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On Saturday, protests intensified after the body of a Shia man killed in overnight clashes with security forces was discovered on a rooftop.
Many protesters wanted the race to be cancelled, but the government was determined it would go ahead.
Ahead of the race Bahrain’s King Hamad al-Khalifa said that he was committed to reform in the kingdom.
“I also want to make clear my personal commitment to reform and reconciliation in our great country. The door is always open for sincere dialogue amongst all our people,” he said in a statement.
His comments came after police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who took to the streets on Saturday. Many of them had gathered near the village where anti-government demonstrator Salah Abbas Habib’s body was found.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also called for restraint in dealing with protesters.
The protesters are demanding an end to discrimination against the majority Shia Muslim community by the Sunni royal family.
Armoured vehicles were patrolling the streets to stamp out any demonstrations ahead of yesterday’s race.
Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, only went ahead with the Grand Prix after the government said it had security under control.
Last year’s Bahraini Grand Prix was cancelled after 35 people died during a crackdown on mass demonstrations calling for greater democracy.
The Bahraini government, headed by the al-Khalifa dynasty, had been keen for this year’s race to go ahead to prove it had the 14-month uprising under control.
BBC correspondent Caroline Hawley said that staging the event has had the opposite effect, highlighting the small Gulf state’s political problems.
On Friday, Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa said cancelling the Grand Prix “just empowers extremists”, and insisted that holding the race would “build bridges across communities”.
FIA president Jean Todt said he had no regrets about the race. He said extensive investigations into the situation in Bahrain had unearthed “nothing (that) could allow us to stop the race”.
“On rational facts, it was decided there was no reason to change our mind,” Mr Todt said.
Shia protesters say going ahead with the race lends international legitimacy to a government that is continuing to suppress opposition with violent means.
Human rights groups and activists estimate that at least 25 people have died since the start of the latest protests, many as a result of what has been described as the excessive use of tear gas.
Meanwhile, world champion Sebastian Vettel took his first victory of 2012 in a close battle with Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver built an early lead from pole but was caught by the Finn, who started 11th, after half distance.
Vettel then pulled away after the final pit stops, despite Raikkonen’s attempts to close him down.
Lotus’s Romain Grosjean was third, with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton finishing eighth and Jenson Button retiring.
Force India’s Paul di Resta, doing a two-stop strategy compared to the three of the rest of the main contenders, drove an excellent, studied race to take sixth place. The Scot was running fifth going into the final 10 laps but was helpless to defend from Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who was on fresher tyres in the closing laps.—BBC.
Online Reporter