Qatar's Hopes To Stage Formula One Grand Prix Remain Distant

Qatar's hopes of joining the F1 calendar in the near future "appear to have receded" after F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone "indicated he was unlikely to add a third Middle Eastern race to the schedule just yet," according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. Ecclestone: "I think we've got enough here, don't you?" Media reports have suggested that Qatar "was close to signing a deal for a street race, possibly as early as next year." Ecclestone confirmed last year that "talks had taken place with the Qataris for a race" that some reports have suggested would pay out £50M ($74.77M) a year in hosting fees. However, Ecclestone said last December that Bahrain "had a veto on any new races that could overshadow theirs." Bahrain circuit CEO Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa "shrugged off talk of a veto but indicated the matter was not pressing." He said, "It's not for us (to say). It's for the rights holder. We welcomed Abu Dhabi when they came on board and we'll wait and see" (REUTERS, 4/20).