Bahrain’s Crown Prince on Friday ruled out cancelling the troubled island kingdom’s grand prix.

“I think cancelling just empowers extremists,” he told reporters, whilst standing alongside F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Pressure on the race organisers, Ecclestone and the FIA to cancel the race has only intensified after Force India and Sauber revealed their brushes with petrol bombs.

“I can absolutely guarantee that any problems that may or may not happen are not directed at F1,” the Crown Prince insisted.

Ecclestone, meanwhile, pointed his finger at the media.

“There are other countries much higher up the priority list you should be writing about,” he told the scrum of reporters.

“Go to Syria and write about those things there because it’s more important than here.”

When asked about the violent clashes between Bahraini protesters and the police, Ecclestone said: “It’s a lot of nonsense. You guys love it.”

However, he did admit that going ahead with the race is “a little bit silly” for the Bahrain government because it gives the protesters “such an incredible platform”.

With F1 currently scheduled to arrive en masse in Bahrain next week, a crisis surrounding the possible cancellation of the island Kingdom’s race is continuing to deepen.

The teams have now denied Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that they can simply choose to skip the event.

“That would not be possible,” said a statement issued by the teams association FOTA. “Teams are unable to cancel (a) grand prix.”

Bahrain, meanwhile, stepped up its campaign, accusing some of deploying “scare-mongering tactics” designed to force the race’s cancellation.

The race organisers released a report conducted by Lotus, following the Enstone based team’s recent reconnaissance mission to Bahrain.

“We came away from Bahrain feeling a lot more confident that everything is in hand,” Lotus is quoted as having reported.

The team, however, reacted angrily, accusing the organisers of having released a “confidential” document.

“Lotus F1 Team is one of 12 contestants of the … world championship and we would never try to substitute ourselves for the FIA”, said the Enstone based team.

Surmised Times correspondent Kevin Eason on Twitter: “(It’s) getting messy…”

At the same time, F1 chief executive Ecclestone became fully immersed in the political situation on Tuesday, reporteding personally phoning Bahrain’s crown prince to express concern about the jailed hunger striker.

An Amnesty International report published this week had called for Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja’s release, amid claims he is now close to death and being force-fed.

But the Bahrain government, through its information affairs authority, insisted that only police and rioters are being injured in “infrequent and remote clashes”.

Also weighing into the argument was Sir Jackie Stewart, the eloquent triple world champion, who said: “I would go.

“The commercial rights holder has sold a package, at a price, and it is part of the constructors’ agreement that they attend the races that have been published,” he told the Guardian.

“As a team owner I would have to honour my agreement both orally and legally.”

Whatever happens, the Bahrain saga – stretching back now over a year – is not good news for the future of the island Kingdom’s calendar spot.

“Maybe we wouldn’t renew it (the contract),” Ecclestone admitted to the BBC. “We’ll have to look and see.”

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted F1 teams will breach their contracts if they do not race in Bahrain next weekend.

Earlier, as the controversy surrounding the sport’s continued plans to travel to the troubled island Kingdom deepens, an unnamed team boss admitted his peers would prefer if the event was called off.

The Times newspaper then quoted F1 chief executive Ecclestone as saying that “If the teams don’t want to go, then we cannot make them”.

“We’ve no way we can force people to go there,” he also told the PA Sport news agency on Tuesday.

But in actual fact, teams are contractually bound to race at each event on the F1 calendar, with breaches punishable by exclusion from the sport.

“We can’t say ‘you’ve got to go’ – although they would be in breach of their agreement with us if they didn’t go – but it doesn’t help,” the 81-year-old clarified.

“Commercially they have to go, but whether they decide to or not is up to them,” said Ecclestone.

“I’ve had no one say anything other than ‘we’re going to be racing in Bahrain’.”

He said the local race organisers, and the national sanctioning body, are the ones that could cancel the race.

F1′s governing body, meanwhile, is the FIA.

