F1: 2011 Bahrain in doubt due to unrest

Last weekend (which in Abu Dhabi is Friday and Saturday) saw the first race of the Australian V8 Supercars 2011 season. It's all very jolly and everyone had a good time.

But all around, things are starting to look very different since the popular uprising that removed Egypt's long time president, Mubarak who took a democracy and hid it for about three decades.

Encouraged, those in non-democracies in the north African and Middle Eastern regions are flexing their protest muscles. In Libya, Colonel Gadaffi is in danger of undoing his rehabilitation with the west after an estimated 200 people were killed by government forces in the past few days. His son appeared on TV last night saying that the people should not revolt and that the government was in the process of planning a new Libya: continued uprising, he said, would lead to the country being divided. But he did not announce any plan for any form of genuine democracy and his appearance suggests that a dynastic succession may be being contemplated.

It's dynastic succession that's the focus of the protests in Bahrain. Last week, four people were killed during protests demanding a reform of the system of rule which, like most of the middle east, is by royal families. One of the casualties of the event was practice for the GP2 Asia race which was cancelled as all medical personnel were pulled from the circuit and told to stand by at hospitals in case of emergency.

Formula One is not making any decisions but time is running out. Teams are presently in Barcelona running their final European test. But some kit is already in Bahrain, having been trucked over from the UK starting several weeks ago. The cars and teams are due to arrive on the 3 March.

Media reports in the UK over the weekend claimed that one team had already said it did not intend to go to Bahrain. But, under the contract between the teams and the sport's organisers, teams must - unless they are given a special dispensation (which is exceedingly rare) must appear at every race or forfeit their entry.

Mark Webber is reported as saying that he thinks the people of Bahrain have bigger things on their mind than a motor race and that it might not be the best idea to go there. But F1's Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying that the decision is up to the ruling Royal family.

However, as the teams prepare to pack up in Spain after a (mostly) successful third week of testing, someone is going to have to tell the pilots where to go.

And, presently, no one seems brave enough to make that decision.