After days of speculation, the Bahrain International Circuit have confirmed their withdrawal from hosting the season opener for the 2011 F1 season. With political tensions in Bahrain growing, there was always a question mark over the ethics of running the event, and with fears that the circuit may be targeted, safety was of paramount concern.

At the moment, it is unknown whether the race will be postponed, or cancelled altogether. There is also the matter of testing which was due to move on to Bahrain after finishing up in Barcelona today. FOTA are meeting this evening, and will likely decide what their next destination will be then.