As demonstrations continued in the capital Manama, Bernie Ecclestone said, “We believe the government was in a way really stupid to put this race on, because it is a platform for people to use for protesting.”

Protests have increased in Bahrain as the Manama regime prepares to host the controversial sporting event. Bahraini security forces clashed with anti-regime protesters, hours ahead of the race on Sunday.

Asked if he should be bringing Formula One to a country with a recent history of human rights abuses, he replied that it was not his job to take a moral position.

Bahrainis have held several anti-F1 rallies over the past few weeks, stressing that “as long as there are oppression, arrests and killings, there should not be a Formula One.”

Bahrain’s main opposition bloc al-Wefaq says more than 100 people have been arrested ahead of the race.

Formula One is Bahrain’s premier international event. It was cancelled in 2011 as a result of mass anti-regime demonstrations, but in 2012 it went ahead despite protests.