Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone said today that he believes the Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead as planned on October 30 as the teams and drivers involved did not want to take part.

Ecclestone had been in favour of moving the race to October 30 after the season opener had originally been postponed because of unrest in the country.

But he agrees that the race cannot be held after 11 Formula One teams had voiced objections because the civil unrest was continuing in the Gulf country.

"Hopefully there'll be peace and quiet and we can return in the future, but of course it's not on," Ecclestone told BBC Sport.

"The schedule cannot be rescheduled without the agreement of the participants - they're the facts."

His comments come after the move to put the Bahrain race on in October - and move the race originally schedule for that date in India back until December - attracted widespread criticism.

That move was condemned by teams and drivers and also by human rights organisations, who were unhappy with claims by the sport's governing body, the FIA, that the situation had returned to normal in Bahrain.