Indian Grand Prix is back on track

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone virtually ruled out the possibility of Bahrain hosting a race on October 30 as the teams and drivers are reluctant to travel to the troubled nation. This means that prospect of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix taking place in its scheduled time is still on.

Originally it was Ecclestone who had been in favour of moving the Bahrain race to October 30 after the season opener had originally been postponed because of political unrest in the country.

Formula One governing body FIA, at a meeting last Friday in Barcelona, had brought back Bahrain GP in the 2011 calendar by allotting a date on October 30 and moved the Indian GP, originally scheduled for that date, back until December to probably host the final race of the season.

That move was not accepted by the teams and drivers and also by human rights organizations. They were unhappy with claims by the sport’s governing body, FIA, that normalcy has returned in Bahrain. He finally agreed that the Bahrain race cannot be held at all after 11 of the 12 Formula One teams raised objections due to the civil unrest that was continuing in the Gulf country.

“Hopefully there’ll be peace and quiet and we can return in the future, but of course it’s not on,” Ecclestone told BBC Sport. “The schedule cannot be rescheduled without the agreement of the participants — they’re the facts.”

Former FIA president Max Mosley had led the chorus of objections to the controversial Bahrain GP taking place this year. Mosley was supported by the F1 teams and drivers. Most of them stated that they do not wish the race to happen while human rights are still being flouted in the Gulf kingdom.

So, Indian GP date is not being rescheduled at all!

Tags: Bahrain GP, Bernie Ecclestone, FIA, Formula One, Indian GP, Indian Grand Prix, Motorsports