Bahrain reinstated, India to end season

Reuters - The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, postponed in March due to violent civil unrest, will go ahead on Oct. 30 with India moving to the end of the season, the governing FIA said on Friday.

No date was set for the inaugural Indian race, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 30, but it is most likely to be Dec 11 -- which would be the latest finish to a championship since 1963.

The season was due to end in Brazil on Nov. 27.

Both decisions were controversial, with human rights campaigners calling for the Bahrain race to be called off entirely and the teams unhappy about the season extending well into December.

A source present at the meeting in Barcelona of the International Automobile Federation (FIA’s) world motor sport council told Reuters that the vote on Bahrain had been unanimous in favour.

It came after a report by an FIA delegation that had visited the Gulf kingdom this week to assess the situation and meet locals.

The country lifted a state of emergency this week after 11 weeks of martial law, with troops from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates arriving in March to help quell protests mostly by majority Shi’ites.