Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has continually stated he has no concerns regarding safety, despite apparent misgivings from teams and drivers.

And the sport’s governing body, the FIA, said in a statement today: “Based on the current information the FIA has at this stage, it is satisfied that all the proper security measures are in place for the running of a Formula One World Championship event in Bahrain.

“Therefore, the FIA confirms that the 2012 Gulf Air F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain will go ahead as scheduled.”

Last year's Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled in the wake of the anti-government protests, and some in the sport felt the same should happen this time around.

But a growing body of voices has spoken out to say the race should go ahead.

Former Scotland Yard counter-terrorism chief John Yates, who is advising the Bahraini government on police reform, suggested he felt safer there than he did in London.

Ecclestone reiterated yesterday morning his belief the event should go ahead, while Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who last year was the only driver to state the grand prix should be scrapped, said he wanted to race.

And the FIA said in their statement that, based on their security briefings, there was no reason to call the race off.

The statement continued: “We have endeavoured to assess the ongoing situation in Bahrain.

“President Jean Todt led a fact-finding mission to the Kingdom in November 2011, meeting a large number of decision-makers and opinion formers, including elected Shia members of parliament, the president of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, ambassadors from the European Union countries, the Crown Prince, the Interior Minister and many members of the business community.

“All expressed their wish for the Grand Prix to go ahead in 2012, and since then, the FIA has kept in close touch with all these stakeholders.

“Away from the public eye, the FIA has received regular security briefings from the most senior diplomatic officials based in the Kingdom as well as from other independent experts.

“The 2012 calendar, as presented by the CRH, was ratified by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in September 2011.

“Since then no request from the F1 Commission or the CRH has been made to the WMSC to either postpone or cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix.”

Webber yesterday gave tentative support to the event.

He said: “If we had a choice would we go? I want to race. That is what I would like to go there and do.

“But saying that you cannot ignore the fact that all of us, in the backs of our minds, want it to go down smoothly and don’t want it to be involved in the unrest.

“We want the people out there to support our race. That is why it is so sensitive.”

Ecclestone was less equivocal in his stance, saying: “It’s another race on the calendar, it’s scheduled.

“The only people that can do anything about it is the National Sporting Authority in the country.

“They can ask for it to be withdrawn from the calendar. Unless it gets withdrawn by them, then we’ll be there.”

As for the six drivers in the FIA press conference – Fernando Alonso, Paul di Resta, Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna, Sergio Perez and Narain Karthikeyan – there was stony silence when asked if they had moral difficulty in going to Bahrain.

The only other driver to offer his considered thoughts was Jenson Button, who called for the sport to portray a unified front.

“We have to stay united as Formula One because to say teams can make their own decisions is wrong,” said Button.

“We’re racing in the championship, so if one team doesn’t go it is 25 points lost, which is massive.

“So Formula One staying as one and united is very important, but the decision needs to be made by the FIA and I totally trust they’ll make the right decision.”