Amnesty: Not much has changed in Bahrain

Human rights campaigners Amnesty International have issued a damning report into the current state of Bahrain a week ahead of the staging of the grand prix.

Motor sport's world governing body, the FIA, confirmed the race is to go ahead on April 22 on the basis they are "satisfied all security measures air in place". Amnesty, however, claim in the opening line of their release that "the human rights crisis in Bahrain is not over".

The report adds: "Despite the authorities' claims to the contrary, state violence against those who oppose the Al Khalifa family rule continues. In practice, not much has changed in the country since the brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in February and March 2011."

It was that crackdown and the subsequent deaths of a number of demonstrators and imprisonment of many others that resulted in the cancellation of last year's grand prix. This year's event was understood to be in the balance until the FIA finally stuck their head above the parapet and declared the event safe to attend.

Those words were echoed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who said "there is nothing happening", claiming to know people there who have said it is "all very quiet and peaceful". Read More