Ecclestone turns blind eye but the violence has been real

Both the Gulf kingdom and the sport of Formula 1 have been the subject of a barrage of damaging headlines these past few days, and with some justification given the decision to hold the race.

No sport should take place against a backdrop of petrol bombs, tear gas, stun grenades and anti-government protesters, as has been the case since F1 touched down on the island from Monday.

In fairness, the overwhelming majority of F1 personnel who have travelled to and from the Bahrain International Circuit have not so much as seen a puff of smoke from a burning tyre, never mind the aftermath of a smouldering Molotov cocktail.

There are those that have, though, such as staff from Force India and Sauber, and for many there was likely the feeling that stepping on the plane home could not have come soon enough.

For F1, as the teams were packing up in the paddock at the track following Sebastian Vettel’s 22nd career victory, the sport will simply move on; it will dust itself down and pick itself up and go again in Barcelona in three weeks.

It always does, no matter the controversy, no matter the apparent damage to its reputation at the time because as far as F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is concerned today’s news is yesterday’s chip paper.

The 81-year-old pretty much said so when he made an impromptu visit into the media centre a few hours before the race, with BIC chairman Zayed Al Zayani alongside.

Ecclestone made his point, in his inimitable softly-spoken way and, it has to be noted, to the British media only, that the coverage this week had been “a load of rubbish”.

It was jokingly suggested, to make up for last year’s cancelled race the F1 circus should return to Bahrain again later in the year.

Ecclestone is adamant F1 will be “back here next year and for many years after because they do a top-class job”.

But what kind of Bahrain will the sport return to? Will it be any different to this week, with thousands continuing to fight for justice, human rights and freedom?

F1 may have departed the scene, having put Bahrain back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but it leaves behind a nation and its people still searching for democracy.

It is a cause that accounted for the life of another protester, his body found in suspicious circumstances in a garden in the village of Shakhura on Saturday morning.

Although an investigation has been launched, as you can imagine the dissidents are claiming his life was taken by riot police during a night raid, another victim of their struggle.

It is what F1 will have forgotten in the coming days and weeks, in particular when it takes in somewhere like Monaco at the end of next month, a world as far removed from the one here as the sun is to the moon.

Such tragedies, however, are a small part of this island’s story, because the overwhelming majority could not be more friendly and welcoming.

That part of Bahrain is one to be enjoyed on returning next year, but if the scenes I have witnessed this week are still in evidence, then again doubts will be raised and a cloud cast.

Ecclestone may not have enjoyed the reporting this week, but what I have seen has been no figment of an over-active imagination. The violence, the protests, the tears, the suffering have been real enough, and yet F1 has continued on, insensitively so in the eyes of many.

But do not expect the sport’s moral compass to be fixed any time soon. It does not deal in morality.

And then there are the political insinuations, not only denied by Ecclestone, but also FIA president Jean Todt.

Yet when politicians in the UK are calling for the race to be cancelled due to what even Labour leader Ed Milliband cited as “violence... and human rights abuses”, F1 cannot escape being tarred with a political brush.

Again, a few politicians spouting hot air will matter little to Ecclestone, certainly those such as Milliband who merely jumped on a bandwagon that rolled far too late to have any effect.

The race, however, has been used for political purpose, for the country to prove it is again fit to stage a global event.

Its image, however, has been tainted – witness the fact there were hardly any fans, the staple for a grand prix in a country like this which is dependent on tourism.

In the end the race itself passed peacefully, despite rumours leading opposition party al-Wefaq had purchased tickets and had planned a protest inside the track.

In front of a half-full main grandstand, and with every other stand empty, polesitter Vettel crushed his rivals after starting at the front for the 31st time in his career.

Vettel became the fourth different winner of a grand prix this year by taking the chequered flag. Not since 2006 has F1 witnessed such a start to a campaign, with the reigning world champion claiming his 22nd career victory.

Behind the German, Lotus enjoyed their best race of the season as Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean joined Vettel on the podium.

It was a calamitous race for McLaren, though, with Lewis Hamilton eighth after two pit-stop issues, while Jenson Button retired a lap from home.

Maybe another 12 months will lead to the reform being sought, and reparations made to its reputation.

For its people, and to again gain a foothold on the international stage, it is vital for Bahrain, which in turn is important for F1 in this part of the world.

It can only be hoped another year will help heal the wounds we have witnessed this week.