Formula One teams insist they are powerless to prevent Bahrain Grand Prix from going ahead The teams could, of course, boycott the race if they wished, either collectively or individually. Or even state their concerns on the record. But they will not. While many of them admit in private to being uneasy about going to Bahrain, both from a security and an ethical perspective - one anonymous team principal claimed on Monday that "we're all hoping the FIA calls it off" - commercial considerations will hold sway. The race is worth some $40 million (£25 million) to F1"s coffers and the Bahrainis might try to recoup that money if the race is pulled when even Britain's own Foreign Office is not advising against travel to the region. Ecclestone claimed none of the teams had voiced any concerns to him. "Quite the opposite," he said. The team in question, Lotus, were last night unhappy that the "confidential report," compiled by their team manager during a fact-finding visit to Bahrain 10 days ago, had been quoted from in a press release put out by the Bahrain International ­Circuit yesterday. The release claimed "scaremongering tactics of certain small extremist groups on social networking sites has created huge misconceptions about the current situation" and contained numerous statements of support for the grand prix from such figures as John Yates, the former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner who is acting as an adviser to Bahrain's interior ministry; Britain's ambassador to Bahrain, Iain Lindsay; and from Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, chairman of Bahrain's Independent Commission of Inquiry into last year's bloodshed. All are of the opinion that the race can be a unifying force and that what sporadic violence there is, is confined to outlying Shiite villages. Zayed Al Zayani, Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit, concluded by insisting once again that the country is ready to host a grand prix and by criticising "armchair observers" who "have been driving this debate at the expense of those neutral parties who have taken the trouble to investigate the situation at first hand." It is very hard to find anyone without a vested interest. From FIA president Jean Todt, for whom Bahrain's representative on the World Council is a key ally; to McLaren, who are part-owned by Bahraini sovereign-wealth fund Mumtalakat; to the commercial rights holder for whom Bahrain represents an excellent supply of cash. This is a very delicate issue. But a decision will have to be made sooner or later. With teams gathering in China ahead of Sunday's grand prix, and Ecclestone and Todt due to join them shortly, a resolution will be reached one way or another. For now everyone is busy positioning themselves. "At this time, there are no indications it won't go ahead," Ecclestone concluded. It's really not up to me to decide whether it should go ahead or not. It's up to the people in Bahrain to decide. At this time, they are not cancelling the event, so presumably they are happy.