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June 12, 2011

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Ecclestone cancels Bahrain race

Source: Agencies | June 12, 2011, Sunday | Print Edition

FORMULA One supremo Bernie Ecclestone moved to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix from the 2011 calendar on Friday, but only after making a last-ditch attempt to keep the race alive.

The governing International Automobile Federation revealed in a chronology of events on its website that the 80-year-old had tried to keep the race alive with a new proposal only hours before the Bahrain authorities accepted it could not go ahead.

The FIA said Ecclestone had suggested on Thursday, a day after he had said it was "not on," that the race be rescheduled for December 4.

That would have made it the season-ender, with India reinstated to the October 30 date it had relinquished for the Gulf kingdom.

The governing body then asked the Briton for guarantees that such a change was acceptable to the teams and Bahrain organizers.

The head of the Bahrain circuit said in a statement later on Thursday that organizers accepted the race, postponed in March due to bloody civil unrest, had to be canceled after teams opposed any rescheduling.

The FIA said Ecclestone had proposed finally on Friday reverting to the calendar published before the start of the season, with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix near New Delhi on October 30.

It said the 26 members of its world motor sport council had been asked to vote by fax by noon on Tuesday at the latest.

The teams organization FOTA, which represents 11 of the 12 teams, had opposed the reinstatement of Bahrain on logistical and insurance grounds rather than out of any overt sympathy with rights campaigners.

Meanwhile, Mexican driver Sergio Perez pulled out of the Canadian Grand Prix after feeling unwell during Friday's first practice session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The 21-year-old Sauber driver was replaced by Pedro de la Rosa of Spain, who is McLaren's test driver.

Perez was hospitalized after crashing heavily during the Monaco Grand Prix on May 29. He was cleared to drive in Montreal after recovering from a concussion and leg injury, but the Sauber F1 team said that Perez "reported feeling unwell" after Friday morning practice and it was decided he should "miss one race on grounds of safety."

De la Rosa was a Sauber driver last season until the Swiss team decided to drop him in favor of German Nick Heidfeld after the Italian Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old Spaniard is now poised to drive in his 86th grand prix race today.
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