The civil unrest that precipitated the race's postponement began on 14 February 2011 — a date later referred to as the Day of Rage — as part of the broader wave of protests sweeping North Africa and the Middle East. The immediate motorsport impact was felt that same day when medical staff assigned to attend a GP2 Asia Series practice session at the circuit were redeployed to hospitals in Manama, forcing the cancellation of the Thursday session. By the end of the day, the local motoring federation had requested cancellation of the full race weekend.
Chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa — who was also Bahrain's crown prince — initially expressed a desire to proceed with the Grand Prix, stating his focus was on delivering another successful event. Formula One Management chief executive Bernie Ecclestone indicated he hoped talks with Al Khalifa would ease concerns, but stated that if the unrest had not subsided by 23 February, cancellation would be necessary. Protesters were cited as saying the crown prince's willingness to enter dialogue was motivated by the prospect of holding the race. On 21 February, Prince Salman formally postponed the event. A pre-season test that had been scheduled at the Bahrain circuit from 3 to 6 March was also relocated, moving to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.
In April 2011, race organisers issued a statement claiming normal life had returned to Bahrain and expressing confidence in hosting the race later in the season. On 2 May, Ecclestone extended the deadline for rescheduling to 3 June.
At a World Motor Sport Council meeting on 3 June, FIA members voted unanimously to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix on 30 October, displacing the Indian Grand Prix to 11 December. The decision generated immediate controversy. Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn stated that a December season finale was unacceptable. Human rights organisations and activists criticised the FIA's decision given the ongoing political situation in the country. Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber publicly expressed concern over human rights conditions, stating he had hoped the sport would take a firmer stance. Several other drivers indicated a conditional willingness to race, contingent on guarantees of their safety amid reports that widespread protests were being planned for race day.
A public petition calling for a boycott of the reinstated race accumulated 300,000 signatories. FIA president Jean Todt responded by promising the governing body would monitor conditions in Bahrain and leaving open the possibility of a second cancellation. Ecclestone subsequently called for a further vote that would restore the Indian Grand Prix to its original October date and move Bahrain to a season-closing position in December.
Former FIA president Max Mosley noted that rescheduling the race would require the unanimous agreement of the competing teams. The Formula One Teams Association reported that a 30 October date was impractical on logistical grounds, though it indicated willingness to consider an end-of-season berth.
On 8 June, Ecclestone indicated the race would not proceed, noting that the FIA had overlooked Article 66 of the Sporting Code, which required the agreement of all competitors for any amendments to championship arrangements after entries had opened. The FIA requested Ecclestone submit a new calendar proposal after being informed by the teams that 30 October was unworkable. On 9 June, the organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix formally abandoned their bid to return to the 2011 calendar, and no race was held.
The episode represented an unprecedented situation in contemporary Formula One: a Grand Prix abandoned not because of a scheduling or logistical conflict but because of active civil unrest and sustained pressure from human rights groups, drivers, and teams. The controversy set a precedent for how the sport engaged — or failed to engage — with the political contexts of its host venues, a tension that would resurface at subsequent Bahrain Grands Prix and at other races around the world.
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