Bahrain reshuffle could push calendar into December

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed rumours the inaugural Indian Grand Prix could be delayed this season to make room for a rescheduled race in Bahrain.

Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa and Bernie Ecclestone

Photo by: xpb.cc

It was rumoured in Barcelona that the 2011 calendar might be extended into early December as Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, makes room for Bahrain.

"Yes, we are having a look at it," the 80-year-old Briton is quoted by Reuters.

"Everything's possible. We could do, yeah," he added.

Indian motor racing official Vicky Chandhok, the father of F1 driver Karun, admitted New Delhi could be moved from late October to December 4.

"If it is ... we will have the race and then the sixth of December is the FIA World Council meeting in Delhi and on the seventh is the annual awards and the eighth is the general assembly," he said.

"From that perspective it makes sense."

But Eric Boullier, the Renault team boss, questioned the need as well as the wisdom in rearranging the calendar for Bahrain.

"The next question would be in the political context: do we have to race there? Does F1 have to go there?" he said in Spain. "It is maybe too early to go there after the dramas."