2011 GP2 Asia Series - Races 3&4, Sakhir

[chunterer]

People may or may not know that practice and qualifying has been moved from today til tomorrow morning with the first race still scheduled to go ahead tomorrow afternoon.

Things may change again of course depending on the demonstrations nearby and any subsequent threats to event security.

Let's all try and keep the thread updated.

[bella]

it's worth following @willbuxton on twitter for some interesting insights into the situation they're encountering if you're interested

[mickey29]

GP2 cancelled according to twitter feeds from Will Buxton and Jonathon Noble

[Peter Mallett]

Only sensible option.

[chunterer]

Thanks for the updates there guys, yes, I read the Buxton piece off of Joe Saward's blog, didn't sounds too bright.

Shame we've lost 2 races of an already too short Asia series but hey ho.

Any possibility they'll re-schedule them, wouldn't be too difficult as the cars are staying over there until the GP weekend.

[Mekola]

Wonder if neighbour Losail, Qatar circuit could be used for a replacement round for this cancelled round of GP2 Asia series.

[chunterer]

Very good idea, after they've been before haven't they?

Is that where the night races were a couple of years ago?

[Peter Mallett]

Yeah but Moto GP is due there to test next week then the GP is 13th March. I need to check on those dates though.

[chunterer]

How about the replacement rounds go to Losail Mar 4/5 and then the GP and the final GP2 rounds take place the following weekend in place of Bahrain.........

I reckon the organisers could still sell a shed load of tickets even if the race was announced tomorrow!!!

Just a thought.

Bernie what do you think?

[bella]

i assume the port and cargo operations are working as normal, or the f1 stuff won't be offloaded where it needs to be and the gp2 stuff will struggle to get anywhere in time for a replacement race...

[Dan Friel]

Can't see the GP2 kit going anywhere. Presumably it was due to stay in Bahrain until the GP meeting in any case. There won't be any freight booked. And I very much doubt that the insurance companies will be allowing any F1 or GP2 kit to be moved anywhere for the forseeable future.

[runshaw]

They should reschedule rounds 3 and 4 and bring them to Oulton Park, on the International configuration of course. The hospitality at the Chequers cafe and bar is second to none, we partied saturday night away there last year during the BTCC meeting, and you can blag a free pint if you show them you have an MSA license. And down the road there is Cabbage Hall.

[MaxxUK]

I am out in Bahrain myself, was due to be working with my usual 3 drivers in the Chevrolet V8 Supercars which was supporting GP2. As has beed said, all racing has now been cancelled and am currently sat in the Airport waiting for a flight in the morning back to UK.

Main reason for cancellation was that no medical staff were available but apparently it was pretty grim in the City Centre today anyway and many glad to get away. We drove round and it was like a ghost town and there was lots of Police and Military presence.

As for GP2 I wonder if a date between now and F1 can be slotted in, the Bahrain circuit is little used. All this of course rests with the situation over here becoming much calmer, even F1 could be under threat if this continues.

Maxx

[runshaw]

Hope that everyone gets back ok and the situation is sorted, thats the main thing obviously. Do you work with Fahad Hizam? Seen a couple of his videos on youtube racing MX-5's here and testing a Chevy V8 in Bahrain.

[MaxxUK]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Hope that everyone gets back ok and the situation is sorted, thats the main thing obviously. Do you work with Fahad Hizam? Seen a couple of his videos on youtube racing MX-5's here and testing a Chevy V8 in Bahrain.

Yes, have worked with Fahad and others for the past 3 seasons. He is not competiing this year but most of the other guys are back.

I regularly post Fahad's and others' MX5 race videos and onboards from the last couple of seasons in the V8s on my Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/maxxuk

Just got back to the UK myself and by the look of the airport most others are now back as well. Situation appears worse if anything in Bahrain so quite glad to be back.

[skells22]

want happens if the other GP2 Asia race from Bahrain is also cancelled (we are waiting on word from F1 on this)? Will the GP2 Asia championship declared void?

[skells22]

as we now know Bahrain is off the GP2 Asia list.
I just wish GP2 will say something about its standby plans asap with this championship at the mo in hold mode.

[Lam Pak]

don't put a tag on a broken heart but this championship gp2 asia gives bad name to asia. call it gp2 arabia or something. cant be always puting shame on asia. asia is china, japan, malaysia, singapore, macau, hong kong, vietname, thailand,Korea etc.

[Dan Friel]

Originally Posted by Lam Pak

don't put a tag on a broken heart but this championship gp2 asia gives bad name to asia. call it gp2 arabia or something. cant be always puting shame on asia. asia is china, japan, malaysia, singapore, macau, hong kong, vietname, thailand,Korea etc.

I can understand your frustration about established geography definitions (which you might as well get used to!), but your comments on asian politics and shame are just embarrassing.

I expect that there's a slim chance that a round could be re-scheduled for Abu Dhabi..

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Lam Pak

don't put a tag on a broken heart

Huh?