Bernie Ecclestone has assured protesters in Bahrain that he understands their grievances and is willing to meet opposition figures ahead of the most controversial Formula One race of the year, this weekend.
A group of British politicians has written to Formula One's kingpin urging him to cancel the race, which was reinstated last year after being called off in 2011.
Ecclestone has said repeatedly that he has no cause for concern ahead of a race that had to be cancelled in 2011 after an uprising and bloody government crackdown.
The event went ahead last year against a backdrop of petrol bombs and teargas.
The 82-year-old British billionaire has made it clear this time that he understands both sides of the argument and is not insensitive to the opposition.
The Formula One circus has begun arriving in Bahrain from Shanghai to news of four explosions last Sunday night, for which a radical opposition group claimed responsibility, and there have been daily clashes between police and protesters.
