Reuters reports — Next week's Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead unless local officials decide otherwise, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday.

"The race is on the calendar, it's scheduled. The only people that can do anything about it is the national sporting authority in the country that can ask for it to be withdrawn from the calendar," he told Reuters at the Chinese Grand Prix.

"Unless it gets withdrawn by the national sporting authority in the country, then we'll be there."

Local organizers, who had to cancel last year's race at Sakhir due to civil unrest, have been adamant that this year's event is safe to go ahead despite continuing sectarian divisions and street violence in the kingdom as well as threats targeting the grand prix. Read the full story.

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