By Brian Bielanski, Editor

(RacingWire) - Organizers of this weekend's Bahrain round of the GP2 series have canceled the event due to continued violent government protests in the Middle Eastern country.

Series officials say the cancellation is due to "force majeure" and was done at the request of the Bahrain Motorsport Federation.

The cancellation comes just weeks before Formula One is set to open their season at the Bahrain track on March 13.

Earlier this week, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone expressed concern over the situation in Bahrain and didn't rule out canceling or postponing the event.

Protesters in Bahrain have mentioned the F1 event as a potential target to publicize their cause on a worldwide stage.