On the eve of the decisive World Motor Sport Council meeting, Bahrain looked unlikely to return to the 2011 formula one calendar.
Martial law in the troubled island Kingdom ended on Wednesday, just two days before F1′s governing body sits in Barcelona to consider a new race date for the postponed season opener.

Bahrain officials insist they are now ready to host a grand prix, but F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone had warned in Monaco that the event will only take place “If there’s peace”.

As the state of emergency ended on Wednesday, reports suggested there is still turmoil on the streets of Bahrain.

Al Jazeera television said police used tear gas against continuing protesters, arresting and injuring several of them.

“With the end of the emergency situation, the security should not be here but they still are,” said an eyewitness.

Reuters said the interior ministry denied the reports, while the Bahrain Shura Council’s deputy president Jamal Fakhro insisted formula one can return.

“The end of the national security law and announcement of dialogue are both positive. It will be a shame if anyone is negative about it,” he said.

“Bahrain will welcome formula one, and any other event. There’s nothing wrong with that because life is back to normal now and it will be excellent to have it back.”

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council will consider Ferrari’s team orders breach on 8 September.
For the position switch at Hockenheim last month, the Italian team was fined $100,000 by the stewards for breaking not only the tam order rule 39.1, but also the general guideline about disrepute.

It had been speculated that the disciplinary hearing would be held in Como, Italy, on September 10 — the day of a scheduled Council meeting.

But that would have clashed with Friday practice for the Italian grand prix.

The sport’s governing body has therefore convened a separate meeting two days earlier for the Ferrari matter, in Paris on September 8.

FIA president Jean Todt, implicated in the infamous Austria 2002 team orders controversy, will not chair the meeting; instead it will be headed by the deputy president for sport, Graham Stoker.

Also on Monday, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo referred to some recent “perplexing decisions”.

“But we must look ahead and believe in the fact that today, we are in the fight for the championship,” said the Italian.

“This is the Ferrari I like to see and the one our fans want to see; a team that can fight and deliver the results.”

Like McLaren, Ferrari’s factory shut down for two weeks on Sunday.