Four people were arrested near the Bahrain Grand Prix in Manama. The four were arrested over their peaceful protests and demanding the release of political prisoners, although F1 assured that protesting the race will not result in reprisals.

Human Rights Watch stressed that "Formula 1" is complicit with governments that use international sporting events to whitewash their dismal rights record.

20 UK Members of Parliament have expressed "grave concerns" to FIA and Formula 1 bosses over their role in "sportswashing" ahead of the 2023 season starting in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Frank Conde Tangberg, policy advisor for Amnesty International Norway, criticized Formula 1's holding of races in a number of authoritarian countries.

A prominent human rights group has written to Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali to raise serious concerns over what it claims is the sport's ongoing role in "sportswashing" ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Najah Yusuf and Hajer Mansoor, who were allegedly tortured after protesting Formula One's Grand Prix in the kingdom, have filed a legal complaint against the company saying it has breached the human rights standards it pledged to follow, the Middle East Eye website reported.

Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, the director of advocacy for the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), has written a letter to F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali following the decision to award the Bahrain race a new 15-year contract.

: On Monday, Ali Al-Hajee, a prisoner in Bahrain, wrote to Lewis Hamilton explaining how the seven-times champion had made a difference.

The Bahraini authorities announced the cancellation of the PCR test and isolation period for passengers arriving in to Bahrain, as the booking for the formula one race, to be held in Bahrain on March 20, approaches.

Human Rights Watch published on its website the letter human rights organizations sent on Friday to Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One, to call him to take action on human rights violations, before the kickoff of the season next Sunday.

Sixty British parliamentarians joined campaigners on Wednesday in urging Formula One to commission an independent inquiry into the human rights impact of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Alfa Romeo team chief Frederic Vasseur has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss Formula One's pre-season testing in Bahrain which starts on Friday.

Formula One fleshed out its 2020 calendar to 17 races on Tuesday, with the Chinese Grand Prix cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Turkey back on for the first time since 2011 and Bahrain handed two rounds.

Formula 1 will replace real racing with virtual racing from this weekend, with a virtual Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled this Sunday.

Formula One will call off the next two races in Bahrain and Vietnam after the cancellation of Sunday's Australian season-opener due to the coronavirus outbreak, multiple F1 sources told Reuters on Friday.

Bahrain's Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for March 20-22 will be held without spectators, the organizers said on Sunday in the latest sporting event to be hit by measures to contain the new coronavirus.

Bahrain is to grant an exemption to the Ferrari team and its partners participating in Formula One race from measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Formula One chief, Chase Carey, insists that there are no plans to reschedule the upcoming Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix due to the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The CEO of Mumtalakat Holding company, Mahmoud Al-Kooheji, confirmed that Gulf Air and Bahrain International Circuit Company are among the five unprofitable companies.

Campaigners for democracy and human rights in Bahrain have criticised David Beckham and other British celebrities for attending Sunday's Formula One race in the Gulf state.