By Brian Bielanski, Editor

(RacingWire) - Continued political unrest in Bahrain has forced the postponement of the opening round of the Formula One World Championship, scheduled for March 13.

The move comes amid concerns for the safety of the teams traveling to Bahrain for the race.

A statement from F1's governing body read: “The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) supports the decision of the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit to postpone the scheduled first Grand Prix of the 2011 season due to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on March 11-13.”

The decision is characterized as a postponement rather than a cancellation. Reports from various news outlets suggest F1 boss Bernie Eccelstone wants to reschedule the race for the end of the season but that will involve solving serious logistical issues.

Consequently, the first race of the 2011 F1 World Championship will be the Australian Grand Prix on March 27.