Reports of fresh violent clashes in Bahrain's capital Manama mean that the country's grand prix in 2012 remains in doubt, despite recent assurances from Bernie Ecclestone that he was happy for the race to go ahead.
The 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix remains on Formula One's schedule, after the cancellation of the 2011 race following a series of political protests in the country as part of last year's Arab Spring uprising.
But fresh reports from Manama of renewed violence in the country mean that the future of the F1 race remains up in the air.
A report from the Associated Press on Wednesday suggested that government security forces had fired tear gas and stun grenades at a fresh wave of protesters in Manama.
The Bahraini government also released a statement claiming that "at least" 41 policemen had been injured in clashes on Tuesday, including one who suffered severe burns as a result of a petrol bomb.
Earlier in the week, the US State Department issued a fresh alert over the "potential for unrest" in the Middle Eastern country.
The alert claimed that "spontaneous and sometimes violent anti-government demonstrations" were still occurring across the country.
"The violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators can make travel in and around Bahrain dangerous without advance warning," the statement added.
The State Department also confirmed that workers at the US embassy in Bahrain were being moved away from the capital amidst concerns of fresh violence.
The new clashes in the capital come while continued efforts are made to salvage efforts to reinstate workers at the Bahrain International Circuit who lost their jobs over their involvement in last year's protests.
The BBC has reported that the country's labour ministry is working with over 20 sacked employees yet to return to work because of unhappiness over the terms of their renewed contracts.
The workers have claimed that the new contracts fail to reimburse them for lost pay and benefits after their enforced layoffs, and their jobs were dependant on them dropping any legal action they were taking over unfair dismissal.
"The ministry of labour will work very hard to ensure that [the employees] will not lose anything," labour ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali al-Ansari told the BBC.
He added: "We told the [BIC] company that there was no need for the workers to sign new contracts; the old contracts are still valid."
The discomfort over F1's return to Bahrain comes despite Ecclestone's efforts to dismiss concerns over the race last week.
"Everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems," he told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.
Also speaking out in favour of the race going ahead recently was 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill, who visited the country earlier this year.
"A lot has changed there since [last year]," Hill insisted, "I listened to a lot of people there, including eyewitnesses. I believe they are making change for the better.
"This time, Formula One can go to Bahrain with a clear conscience and not just as a tool for some sort of cover-up."
The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for April 22nd, the fourth round of the 2012 world championship.
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