“I’ve spoken to (FIA president) Mr (Jean) Todt,” Ecclestone revealed, “we keep in close contact, and he’s going out there (to China), so we’ll have a chat then, and we always meet with the teams.”

It also emerged on Tuesday that Ecclestone has phoned Dr Ala’a Shehabi, a prominent Bahraini journalist and activist.

She revealed that Ecclestone wants Bahrain’s government opposition to “have a press conference” at the grand prix “in which opposition can get their message across”.

Shehabi said Ecclestone is “very concerned” about the situation in Bahrain, including the fate of human rights activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who amid his hunger strike in jail is said to be close to death.

Teams are making preparations just in case the Bahrain grand prix is called off at the last minute.

That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that the teams could put their back-up plans into action even as late as the Sunday in China — mere days before they are expected to be at Sakhir.

In London this week, F1 chief executive and team bosses stood side by side with Bahrain circuit officials, insisting the race will go ahead despite defiant speculation to the contrary.

But Auto Motor und Sport reveals that the teams will also be ready if the plug is indeed pulled at the last minute — for example, their freight would go not from Shanghai to Bahrain, but back to Europe via Dubai.

And the report also said tickets have been reserved for the teams’ travelling staff, in the event they do not have to hop directly to the island Kingdom.

Michael Schumacher, however, insists he is not worried about going to Bahrain.

“I’m pretty relaxed, honestly,” said the seven time world champion.

“From our perspective, we’re going to be very well looked after, because they (the race organisers) might foresee whatever and be prepared.

“I’m pretty sure we’re going to be ok,” added Schumacher.

 Bernie Ecclestone has played down the controversy over the future of Australia’s grand prix by daring organisers to walk away from the sport.
“When the contract comes up, they don’t have to renew,” the F1 chief executive, speaking from London, told local Fairfax Radio ahead of the 2012 Melbourne race.

“That is the nice thing. We are not going to force anyone into doing anything because we can’t.”

The current contract expires in 2015, and Ecclestone has offered to ease the taxpayers’ burden if race organisers agree to host the race at night, to better service Europe’s live television audience.

But the 81-year-old Briton is also furious, after a federal politician for the ruling Labor Party scorned the millions paid to Ecclestone in order to bankroll the billionaire’s flamboyant “bogan” daughter Tamara.

“Who was the halfwit that said these things?” Ecclestone told 3AW radio.

“You’re not a communist state there, are you? Any money that my children have got, they didn’t steal.

“I’d like him to say what he said to me face to face.”

The latest spat is yet another threat to the highly popular Albert Park race, with Ecclestone surmising: “From all the things I read that the government say, I don’t think that they want to continue.”

Australian driver Mark Webber hopes the race has a future.

“I don’t think it’s a gain to lose it, put it that way,” he said.

“It was successful in Adelaide and in Melbourne as well and it would be brilliant to keep it here for a long time yet.”

Bernie Ecclestone has expressed frustration with the attitude of Australia’s formula one race organisers.
The F1 chief executive is pushing for the Melbourne race, with a contract through 2015, to be held at night for a more favourable live timeslot back in Europe.

He may even be offering a fee subsidy, but formula one remains controversial within the Victorian state parliament, with taxpayers footing $50 million bills annually.

Ecclestone has reacted by offering to sit down and negotiate an early end to the Albert Park deal.

“If the government wanted to, we could certainly come to some terms, I suppose,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun from London.

81-year-old Ecclestone reportedly wants the government, led by premier Ted Baillieu, to come clean about his plans for the future.

“It would just be nice for somebody to say to me ‘Bernie, definitely, 100 per cent, we don’t want to renew our contract’,” he said.

So Ecclestone reportedly warned that Baillieu should begin talks now if he wants to keep the sport in Melbourne.

The premier’s spokesman reportedly said the government will not ‘take an open chequebook’ to the negotiations.

 Less than two weeks before the inaugural Indian grand prix is scheduled to take place, disgruntled farmers are still threatening to disrupt it.
They are angry that their land was acquired compulsorily without adequate compensation to make way for the new Buddh circuit.

