'Hacktivists' attack Formula1.com in bid to bring Bahrain Grand Prix 'to its knees'

Manama, Apr 21 (ANI): Notorious web hackers, Anonymous, have attacked the Formula I website, threatening to 'bring the troubled Bahrain Grand Prix to its knees'.

Over 40,000 protesters marched the streets, revolting against the weekend event, while F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone made efforts to reassure the media, the Daily Mirror reports.

The sport's official website was hacked and blocked by 'hacktivists' known as Anonymous, the same group of hackers, who reportedly had broken into the FBI's main computer earlier, threatened to jam phone lines and 'bomb' email boxes.

A statement released by the group, who took the website, www.formula1.com, offline for two hours, declared: "Beginning tomorrow, and lasting for the duration of this race, Anonymous will turn your web site [ www.formula1.com ] into a smoking crater in cyber space. We will also jam your phone lines, bomb your E-Mail inboxes - and wreck anything else of yours we can find on the internet. You can god damn well expect us,"

Formula 1 officials are worried, because if the hackers altered the sport's timings, stopped the timing screens, or blocked the television lines, then the besieged event won't be able go ahead.

In Britain, Labour leader Ed Miliband joined calls for the race to be cancelled. However, Prime Minister David Cameron resisted pressure for cancellation and claimed that 'it was a matter for F1'.

Despite the growing crisis, the sport's president, Jean Todt, was no where to be seen while Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad confessed that '100 percent' safety to any of the Formula One staff or drivers cannot be guaranteed.

Anonymous, explained their reason of their online attack as having "watched with growing alarm the incredible human rights abuses of the Bahrain regime" and the "tyrannical government using tear gas on it own people, literally causing their death".(ANI)