(CNN) -- In October 1985, the Formula One circus arrived in South Africa to race at Kayalami. Apartheid -- which had put an end to almost all other sporting events in the country -- didn't deter F1, even if both the Ligier and Renault teams refused to race. Marlboro removed its sponsorship from the McLaren cars of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, and various governments tried to stop their drivers racing. Sound familiar? Although South Africa during apartheid and Bahrain now are two completely different political situations, you can't help but wonder whether F1 has moved on at all in the last 27 years. The view of Formula One Management's chief Bernie Ecclestone that the elite division of motorsport doesn't do politics seems somewhat out of kilter.
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Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix will take place amid a backdrop of anti-government protests
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The Formula One race was canceled last year due to a civil uprising in the Gulf island
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The situation mirrors what happened in 1985 with a race in apartheid-era South Africa
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Foster: F1 chief is wrong when he says that sport and politics do not mix
However, if something does go wrong then it is going to be extremely hard for @placeholder to recover its integrity.