Quote:
Originally Posted by pplater
Bahrain is worlds away from Oz! Haven't been there yet, though I spent time in Dubai, Egypt and Israel last year not long after the Mubarak Facebook revolution in Cairo, and it was a pretty massive culture shock. Fascinating places to visit, to be sure.
Sport can have a role in helping nations progress (South African apartheid boycotts come to mind), and the F1 circus has shone a spotlight on abuse in Bahrain, which can only be a good thing.
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Sorry, but that's patently untrue. F1 has in fact swept the abuses under the rug and refused to acknowledge them. The FIA gave Bahrain a clean bill of health shortly prior to the planned GP last year. It was only the rapid deterioration and the safety concerns of its own 'circus' that caused them to postpone the event. They wouldn't cancel it, because then they would have to refund money to Bahrain.
They have resisted all international pressure to boycott the Bahrain event.
As for apartheid - F1 was one of the few sports to go to South Africa during this period. So not much has changed. I appreciate that there's remaining politically neutral, but it's another thing to offer validation to oppressive regimes.