The Guardia:Hill challenges FIA president Todt to clarify Bahrain

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Pro-democracy protests around race met by riot police in 2012
• 'FIA should ensure they're not hijacked for wrong reasons'

Paul Weaver in Shanghai
The Guardian, Thursday 11 April 2013

The former world champion Damon Hill has challenged Jean Todt, the president of Formula One's ruling body the FIA, to make his position clear on the controversial Bahrain Grand Prix in April.

Last year's Bahrain race was a public relations disaster for both F1 and the country's authorities. Almost everyone in the paddock did not want to be there, but the race still took place against a background of pro-democracy demonstrations, with stones and petrol bombs being thrown, while riot police fired teargas and birdshot and beat opposition activistsHill, who now works as a Sky Sports F1 analyst, was one of the few people in the sport to question the wisdom of the race taking place a year ago.

And he voiced his concerns again when he said: "Jean Todt's approach has been to say nothing, because otherwise you're being critical, and I think that is a mistake. Because he's being used, or the sport is being perceived as being used, by its engagement in the economy and the reputation of the country.

"He's not said anything that has distanced the sport from things that it would find distasteful and upsetting, which I believe everyone in the sport would like to do.

"The vast majority of people in the sport would like to say we don't want to come here to make life worse for people. We would like you to enjoy Formula One. It has lots of positive things to offer. But please don't, on our behalf, round people up and brutalise them. I don't see that being political. It's more ethical than political."



The tension is rising in the country as it prepares for the Bahrain race on Sunday week, and on Wednesday there were reports that the police had arrested 20 opposition activists in towns close to the F1 circuit, although these were denied by Information Minister Sameera Rajab.

More than 60 people have been killed in the country's unrest – this toll is a lot higher according to rights groups – and the 2011 race at the Bahrain International Circuit was cancelled.

Hill continued: "I would not want to go to Bahrain if people are going to be treated extra bad just so a race can go ahead. What we don't want to have is F1 being responsible for making life worse for people. The question is whether F1, by going to Bahrain, is actually going to enable or further brutal repression.

"It's none of my business what goes on in Bahrain, in many ways. But it is if I'm involved in the sport and that's my life, and the sport is going to Bahrain.

"My view is the sport, and the governing body of the sport, should ensure they're not being hijacked for the wrong reasons. And I'm not entirely sure they've cleared up that point, I have to say."

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone said last week that he had no concerns about the race becoming a target for anti-government protesters.

MP Richard Burden, who chairs parliamentary groups on motorsport and who was outspoken against last year's race taking place, says: "The messages I'm getting from various people in the opposition – and there have been pretty regular street protest over the past three weeks – is that the F1 race will be more of a focus than it was last year. That's what they anticipate happening.

"The quotes [Ecclestone] came out with is that everything will be fine. I just do not buy that. It is not the same evidence that I am hearing. Opinion is not difficult to come by in Bahrain saying either that the race should not go ahead and, if it does, there will be trouble.

"If anything happens it will be a tragedy for all concerned. I hope in the next few days that people will understand that words do have an impact."

But Formula One shows no signs of having learned anything from its painful lessons of last year. They will probably say something trite about keeping politics out of sport next week – even though, contrary to the FIA's charter – the Bahrain government promoted last year's race as a way of unifying its people.

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