduled to take place on 22 April, activists are campaigning for a similar outcome.
“We will do campaigns for drivers and teams to boycott,” Nabeel Rajab, Vice President for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, explained to Arabian Business. “The government wants Formula 1 to tell the outside world that everything is back to normal. Formula 1, if they come, are helping the government to say (it is normal). We would prefer it if they didn’t take part. I am sure the drivers and teams respect human rights.”
The 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix is rubberstamped on the calendar as Round 4 of 20 and would be the final early-season ‘flyaway’ race before the European season begins.
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