Formula One will give Bahrain more time to decide whether its grand prix can be rescheduled this year while Turkey could be spared the axe in 2012, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday.
"We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made,"
the 80-year-old told Reuters, adding that it might be "bye-bye Bahrain" but a decision was not imminent despite a May 1 deadline.
"I suppose we'd be safe by early June or something like that," he said.
"Things can change in a couple of weeks...so you don't know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month's time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there."
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said last month that it had asked Bahrain "to communicate by May 1st at the latest" whether it would be in a position to host the race at a later date.
The grand prix at Sakhir was originally due to be the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Ecclestone said he and FIA president Jean Todt were discussing the situation.
Many in the grand prix paddock doubt there can be a rescheduling after Bahrain last month crushed protests by imposing martial law, inviting in troops from neighbours such as Saudi Arabia and arresting activists.
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has declined an invitation to Britain's royal wedding on Friday due to the situation.
TURKISH TALKS
Ecclestone also held out hope of Turkey remaining on the calendar after next week's race, despite local officials baulking at the cost.
"Turkey generally is one of our better circuits," said the F1 supremo, responding to comments by the head of Istanbul's Chamber of Commerce that the race would not be held next year due to a disagreement with the Briton over payments.
"I think Turkey is a bloody good circuit. All the facilities there are good, everything is good except we don't have a big crowd.
"I would be disappointed if we lose it but we can't keep subsidising it."
In 2009, a mere 36,000 three-day passes were sold for the race and some stands were entirely empty last year.
"We have a long lease on the circuit and we have an escape clause. We can escape now if we want to," added the billionaire, who is also the race promoter.
"When our first agreement was made, they subsidised ticket revenue so everyone was expecting a whole bunch of people to be there and if there wasn't, the government was going to make up for the missing tickets. "It looks very much like the crowd is going to be much bigger this year, so it means the government's involvement will be considerably less," said Ecclestone.
Ecclestone dismissed talk of a possible Formula One takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, saying the chances were "close to zero" and suggesting the speculation was being driven by the media and advisers seeking to make money [nLDE73R0ZB].
The Briton is also the majority shareholder in English Championship (second division) leaders Queens Park Rangers, who can clinch promotion to the Premier League at the weekend [nLDE73Q21I].
Asked whether he intended to retain his 62 percent holding in the club, Ecclestone was guarded.
"I think we need to wait and see what happens," he said. "And if we are lucky enough to perhaps go up we'll have a good look at everything and see exactly how we want to do things in the future.
"A lot of balls are in the air," he added.
Ecclestone said former Renault Formula One boss Flavio Briatore, who sold most of his stake to his friend and business partner last year, was still involved in the West London club and could become more so.
"He's still got some shares. I've got an agreement with him, he can take some shares back off me," he said, also ruling out a spending spree once the club had returned to the Premier League.
"We are trying to run things as tightly as possible and be as successful as we can be," he said.
"We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made,"
the 80-year-old told Reuters, adding that it might be "bye-bye Bahrain" but a decision was not imminent despite a May 1 deadline.
"I suppose we'd be safe by early June or something like that," he said.
"Things can change in a couple of weeks...so you don't know. All of a sudden everything might be peaceful in a month's time and they are happy to run the event and so we are happy to be there."
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said last month that it had asked Bahrain "to communicate by May 1st at the latest" whether it would be in a position to host the race at a later date.
The grand prix at Sakhir was originally due to be the season-opener on March 13 but was postponed after a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Ecclestone said he and FIA president Jean Todt were discussing the situation.
Many in the grand prix paddock doubt there can be a rescheduling after Bahrain last month crushed protests by imposing martial law, inviting in troops from neighbours such as Saudi Arabia and arresting activists.
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has declined an invitation to Britain's royal wedding on Friday due to the situation.
TURKISH TALKS
Ecclestone also held out hope of Turkey remaining on the calendar after next week's race, despite local officials baulking at the cost.
"Turkey generally is one of our better circuits," said the F1 supremo, responding to comments by the head of Istanbul's Chamber of Commerce that the race would not be held next year due to a disagreement with the Briton over payments.
"I think Turkey is a bloody good circuit. All the facilities there are good, everything is good except we don't have a big crowd.
"I would be disappointed if we lose it but we can't keep subsidising it."
In 2009, a mere 36,000 three-day passes were sold for the race and some stands were entirely empty last year.
"We have a long lease on the circuit and we have an escape clause. We can escape now if we want to," added the billionaire, who is also the race promoter.
"When our first agreement was made, they subsidised ticket revenue so everyone was expecting a whole bunch of people to be there and if there wasn't, the government was going to make up for the missing tickets. "It looks very much like the crowd is going to be much bigger this year, so it means the government's involvement will be considerably less," said Ecclestone.
Ecclestone dismissed talk of a possible Formula One takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, saying the chances were "close to zero" and suggesting the speculation was being driven by the media and advisers seeking to make money [nLDE73R0ZB].
The Briton is also the majority shareholder in English Championship (second division) leaders Queens Park Rangers, who can clinch promotion to the Premier League at the weekend [nLDE73Q21I].
Asked whether he intended to retain his 62 percent holding in the club, Ecclestone was guarded.
"I think we need to wait and see what happens," he said. "And if we are lucky enough to perhaps go up we'll have a good look at everything and see exactly how we want to do things in the future.
"A lot of balls are in the air," he added.
Ecclestone said former Renault Formula One boss Flavio Briatore, who sold most of his stake to his friend and business partner last year, was still involved in the West London club and could become more so.
"He's still got some shares. I've got an agreement with him, he can take some shares back off me," he said, also ruling out a spending spree once the club had returned to the Premier League.
"We are trying to run things as tightly as possible and be as successful as we can be," he said.
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