With the F1 world now returned from Bahrain, the sport is assessing the fallout of one of the most controversial grands prix in history.

The drivers were conspicuously quiet over the saga in the island Kingdom, but – with no contract tying him down – former Force India driver Adrian Sutil admitted he was glad he was not there.

“In a situation like that, it is probably better not to go,” the German said on Sky Deutschland.

“On the one hand, the decision was made (to go to Bahrain), on the other hand, it’s very difficult when there are so many problems in a country.”

Red Bull reserve driver Sebastien Buemi, who has family living in Bahrain, does not agree at all.

“I arrived on Monday and I had no problem — maybe there were a few more police than two years ago, but nothing happened to me,” the Swiss insisted on Austrian Servus TV.

Force India and Sauber, however, witnessed Molotov cocktail attacks on their treks to and from the circuit.

And Caterham team spokesman Tom Webb told the Sun that there was “one minor incident when one of our (hire) vans slowed down in traffic and its occupants saw a local youth on the side of the main road brandishing a bottle with a rag stuffed in its neck”.

World champion and race winner Sebastian Vettel also admitted the feeling was tense in the paddock throughout the weekend.

“It was not easy for anyone,” the Red Bull driver admitted, according to SID news agency, “but I’m glad that nothing happened to any of us (in F1).”

And the Telegraph quotes Vettel adding: “Hopefully, we come back in the future when everything’s a little bit safer.”

Reuters reports that Vodafone, the main sponsor of the half Bahrain-owned McLaren team, sent no staff to the country and expressed concerns to the British outfit.

But Jim Wright, an F1 sponsorship expert, told the Guardian that he thinks while the sport’s image took a beating last weekend, sponsors will be happy.

“Most teams handled a difficult decision very well,” he said. “On that basis I think a lot of people would be pleased with that and happy to get involved with them.”

The television audience was also unaffected – even boosted – with the BBC reporting more viewers for Bahrain than Australia and Malaysia, and Germany revealing similarly strong figures.

Still, there remains criticism.

“Now is an opportunity to reflect,” former F1 driver Alex Zanardi told Tuttosport, “and make sure that major sporting events are assigned only to governments that deserve the honour of hosting them.

“Ecclestone is brilliant and has made formula one what it is, but he can’t administer races at any cost and above all else,” insisted the Italian.

Due to security fears, Force India sat out a practice session on Friday so that staff could return to their hotels in daylight.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was reportedly enraged, and according to rumours got his revenge by instructing Formula One Management’s television cameras to ignore the Silverstone based team’s cars in qualifying.

“There was a bit of fuss about what we did,” deputy team principal Bob Fernley is quoted by Spain’s AS newspaper, “and it was not easy, but I think it turned out to be the right response.

“We had a lot of pressure, our attitude was not well received,” he confirmed, “but I think that we had a duty of care to our employees, and to do the right thing by the team.”

The calamitous Bahrain grand prix saga has not jeopardised the island Kingdom’s future on the F1 calendar.

That is the strident claim of Bernie Ecclestone, after the F1 chief executive and FIA president Jean Todt displayed rare unity as they insisted the country’s civil and political problems would not affect the grand prix.

But amid the bubbling Bahrain saga, Ecclestone had suggested that Bahrain might face trouble when it comes to negotiating a new contract, with the existing agreement only set to extend for three more years.

However, when asked by Reuters if F1 is going to keep returning to Bahrain despite this year’s troubles, Ecclestone insisted on Sunday before leaving the Persian Gulf: “Absolutely. Forever. No problem.”

Like Todt, he even played down the damage done to F1′s reputation this weekend.

“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,” said Ecclestone.

In truth, reputation damage has undoubtedly been done. But Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick, admitted he is dismayed with how politics interfered with sport so strikingly this weekend.

“On all continents, somewhere, all hell is breaking loose. And as a formula one reporter, you’re flying around this globe two or three times a year,” he wrote.

“We go to countries that are politically explosive. Where human rights are violated, where poverty reigns.

“But we hardly talk about it — not in China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore or Brazil. In 2014, we’re going to Russia.

“Years ago, our circus happily danced around in apartheid South Africa, and the military dictatorship of Argentina.

“Formula one is pure entertainment. Detached from the problems of the world. But here, in Bahrain, every reporter entered the political field, whether he liked to or not,” wrote Benoit.

So that is why Ecclestone is unapologetic, after championing the Bahrain grand prix.

“Because, basically, the problems they have in Bahrain have nothing to do with F1,” the 81-year-old told El Pais newspaper.

“The relevant agencies gave the nod as far as security was concerned, and I think it is clear that they were not wrong.”

He also sees no problem with F1 being used as a political tool.

“Governments want to have an F1 race for the same reason as they want the Olympics. We come to agreements with the promoters and, if that’s good for the country, fine,” said Ecclestone.

France’s sports minister insists the country is still on course to return to the formula one calendar.
Recently, a deal to see the Paul Ricard circuit annually share a grand prix date with Belgium’s fabled Spa-Francorchamps seemed imminent.

But although the key meeting with Bernie Ecclestone took place nearly a month ago now, sports minister David Douillet said the 2013 French grand prix “is not dead”.

“We have three new French drivers in F1 and so we have to have a grand prix de France,” he is quoted by TF1 television. “That’s my job.

“France is the land of the grand prix,” added Douillet. “I met with Bernie Ecclestone and he is totally willing to share it between Belgium and France.

“He has mobilised and motivated local governments for the financing of the event, even if we are yet to have all the details from our Belgian friends.

“There are also some details to go with one or two of the close cities. We are almost there,” he insisted.

Jun.8 (GMM)  The facilities at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve are good enough for formula one, according to race promoter Francois Dumonitier.

With 24 teams now squeezed into the modest Montreal pit building, it would be easy to negatively compare the Canadian venue with the likes of Shanghai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi.

“It is this place that reminds me more than any other track on the F1 calendar of the look and feel of what it was like to go to Mosport to attend the first ever Canadian grand prix in 1967,” wrote New York Times correspondent Brad Spurgeon in 2008, F1′s most recent visit to Montreal.

But promoter Dumontier insists the world of F1 will need to make do.

“They need to put water in their wine,” he is quoted by French language RDS television.

“They are fortunate to go on tours where governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities.  The essence is the race track and I think that our facilities are adequate,” Dumontier insists.

Flavio Briatore’s visit to the Monaco paddock earlier this month was reportedly part of a plan for the Italian to return to formula one.

Due to the crashgate scandal, the ousted former Renault boss is currently banned from holding a direct operational role in F1 until 2013, and he has ruled out returning as a team boss.

But Finland’s Turun Sanomat reports that Briatore, 60, held “subtle negotiations” with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone in Monaco.

The article said 79-year-old Ecclestone is not planning to retire, but does intend to delegate some of his responsibilities and “sees Briatore as a natural successor”.

Turun Sanomat cites British sources as saying Briatore will shortly be responsible for the acquisition of new sponsors with the Ecclestone-led Formula One Management.

The sources said Briton Ecclestone enjoys the negotiations with grand prix hosts, promoters and governments and does not intend to delegate those tasks.

Ecclestone said last month that his personal friend and business partner Briatore could soon “take up a role in the promotion of formula one”.

And at the height of the FOTA/FIA political war last year, when the teams were threatening to set up a rival series, departing president Max Mosley said Briatore “sees himself as the Bernie”.
(GMM)