High-profile sponsors are nervous, as formula one ploughs ahead with next week’s Bahrain grand prix.

Despite widespread trepidation felt within the paddock this weekend in Shanghai, the FIA has declared that there is no reason the Sakhir event cannot go ahead.

And after meeting with the teams on Friday, Bernie Ecclestone told reporters the race is “200 per cent” on.

But The Times reports that, amid the threat of violence, some sponsors have pulled the plug on providing hospitality for guests next weekend.

“When you have an environment like Bahrain then all the sponsors will be watching developments very, very closely and talking to each other,” a source said.

“It’s a case of ‘watch this space’ basically.”

However, the British newspaper said it is unlikely any major sponsors will pull their logos from the cars.

“(They) will effectively just have to follow the sport,” said Tim Bampton, of the motor sports marketing company Just Marketing.

“They will have to watch and wait to see what happens even though they could be caught in the vortex.”

But, at the same time, it is believed that sponsors’ contracts with the teams – such as Vodafone’s estimated $75m deal with McLaren – contain “brand damage” clauses.

An added complication for McLaren is that it is part owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, with Mumtalakat Holdings “on course to own half the business” according to writer Kevin Eason.

Also under heavy scrutiny is the conspicuously silent FIA president Jean Todt, whose son Nicolas shares ownership of his GP2 team with Bahrain’s controversial crown prince.

“We all know why it (the Bahrain saga) might have dragged a bit,” Mark Webber is quoted by the Telegraph.

“F1 is like that. There’s a lot of funding and finances that have come from Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and the Middle East.

“They’re very excited about F1 and they clearly want to give it another go. Let’s see if it works,” added the Red Bull driver.

It has emerged that Rome’s agreement about a city-based formula one race in 2012 or 2013 could lapse at the end of the year.

It was reported last month that organisers of the proposed event to take place in the Italian capital’s EUR district had signed a five-year contract with Bernie Ecclestone.

It was said that the only hurdle was the support of the residents of EUR, a major suburban area and business centre.

But Italian media reports late this week, including by the authoritative broadcaster Rai and the major news agency ANSA, have revealed that the document signed at Monza last month was just a “lettera di intenti” (letter of intent).

And Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno is quoted as saying that the original project as devised by the race promoter has lapsed because it would have been too disruptive.

He said a new project will be presented to the Rome authority assemblea capitolina before the letter of intent runs out later this year.

“I will soon meet with Ecclestone to confirm the letter of intent that has been signed and never revoked,” added mayor Alemanno.

He said the original EUR plan was too disruptive. “If someone thinks I want to make a mess of the EUR, they are making a big mistake.

“Rather, we want to enrich the city’s image,” Alemanno is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Research shows that the majority of Rome residents, although not an overwhelming one, are in favour.

“But the assemblea capitolina will have the last word” after “very careful scrutiny”, he added.

Those who believe only Red Bull’s front wing endplates are flexing appear to be wide of the mark.

Pressure from McLaren, Mercedes and perhaps other rivals of the Austrian owned team has resulted in new wing flexibility tests being devised by the FIA for the forthcoming Belgian grand prix.

Reports indicate that the new tests will involve the doubling of the testing load from 50kg to 100kg, amid suspicions Red Bull and Ferrari devised a way to have the endplates bend under disproportionately higher loads out on track.

But for Red Bull, there seems to be a much more complex story to emerge.

“It’s very clever,” said McLaren’s Jenson Button on Thursday, whilst preparing for the London Triathlon.

“We’ve just got to understand it — and as quickly as possible,” he is quoted by the Telegraph.

After Hockenheim, where Ferrari finally got on terms with Red Bull, the photographs of the bending wings started doing the rounds.

And before running the F10s a few days later, Ferrari chief engineer Chris Dyer said the team was set to consider “some different front wing options” in Hungary.

The rumours about Ferrari’s flexing wings subsequently quietened, as the focus on the RB6 intensified.

It is now being suggested in F1 circles that flexing endplates is only part of Red Bull’s story.

“It doesn’t just seem to be their wing that flexes,” Button had said in Hungary.

Indeed, further scrutiny of the flexi-wing photographs from Hockenheim and Hungary seem to show Red Bull’s entire front nose – not just the wing and its extremities – much closer to the ground than any of their rivals, including Ferrari.

How the team is achieving this is unknown, but the manner in which Sebastian Vettel’s prototype broke at the mounting at high speed on Hangar straight during third practice at Silverstone might be a clue.

Another theory is that the front of the floor of the car is flexing towards the ground on track, whilst the rear is lifting.

And it is believed the flexing of the rear floor in particular would have a radical effect in terms of the front wing height.

“I’ve heard rumours about all sorts of things going on, including flexible floors,” BBC radio commentator Anthony Davidson said in Hungary.