FORMULA ONE:THE PADDOCK at the Sakhir circuit was in the clammy grip of a grim apprehension last night following the flight home of two members of the Force India team and amid reports of escalating violence in the capital, Manama.

A data engineer and a radio man were the two Force India men to catch an early flight home, one of whom was in a car forced to a halt when a petrol bomb exploded beside it on Wednesday night.

There are fears of more violence today, since the time after Friday evening prayers is normally the most volatile. Today also marks the start of the “Three days of rage” by the pro-democracy demonstrators.

According to an Associated Press report, nervous shop owners were closing their doors as security forces fanned out across Manama “in an attempt to quell widening unrest”.

Tear gas and stun grenades were used to disperse an angry gathering of about 700 close to the British Embassy. There is a general feeling that if anyone is hurt – at the circuit or beyond – it will be the fault of Formula One and the sport’s decision to stage this race.

Others are baffled there is no advice from the UK Foreign Office against travelling to the grand prix. The mood of the circuit was summed up by the Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg, who said: “We shouldn’t have been put in this position.”

No one, it seems, wants to be here, apart from the race organisers, although the Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel struck a crassly insensitive note when he said: “It is not a big problem and I am happy once we start testing tomorrow because then we can start worrying about the stuff that really matters like tyre temperatures, cars . . .”

When he was told that a lot of people did not want Sunday’s race to take place, he added: “I haven’t met them. Maybe it is because I only arrived this morning. I haven’t seen much of what people are taking about.”

The remaining members of the Force India team left the circuit before darkness fell – and they did so wearing civvies instead of the normal team colours that identify them as part of the grand prix.

There is, though, a fearful feeling that things will get even worse in the next two days.

Guardian Service