Formula 1

Just three weeks to go before this season is supposed to be starting with the Bahrain Grand Prix.  But can that race go ahead in view of what is going on in Bahrain at the moment?  After all, the Foreign Office is advising against anything but essential travel there.  Perhaps the most surprising (and in a way, worrying) aspect is that apparently Bernie Ecclestone has said that the decision as to whether to hold the race or not will be left to the country's Crown Prince.  Seems like an abrogation of responsibility to me - at the end of the day it has got to be for F1 to take the decision in the light of the safety of all the hundreds - maybe thousands - of workers involved in putting the GP on, many of whom will be staying in digs uncomfortably close to where the trouble is.  I would be in favour of calling the whole thing off now - better safe than sorry.