F1's governing body has given race organizers another month to declare that conditions in Bahrain, where civil unrest forced the cancellation of the season opener at Sakhir, are now good enough for the event to take place.

"It's not cancelled, it's only postponed.  We will hear good news soon," Bahrain tourism's acting assistant undersecretary Nada Ahmed Yaseen told Gulf News.

She denied reports that said the situation in Bahrain was still volatile, insisting the country is now "back to normal".

"I think it (the grand prix) will happen this year, we are very optimistic about it," she added at the Arabian Travel Market.