Hi, it's about time we opened a thread about the circuit. I'll start of slow since i need to study but here is the link to the circuit's website:

http://www.bahraingp.com/en/index.asp


Good news, Bahrain GT Festival has it's own website and some of the best GT drivers are competing:

http://www.gtfestival.com/


The pics will follow.

Organised by Stephane Ratel, promoter of the FIA GT Championship, the French GT Championship and the British GT Championship, and co-promoter of the Le Mans Endurance Series, the idea behind the GT Festival in Bahrain is to bring together the cars which compete in his various series for an end-of-year celebration of GT Racing, at one of the latest and most wonderful circuits in the world.

SRO and the Bahrain International Circuit have reached an agreement for the organisation of a GT Festival, which will take place between the 24th and 26th of November 2004, bringing together cars from GT Championships in Europe and beyond.

The final go-ahead for the event will be given upon confi rmation of an appropriate field. A transportation budget has been confi rmed for up to 70 cars, including allocations for freight and plane tickets.

“This is part of a longer term agreement with the circuit of Bahrain,” Stephane Ratel commented. “The circuit will welcome the FIA GT Championship in 2005, as part of an end-of-season double-header in the Gulf region, along with Dubai.”

Concerning the planned GT Festival, Ratel continued : “We consider this to be a fantastic opportunity for national GT teams to discover one of the latest and most exciting circuits in the world. Between the various Championships we are involved with, such as the FIA GT Championship, the French GT Championship, the British GT Championship, the Le Mans Endurance Series and the national teams competing in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, we are in direct contact with over 150 cars, and we are very confi dent of being able to put together a excellent grid for the event. Of course, competitors from non-SRO Championships, such as the Italian and Spanish Championships and Belcar, will also be most welcome !”

BIC to host the first F3 SuperPrix in the Middle East.
Plans are moving apace in the build-up to the inaugural Bahrain F3 SuperPrix in December, 2004. The first race of its type in the Middle East region is creating a buzz of excitement with the motor sport spectators, enthusiasts and industry spectators. One of the traditional stepping stones to Formula One, Formula 3 is acknowledged as being the proving ground for future champions although it is rare in this day and age for F3 races to take place on current Formula One circuits. Consequently, the Bahrain F3 SuperPrix on December 9th and 10th will be a “must” for all Formula One teams and talent scouts out to spot the young drivers who have what it takes.

The first race of its kind in the Middle East is another “first” for the Bahrain International Circuit following the phenomenally successful Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in April of this year. The new management team at the circuit is using events such as F3 and the GT Festival in November, to increase the awareness of the Bahrain circuit, add high-level content to the circuit’s portfolio and deliver entertaining and high profile events to the menu of motor sport for the region’s motor sport hungry spectators.

Business park on way at circuit
DESIGNS for a multi-million dinar business park at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) have now been completed, it was revealed yesterday.

They were drawn up by German architect firm Tilke, which was responsible for designing the circuit itself.

The BIC was only the first phase of development in the desert, according to General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) president and Bahrain International Circuit Committee (BICC) chairman Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

"I will not go into details, but I can confirm that the first stage of our plan was to build the circuit in Sakhir," he said at yesterday's Press conference.

"The second phase will be improving facilities at the circuit and enhancing the circuit further.

"There is a business park that we are looking to develop in future, but we will give more details later.

"However, we have just received the final master plan for the whole area which has been designed by Tilke.

"It has three areas and will be done in stages."

However, the GDN has learned that the business park designs include two hotels.

There are also plans to develop an off-road driving school at the circuit.

I'm a huge F1 fan, but I missed the first four races this year, meaning I didn't get a chance to see the Bahrain GP initiation. Of course I know that M.Schumacher won, but what were the weather conditions like?

I can imagine that Bahrain is hot, even in March, but what was the temperature? Also, is Bahrain humid in March?

