MANAMA, Bahrain — The crown prince of Bahrain called off Formula One’s season-opening race Monday, handing another victory to protesters aiming to break the ruling dynasty’s hold on power in the Gulf kingdom.
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa owns the rights to the grand prix and serves as commander of the armed forces in an island country where at least eight protesters have been killed in a week of unrest. Angry protesters, who see the Bahrain GP as particularly meaningful to him, wanted the March 13 race dropped.
Facing more demonstrations around an event that draws a worldwide TV audience of about 100 million in 187 countries, the prince told F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone by telephone that the race would not go ahead.
“We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain’s Formula One race to a later date,” Bahrain’s crown prince said in a statement.
The Associated Press
