Formula 1 commercial rights manager Bernie Ecclestone has admitted there is now more uncertainty about the Bahrain Grand Prix after the government cracked down on protests on Friday afternoon.
Ecclestone has said this morning in an interview with Britain's BBC that he was "more hopeful" the race would take place despite the unrest in the country. The situation, however, worsened in the afternoon, with Bahraini troops shooting at demonstrators and reportedly wounding many of them.
Speaking to the network again in the afternoon, Ecclestone conceded the situation was not as positive as before.
"We should wait and see what happens over the weekend," Ecclestone said. "I don't know what has happened this afternoon because I've been traveling but from what I've been told it's a bit different from this morning because of this funeral that's gone on, which is what you would expect I suppose."
He added: "I just think things have changed and that we should wait and see over the weekend exactly what changes there have been."
The Formula One Teams' Association was meeting in Barcelona this afternoon to discuss its stance on the Bahrain Grand Prix and possible alternatives for the final test of the winter if the Sakhir event is canceled.