Bahrain Grand Prix - HRT goes AWOL?

Posted on 11/03/2010

HRT's garage doors remained shut on Wednesday © Sutton Images

One notable anomaly in the Bahrain pit lane on Wednesday was that HRT's garage doors remained uniquely closed. The situation coincided with rumours that Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok's cars had yet to arrive at the Sakhir circuit.

"We only knew we were going to Bahrain on Saturday when the car was loaded with half an hour to spare," Senna admitted to reporters. He said the schedule for Friday's 180 hours of free practice is essentially a shakedown for the two cars, with set-up work to not take place until the day of qualifying.

Also noticed in pit-lane was that Ferrari has revived what it describes as a "more sophisticated and safer" pit-stop traffic light system for 2010.

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve was hoping to have been racing this weekend with Stefan GP, but instead he will commentate with the British radio broadcaster BBC.

Kazuki Nakajima was also lined up to race for Stefan, and he said on his website that his future plans are now "unclear".

Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Red Bull has made an application to the FIA for its Renault engine to be upgraded in order to come closer to the performance development of the leading Mercedes.

And British visitors to Bahrain have been warned about their safety, following demonstrations in the wake of a meeting between the British ambassador and the radical opposition party al-Wifaq.