( CNN ) -- Formula One bosses are under increasing pressure to review their decision to stage the Bahrain Grand Prix later this month . A British politician added his voice to the growing chorus of dissent on Friday saying motorsport officials should `` rethink '' their plans . `` In hindsight , the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA ) should not have scheduled the 2012 race so early in the season , '' said Richard Burden , a Labor member of parliament . `` It was always going to be too early to know how far things had moved on in Bahrain since last year . F1 ca n't turn the clock back but , with three weeks to go before the race , it can still rethink . It should do so , '' he added . `` In a context where genuine and sustainable reform is taking place , holding a Grand Prix could be a unifying event for the people of Bahrain as well as a positive showcase on the world stage . But things are not at that stage . '' The calls come amid continuing unrest in the country with demonstrators and Bahraini authorities continuing to clash . Burden 's words echo those made by former British F1 world champion Damon Hill on Thursday , who said running the race now could create more problems than it solves . `` It would be a bad state of affairs , and bad for Formula One , to be seen to be enforcing martial law in order to hold the race . That is not what this sport should be about , '' Hill said . Most recently , Bahraini officials have arrested the daughter of the human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja who is currently on hunger strike to protest the life sentence he received for his alleged role in the ongoing unrest . In February , the country 's Formula One organizers , the Bahrain International Circuit ( BIC ) insisted the race would go ahead . But Nabeel Rajab , the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights ( a group started by al-Khawaja ) urged officials to reverse the decision . `` If Formula One go ahead with the race it will give the impression that everything is back to normal when everything is not back to normal . People are dying on a daily basis , Rajab told CNN . `` I say think of the human rights , think of things other than just your profit and your interest . Human rights have to come first , '' he added . `` We will welcome you back when everything is back to normal , when the killing and arrests have stopped in the streets . '' However , the BIC insisted that the race would be safe . `` The BIC is in regular contact with the FIA , FOM ( Formula One Management ) and the Bahrain government , '' it said in a statement . `` All of the above continue to state that the grand prix goes ahead , and we are therefore going about our business of ensuring that this sporting event can be enjoyed by a hundred thousand local spectators , as well as hundreds of millions of viewers around the world . We speak to F1 teams regularly , and have received no communication regarding an unwillingness to race . `` With particular reference to travel advice , Bahrain has had a 'green ' travel alert ( i.e . no travel restrictions ) from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for some months now . This rating is safer than even the first race in 2004 . ''
Calls for motorsport officials to rethink running of Bahrain Grand Prix later this month . British member of parliament says event should not have been scheduled so early in season . Former world champion Damon Hill says running race could cause more problems that it solves . Race scheduled to take place on April 22 .