Protests flare ahead of Bahrain's Formula 1 race

(CNN) -- In an effort to reassure race fans ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Bahraini government said that members of team Force India were not the intended target of a gasoline bomb thrown by protesters.

The claim comes as the opposition accuses the Gulf kingdom of cracking down on demonstrations in the run up to the race.

There are mounting fears that civil unrest in Bahrain could upend Sunday's race and pose a threat to Formula 1 teams and fans. Last year's race in Bahrain was canceled twice because of the unrest, but the sport's governing body said Friday the race would go ahead as planned, despite tension on the country's streets.

The Bahraini claim followed reports that two members of Force India left the country after protesters threw the gasoline bomb at their marque car during an anti-government protest near Manama.

"They drove through an isolated incident involving a handful of illegal protesters acting violently towards police. During this incident, a Molotov cocktail landed in the vicinity of their vehicle," the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported. Read More