Why demonising new F1 tracks is wrong

Back in 2002 I was invited for AUTOSPORT's sister publication F1 Racing magazine to attend the launch ceremony for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

It wasn't a grand affair: fewer than 50 people were gathered on a scrub of desert at the bottom of the island, to watch then-FIA president Max Mosley pick up a shovel and push it gently into the perma-baked surface.

I remember thinking how shiny the the shovel was as it glinted in unforgiving sunlight; how inappropriate Max's slacks-'n'-blazer attire seemed in temperatures of more than 40C; how surreal it was to be chatting with members of the Bahraini royal family about their new project which would, they assured me, place Bahrain on the global map as it never had been before.

Ground breaking done, we retired into an Arabian tent for shade, sweet black tea and further chat about hopes for the future, the grand scale of the project and Bernie Ecclestone's enthusiasm for giving F1 a toe-hold in the Middle East.

Bernie had doubtless been encouraged by the prospect of hard cash already delivered up-front and the bold promise of 'desert racing' in a state-of-the-art facility that would surely provide unforgettable images to the sport's global TV audience.

Despite the likes of Mercedes, Rosberg and Vettel, Germany has been dropped © LAT

To this day, there remains a feeling around the Bahrain GP that whatever might be required to keep it on the calendar, a way will be found. What that means, in cruder terms, is that money has never been a problem for this race.

Build a circuit from scratch? No drama. Make it a night race, with all the multi-million-Dinar lighting investment that requires? Sure.

So much, indeed, about the Bahrain GP represented and continues to represent the 'modern' way of F1: government funding, a Tilke track and a 'can-do' conviction that whatever objections critics may raise about this new direction for F1, the race would go ahead.

That hasn't always quite been true for Bahrain, of course. The much-documented troubles of 2011 forced the cancellation of that year's edition and many continue to protest over the state's human rights record. Every year, before the race, I receive a number of unsolicited emails all essentially saying Formula 1 and those who work around it should be ashamed to attend the event.

But F1 being F1, the dubious mantra of 'sport and politics don't mix' is usually voiced and the show goes on - as it does in Russia, China, the USA or any other F1 territory where human rights records are less than squeaky-clean.

That being so, it's fair to assume that Bahrain's place on the F1 calendar is among the most secure. Formula 1 is comfortable, after all, in the Middle East, finding a happy harmony of sunshine-seeking go-faster values both in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi - perhaps in Qatar, too, before long.

Bahrain, though a controversial venue, is an F1 regular and has put on entertaining races © LAT

The easy allure for a series promoter of a venue that will provide rock-solid and generous income, together with a sparkling facility and a burgeoning fan base, make it easy to understand why circuits such as Germany's Nurbugring struggle to meet race-hosting fees.

The financial shortfall that resulted in the cancellation of this year's German GP was €10million, we gather, and despite the offer of a remedial bung of €5million from Mercedes, the gap remained too great for Mr E to countenance. So, no 2015 German GP.

Its loss reminded me of something I'd written after that first Bahrain trip: "...poor old Spa and Silverstone, pillars of the F1 calendar, and, in Silverstone's case, the focal point for Britain's F1 community, struggle from year to year to retain their places on the fixture list. For both, and maybe also for the two German tracks, plus Austria and Imola, there are sure to be sleepless nights in coming months."

Since then, Spa has been dropped twice (2003 and '06), Austria has come back from the dead - but only thanks to Red Bull backing - Imola is long gone from F1, and Silverstone, though more secure now than for many years, has routinely been kicked around.

Given all of this, it would be easy to demonise newcomer grand prix venues for 'ruining the sport'. Yet that's too simplistic a view.

Who, for example, might you imagine to have said the following in Bahrain a couple of weeks ago: "I'm extremely disappointed that there will be no German Grand Prix this year. Germany is one of the biggest countries in Europe, one of the largest markets and I think we should have the German GP. It's a core part of Formula 1."

Only Red Bull backing has helped bring Austria back to the F1 calendar © LAT

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, perhaps? Seb Vettel? Nico Rosberg?

No, none other than Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, a member of the Bahraini ruling family, a self-confessed motorsport 'nut' and one of the prime movers in bringing a grand prix to his country.

"Formula 1 is a global sport," he continued, "but we have to acknowledge Europe is the base and they say in politics 'don't forget your base'. F1 should take care of its base, but cater to its global audience.

"We have a saying in Arabic: 'if you don't know where you've come from, you won't know where you're going'. And it's the same thing with Formula 1. Don't forget your heritage, your history, what you are about. And it will help you build a better future."

Bahrain International Circuit has worked hard on that "building" process to secure its place in F1. A venue that in the early days seemed somewhat soulless now has a distinct character of its own.

It doesn't resonate with thunderous deeds from days past; it's not steeped in blood and glory like a Spa or a Monza, but it does have a singular atmospheric appeal, the more so now that it has settled on a 'dusk race' start time.

Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa wants historic venues to stay © LAT

It would be a hard-hearted soul indeed able to resist the charms of the BIC paddock in the early evening, as day fades fast into night and a light desert wind cools all but the hottest heads.

And beyond this, a venue that resulted from a singular vision - bringing Formula 1 to the Middle East - keeps an eye fixed very firmly on the future.

"When I first went to see Bernie Ecclestone in London to talk about the race," says Al-Khalifa, "I took a map of the world with pins in and I said to Bernie: 'You need one here'.

"At the time it was only Japan, Malaysia and Australia in the east and then Europe. Everything else was blank. So I put a dot in the middle of the Gulf, where Bahrain was, and said 'you know you have to think a bit more global'.

"This was in 2001 when I first went. And since then F1 has become more global and we are proud to be part of it. And we look forward to it growing still further."

At a time when Formula 1's 'paddock Cassandras' mutter louder than ever about the sport's state of health, maybe they'd do well to acknowledge the contribution of some of F1's newer partners, rather than blithely bleating about the loss of the old.