Bernie Ecclestone Live Blog

4 weeks 4 days ago - Bahrain

Speaking to reporters after the race, Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One CEO, has said the Bahrain Grand Prix will remain on the Formula One calendar for the foreseeable future.

Of demonstrations calling for the cancellation of the event in the Gulf kingdom, Ecclestone said: "I think it's good because people talk about things, you know. You know what they say - there is no such thing as bad publicity".

Bahrain owns half of the McLaren Group, the parent of the British-based Formula One team, reports the Reuters news agency.

Tags Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1, Formula One, Grand Prix
4 weeks 4 days ago - Bahrain

Protesters have taken to the streets outside the London offices of Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One CEO.

Demonstrators chanted 'shame on you Bernie' and 'down, down Bernie'.

ALFAYEZ313Protest n #London n front of #Bernie ofic changing #people yes #F1 NO we are suffering you must go NO for bloody #F1 http://t.co/Ke4V7mYuSun Apr 22 13:19:35 2012
Tags Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1, Formula One, Grand Prix
4 weeks 6 days ago - Bahrain

Cancelling Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix would only "empower extremists", the country's Crown Prince told reporters on Friday as police in the small Gulf state battled to put down pro-democracy protests.

Prince Salman did not respond directly to questions about whether he could guarantee the safety of teams, however, saying instead that he was able to guarantee that the protests were not directed against Formula One.

Standing alongside Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone at the Sakhir circuit, the Crown Prince made it clear to the assembled TV crews that calls from home and abroad for the race to be scrapped would fall on deaf ears.

"I think cancelling the race just empowers extremists," he declared, without specifying exactly who he had in mind.

"For those of us trying to navigate a way out of this political problem, having the race allows us to build bridges across communities, to get people working together. It allows us to celebrate our nation. It is an idea that is positive, not one that is divisive."   [Reuters]

Tags Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One, Sakhir
5 weeks 6 days ago - Bahrain

Violence erupted in Bahrain between police and protesters on Friday, hours after Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone declared the Gulf nation safe to host a grand prix next week.

All 12 teams told Ecclestone on Friday they were happy to travel to the tiny kingdom despite the ongoing political unrest and no extra safety precautions.

Speaking from Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Ecclestone says he knows people "that live there and it's all very quiet and peaceful."

However, firebombs were hurled Friday by some protesters. They were chanting anti-government slogans, and riot police fired tear gas and bird shot to clear the crowds. Several people were injured by the bird shot pellets.

- Associated Press

Tags Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One
5 weeks 6 days ago - Manama

The governing body of Formula 1 has confirmed that the Bahrain Grand Prix will continue as planned.

Continued unrest and concerns about human rights violations had led to speculation that the race scheduled for April 22 would be called off.

Ala'a Shehabi speaks to Al Jazeera from Manama about his conversation with Formula 1 Chief Bernie Ecclestone and the Bahraini youth who have promised "three days of rage" during the event.

Tags Ala'a Shehabi, Bahrain, Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1
6 weeks 16 hours ago - Bahrain



Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says the Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead next week as scheduled unless national authorities decide to cancel the race.

Pressure has been growing for the April 22 race to be canceled for the second straight year because of ongoing clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters. The crackdown has left at least 50 people dead.

Ecclestone, however, said on Thursday ahead of the Chinese GP that unless the race ``gets withdrawn by the national sporting authority in the country, we will be there.''

Earlier this week, Bahrain's circuit chairman says extremist groups are using ``scare-mongering tactics'' to make the unrest seem worse than it is to force the cancellation of the race.

Tags Bahrain Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1
14 weeks 1 day ago - Bahrain

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has played down the outbreak of fresh unrest in Bahrain, insisting the violence posed no threat to this season's Grand Prix.

Bahraini police fired tear gas and birdshot at pro-democracy protesters in clashes early on Wednesday as the kingdom marked the first anniversary of a Shia-led uprising.

The violence revived memories of last year's unrest, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the 2011 race, which is due to take place this season on April 20-22.

However Ecclestone told UK-based The Guardian newspaper that the clashes were unlikely to lead to another cancellation.

"I expected there was going to be a big uprising, with the anniversary," Ecclestone was quoted as saying.

Tags Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One, Shia protests
17 weeks 3 days ago - Bahrain

Earlier in the month the owners of the Bahrain International Circuit were said to be preparing to reinstate all 29 people who had participated in pro-democracy protests last year.

It is now being reported that only three of the promised 29 have been reinstated since initial reports on January 12.

The circuit is owned by the ruling al-Khalifa family.

Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management, has said he is confident that the April 22 Bahrain Grand Prix will in fact take place this year.

"Everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems," said Ecclestone in an interview with the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

 

Tags Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, Bernie Ecclestone

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