Damon Hill concerned about Bahrain F1 GP

Damin Hill

A week before F1's most controversial annual race, Damon Hill has expressed concerns about the latest reports coming from Bahrain.

The island Kingdom's government has denied reports it has in recent days been detaining potential protesters of the Bahrain grand prix in arbitrary house-to-house raids.

1996 world champion Hill, a regular and rare outspoken voice from the F1 paddock on the issue of Bahrain's civil situation, admitted the latest reports are a concern.

"The vast majority of people in the sport would like to say 'We don't want to come here to make life worse for people'.

"'We would like you to enjoy formula one'," the pundit for British television Sky is quoted by the Guardian newspaper.

"I would not want to go to Bahrain if people are going to be treated extra bad just so a race can go ahead. What we don't want to have is F1 being responsible for making life worse for people," insisted Hill.

He suggested FIA president Jean Todt's low-profile and non-confrontational style is not helpful on an issue like Bahrain.

"Jean Todt's approach has been to say nothing, because otherwise you're being critical, and I think that is a mistake," he said.

"He's not said anything that has distanced the sport from things that it would find distasteful and upsetting, which I believe everyone in the sport would like to do."

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