According to the Hindustan Times, they have written to a regional official this week reminding him that if their demands are not met, they will push ahead with protests aimed at disrupting formula one.

“There’s nothing alarming. There’s no threat to the race,” a senior official of race organisers Jaypee insisted.

“A lot rides on the event and the farmers are only trying to browbeat the organisers and the administration,” he added.

A regional official warned: “If any group tries to disrupt the proceedings of the race, we will deal with them in an appropriate manner.”

According to the Indian Express, some farmers are threatening to play cricket on the asphalt on the day of qualifying, and then step up the protest to “stop the race altogether” on Sunday.

“We want to hold a sports tournament, to show the world our grievance. We don’t want to cause trouble, but our voices must be heard,” a spokesman for the farmers’ group said.

Another farmer added: “We will try and stop the race at all costs as it represents the injustice that we have suffered.

“We have heard that the foreign (F1) cars will be arriving between October 18 and 20. We intend to stop them from entering the circuit.”

Organisers of the 2012 US grand prix are still yet to access state funding for the Circuit of the Americas project.
The FIA has scheduled a mid-June date for the inaugural Austin event, amid reports race organisers want a different date due to the hot Texas summer.

But time to build the bespoke facility is nonetheless short, with the City of Austin only now filing documents with the state to access the touted $25 million in support.

The Texas comptroller has 30 days to review the request and release the funding from the major events trust fund, according to the local Austin American Statesman.

“It is unclear when the funds … need to be paid to F1 officials,” added the report.

Clouds still linger above the health of the 2012 US grand prix project.
Progress at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin appeared brighter last week, when the state’s $25m annual subsidy was signed off by the council and a legal action brought by a group of disgruntled taxpayers was dropped.

But the local Austin American Statesman newspaper now reports that a meeting of the event’s quasi-governmental Local Organising Committee was on Monday mysteriously called off.

The vote of the committee is apparently required as the next step in race organisers receiving the state funds.

“As recently as late June, the local lawyer representing the F1 efforts told the city council the project’s finances could be imperilled if the committee met later than the July fourth weekend,” read the report.

And a freelance reporter has been quoted by KUT News as revealing that organisers do not yet have permission to build the circuit pits and other buildings.

Jacob Dirr said “All they can do is start pouring the track, build a couple of tunnels and keep pushing dirt around”.

Fears have eased that Austin’s city council could scupper the 2012 US grand prix.
It emerged last week that if council members refuse to sign up as “endorsing municipality”, the race organisers’ $25 million in annual state funding for the Circuit of the Americas project is in doubt.

The council agreement would involve Austin contributing $4m per year to Texas’ Major Events Trust Fund, even though the race organisers are pledging to pick up the bill.

Earlier reports had said the organisers were hoping the $4m would be funded by taxpayers in subsequent years, but it now emerges that they have agreed to pay up for the full decade of the formula one contract.

“This confirms what I’ve been saying all along — that the city would be contributing no up-front money, and that the city would not be at risk,” confirmed Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell.

Asked if the agreement will be formalised by the time the council meets next week, he is quoted by the Austin Chronicle: “I would hope so.”

Subsidence of the track surface is the main reason for the improvement works taking place at China’s grand prix venue in Shanghai, it has emerged.

The April event has only a provisional date on the 2011 calendar, with re-approval of the 7-year-old circuit to only be possible after an FIA inspection in March.

It was previously believed that the necessary improvements at the $240 million facility were in the area of the track surface and rain drainage.

The local race organisers have now confirmed that the main problem is subsidence – damage to the track surface due to downwards movement of the ground – at three corners.

“There should be no problem,” Yang Yibin, manager of race promoter Juss Event, is quoted by the Shanghai Daily.

“We’ve communicated well with the FIA, our plan has been approved and the grand prix will be on time.”

The report said the serious subsidence is present at turns 1, 8 and 14.

The Shanghai International Circuit was built in 2003 on former swampland.

