Force India to participate in Bahrain GP despite petrol bomb incident

Manama, Apr 20(ANI): Force India has confirmed they would participate in the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend despite four of its team members being trapped up in a petrol bomb incident on Wednesday night.

On Friday, Force India drivers Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg voiced their worries regarding the situation in the wake of what proved to be another violent clash between the police and protesters.

A car transporting four team personnel was caught up in traffic as it made its way back from the Bahrain International Circuit to capital Manama.

The incident led to two team members flying home, one a data engineer and the other involved in radio transmission.

A high-capacity meeting between Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley, sporting director Andy Stevenson, John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police currently acting as an advisor to the Bahraini police force, BIC senior consultant Martin Whitaker and Pasquale Lattuneddu, right-hand man to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone took place today to discuss the issue.

Fernley said they have asked for the authorities to take proper safety measures, and there is no chance for them to pull out of the race.

"There is no chance whatsoever of us withdrawing. The main thing is we are quite supportive of making sure this all happens in a proper way," The Daily Mail quoted Fernley, as saying.

'Like other teams we've had requests from MPs to withdraw from the race, and I've written back to them. We've been quite clear with our programme," he added.

"The FIA and FOM, who we have contractual obligations with, have said it's safe and correct for us to be here. We've accepted that process. We know there are going to be protests, we know there are going to be elements to it, but to make sure everything is minimized from a team point of view," he said. (ANI)