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F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone Speaks Out For Human Rights, V8 Engines

F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has "moved to make peace" with pro-democracy activists in Bahrain to take F1 "out of the line of fire for possible demonstrations and riots" this weekend, according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES. F1's CEO has "given the go-ahead" for the sport to accept an unprecedented policy document that will "shock politicians who were sure that the 84-year-old -- who famously declared that 'Formula One doesn't do religion or politics' -- was implacably opposed to appeasement." Activists are already "revving up opposition" to the grand prix on Sunday, seen as a "toy of the island's rulers," particularly after the arrest of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights President Nabeel Rajab. Rajab was "detained this month for trying to expose alleged violence" in one of the U.K.'s "most notorious prisons." Ecclestone has "reacted by committing F1" to recognize human rights at all of its 20 venues around the world, which includes Russia and China. The new guidelines also mean that the sport will "operate a policy of 'due diligence' before signing up new hosts." The human rights group "praised Ecclestone’s readiness to co-operate," saying, "The new policy represents a significant first step in addressing human rights abuses in Bahrain" (LONDON TIMES, 4/16). 

OLD SCHOOL: AUTOSPORT's Jonathan Noble reported Ecclestone has "long been sceptical about the benefits" of the new hybrid V6 turbo regulations. Amid ongoing concerns about declining audiences, Ecclestone "believes a quick fix" to F1's problems would be to introduce revised V8s that produce 1,000bhp. Ecclestone: "We need to go back to engines whose costs are more reasonable, and we need to intervene with maximum urgency. We'd just need to take the old V8 engines and modify them by increasing displacement to bring power output near 1000bhp. People would return, the show would return, sponsors would return" (AUTOSPORT, 4/16). 

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