“Subsidence is normal because of the soft soil in Shanghai, which the circuit was built above,” Yang said.

And circuit engineering manager Sun Liang told the Oriental Morning Post that artificial elevation changes were built into the layout by using “complex materials”.

“Because some parts of the circuit are on the ground while some parts are not, as time goes by it’s normal for some subsidence,” he said.

September 21, Touted as the belated final inspection date for Korea’s new F1 circuit, passed without notice.

That’s because it has been agreed with the struggling race organisers that the inspection can take place next week instead, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Charlie Whiting’s inspection will now take place next Tuesday, despite the FIA rules requiring circuits to be given the green light several months before their debut race date.

But according to the German media report, it is only next week that the final layer of asphalt will be laid on the surface of the Yeongam layout.

Also to be inspected by Whiting will be the run-off areas, fences, walls and tyre barriers; crucial details that mere days ago were essentially incomplete.

Auto Motor und Sport said that, from a commercial point of view, the organisers have fully paid their race sanctioning fee.

“I believe it (the Korean circuit) will eventually be signed off because Bernie (Ecclestone) is desperate for it to be signed off.

“But it’s not great PR for the circuit or the FIA,” said Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary.

Singapore has made changes to its Marina Bay formula one street circuit ahead of this weekend’s grand prix.

According to the race organisers, the changes are mainly to “address the feedback from the drivers”.

The track has been resurfaced between turns 3-7 and 14-19 to minimise bumps, while the pitlane surface has been lowered by a centimetre and resurfaced to ensure a smoother transition to and from the track.

The controversial turn 10 chicane, where Kimi Raikkonen crashed in 2008, has also been changed, with the kerbs realigned to make the changes of direction more gradual so that drivers can “make safer exits” from the section.

Aesthetic changes have also been made, including the bright colorisation of the walls and the run-off areas.

According to the International Sporting Code, F1′s governing body should already have approved or rejected the new South Korea circuit ahead of its inaugural grand prix.

Instead, the venue has been given until September 21 to prepare for Charlie Whiting’s final inspection, with a FIA spokesman admitting “a lot of work remains to be completed” at the Yeongam site, according to the Telegraph.

Appendix O of the Code says the final inspection for a permanent venue should take place “not later than 90 days before the first international event to be held” there.

If adhered to, Korea’s final inspection should have taken place at the end of July, given its late October race date.

And if a circuit fails its final inspection, the sporting regulations state that the event “will not be considered for inclusion in the following year’s championship unless the FIA judges the cancellation to have been due to force majeure”.

Countering ongoing speculation about the state of the site, race organisers have released some photos showing completed buildings and an apparently freshly-laid track surface.

But other, unofficial photos recently did the rounds showing that aspects of the venue are far from complete.

However, the Telegraph’s Tom Cary said the FIA is “satisfied” with progress.

Indian driver Karun Chandhok is currently on his way to the east Asian state, where on Saturday he is scheduled to drive Red Bull’s demo car around the circuit.

Event organisers KAVO insist the venue is “90 per cent” complete.

Organisers of the historic Belgian grand prix are concerned about the future of F1′s popular Spa-Francorchamps round beyond 2012.

Whilst revealing this week that 40,000 tickets have been sold so far for the forthcoming August 29 event, the officials said Spa is under increasing pressure from international venues who have more money to spend.

“The ticket sales for this year are relatively good,” said spokesman Christian Lahaye.

“We hope to reach the figure of 2007, with 65,000 tickets sold, to allow us to achieve a balanced financial position,” he added.

According to the Flemish newspaper De Morgen, Spa’s F1 future could depend on the new Concorde Agreement post-2012 expanding the annual calendar to up to 25 races.

With the influx of new international races promising much higher annual promotion fees, the report said Spa-Francorchamps’ race organisers are worried.

“There is no shortage of candidates (for grands prix),” Spa-Francorchamps circuit boss Andre Maes is quoted by Belga news agency.

“Even France doesn’t have a grand prix,” he said.