Barcelona: A decision on whether to reschedule the postponed Bahrain grand prix will have nothing to do with money and is about satisfying safety concerns, Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Friday.
FIA's world motor sport council is meeting in Barcelona to vote on whether to reschedule the race, originally the March 13 season-opener but postponed due to unrest, or bow to teams and human rights campaigners by keeping it off the calendar.
Ecclestone has said he hoped the grand prix would happen and local organisers said they were ready.
"Nothing to do with money at all. Nothing, in any shape or form," the 80-year-old told Reuters Television as he arrived for the meeting in the Catalan capital.
"This has to do with whether people... I don't know, to be honest, with this occasion whether people are concerned with their safety if they go or whether people are concerned with what has happened in the past," he added.
"What has happened in that whole area, in all those countries, is not good in any way, so we will have to wait and see."
To accommodate Bahrain, it has been suggested that the inaugural Indian Grand Prix be moved from its October 30 slot to December 11 - the latest finish to a season since 1963 and a proposal unpopular with teams.
The season is currently due to end in Brazil on November 27.
In Manama, Bahrain's main opposition said it supported the Gulf Arab state hosting a rescheduled race despite a government crackdown and the jailing of protesters, including some who worked at the track.
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