<p>Demonstrations shaking the Arab world have put F1 smack in the middle of a power struggle in the small kingdom and US ally, and those trying to oust the island's dynasty know they have an important political tool in the Bahrain GP.<br /><br />The race, which has been held since 2004, is meaningful to Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Having it called off would be embarrassing for the country and painful to him.<br /><br />"There is a big connection between (the uprising) and Formula 1," said Hasan Dhani, a 23-year-old protester. After days of seesaw battles in which seven demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded in battles around a landmark in Manama, government forces retreated yesterday and allowed protesters to reoccupy Pearl Square, giving demonstrators a victory, at least temporarily.<br /><br />The streets were calmer today as hundreds of marchers prepared to spend a second consecutive night in the square, with some planning to stay longer. The protest encampment included a makeshift clinic and a barber. <br /><br />Food donations were being collected in the center of the square. As night fell, protesters carried blankets to their tents and men gathered in open-air "cafes," sitting in arm chairs and smoking water pipes.<br /><br />The drama turned to political haggling over demands for the monarchy to give up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions, with the March 13 race playing into the equation. Opposition leaders from the nation's Shiite Muslim majority -- in a nation ruled by Sunni monarchs -- seemed in no hurry to sit down and negotiate or make promises not to disrupt the grand prix.<br /><br />Already, protests forced the cancellation of a lower-tier GP2 Asia Series race this weekend.<br /><br />"The race has been the prince's dream since he was a child," Dhani said. "He wants to negotiate so he can fulfill this dream, and it makes me sad that his dream is more dear to him than the needs of his people."<br /><br />F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said today he would rely on the prince, who also is deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, to decide whether the grand prix will take place.<br /><br />"If anyone's going to sort it out he's the right guy to do it," Ecclestone told BBC radio on today. "He would decide whether or not it's safe for us to be there. ... Let's wait until Tuesday and see if this one's going to take place before we decide what to do."</p>
<p>Demonstrations shaking the Arab world have put F1 smack in the middle of a power struggle in the small kingdom and US ally, and those trying to oust the island's dynasty know they have an important political tool in the Bahrain GP.<br /><br />The race, which has been held since 2004, is meaningful to Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Having it called off would be embarrassing for the country and painful to him.<br /><br />"There is a big connection between (the uprising) and Formula 1," said Hasan Dhani, a 23-year-old protester. After days of seesaw battles in which seven demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded in battles around a landmark in Manama, government forces retreated yesterday and allowed protesters to reoccupy Pearl Square, giving demonstrators a victory, at least temporarily.<br /><br />The streets were calmer today as hundreds of marchers prepared to spend a second consecutive night in the square, with some planning to stay longer. The protest encampment included a makeshift clinic and a barber. <br /><br />Food donations were being collected in the center of the square. As night fell, protesters carried blankets to their tents and men gathered in open-air "cafes," sitting in arm chairs and smoking water pipes.<br /><br />The drama turned to political haggling over demands for the monarchy to give up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions, with the March 13 race playing into the equation. Opposition leaders from the nation's Shiite Muslim majority -- in a nation ruled by Sunni monarchs -- seemed in no hurry to sit down and negotiate or make promises not to disrupt the grand prix.<br /><br />Already, protests forced the cancellation of a lower-tier GP2 Asia Series race this weekend.<br /><br />"The race has been the prince's dream since he was a child," Dhani said. "He wants to negotiate so he can fulfill this dream, and it makes me sad that his dream is more dear to him than the needs of his people."<br /><br />F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said today he would rely on the prince, who also is deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, to decide whether the grand prix will take place.<br /><br />"If anyone's going to sort it out he's the right guy to do it," Ecclestone told BBC radio on today. "He would decide whether or not it's safe for us to be there. ... Let's wait until Tuesday and see if this one's going to take place before we decide what to do."</p>