In addition, I just wanted to add that there will be a 19th race track added in 2006, assuming none are dropped (watch out Silverstone). The new GP track will be built in Cancun, Mexico! I've been there and it is one of the most humid cities on earth. The race will have to be in March or April at the beginning of the season or in October near the end of the season for it to be even somewhat bearable on the drivers.

i like new tracks, no, i love them

i mean, we've seen races in monza, magny cours, silverstone,... so many times and it has become boring as hell. additionaly there only is one team, so f1 has become pretty boring over the last years.
every car should be the same, that would make more sense

...every car should be the same, that would make more sense

@Dubai-Lover: I don't know if you heard or not, but next year all the engines will be 2.4 liter V-8s, which is smaller than this year's requirement of 3.0 liter V-10s. Also, each team can only have 3 sets of tires. (Pretty sure of that.)

Regarding your dissatisfaction of their being only "one team" I'd have to say that I think BAR-Honda has shown some very good stuff this year regarding their cars and with J.Button having to stay with them next year, I think they can only get more competitive with Ferrari. Also, look for Fernando Alonso to only get better because he shows a lot of talent, is only 22 years old and is very humble. Just the opposite of a certain Colombian driver that won at Interlagos in Brazil (i.e., Juan Pablo Montoya.)

How much would it cost to fly up to Bahrain for the race weekend next March, from Dubai? Is it physically possible to drive there through Saudi Arabia (I know there's a bridge from SA to Bahrain) for a non-GCC citizen and how long would it take?

yes sure bar was pretty good last season, but only one team is able to win ;)

i knew there will be some new rules, but i didn't know the engines will be equivalent.
this is the best step you can do. then you can see how good the drivers are

the new rules introduced 2 years ago, didn't change anything, but this seems to cause some serious changes

hope it will be a tough competition then!!! cross fingers

http://tradearabia.com/source/2004-11/21/BIC.jpg

The latest plans of Bahrain International Circuit were the focus of a series of key meetings at the Macau Grand Prix.

In line with the Bahrain International Circuit's preparations for hosting the F3 SuperPrix next month, an official Managerial and Media delegation travelled to Macau to attend the Macau Grand Prix currently in its final rounds after the practice sessions, which took place on Friday and Saturday.

Bahrain's F3 SuperPrix will be held on December 9 and 10.

The F3 race in Macau is considered the most prestigious in the world along with the Zandvoort Grand Prix in Holland.

In addition, Formula 3 is the biggest producer of Formula One drivers, a fact that provides the F3 racing series with a worldwide fan base and rich media coverage.

During the visit, the delegation had extensive meetings with F3 senior officials and participants in the upcoming F3 race, some of whom include the Brazilian Nelson Piquet and the Finnish Driver Nico Rosberg.

The delegation also took time to delve into the various preparations required for such a big event.

The delegation members were warmly greeted by race officials and team principals from around the world.

They inquired about the latest BIC plans, and anticipated an exciting race in Bahrain since it is a new circuit for all drivers, which provides an equal footing for all competitors.

oh ya, the drag race that was held was very successful, so that was a major boost for the circuit. Keep up the good work guys.

Gulf Air aims to double the number of visitors flying in on special packages for next year's Formula One.

The airline brought 1,026 passengers on special packages for the first Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in April this year.

'We hope to double this number for the April 2005 event,' said Gulf Air manager-destination and leisure marketing Mark Senior.

'The World Travel Market (WTM) in London earlier this month provided us an opportunity to meet a large number of European tour operators.

'We have already sold packages to 400 people.'

The majority of the visitors who took the Gulf Air packages for the first Grand Prix were from the GCC.

'We are confident of attracting more visitors from Europe for the forthcoming event,' Senior said.

'We have already sold 200 rooms of 500 rooms on allocation to Gulf Air.'

Well the GT Festival is tomorrow (25th - 26th). They had a demonstration of cars today. It seems am missing a lot of what's goin on. Anyways, the drag race was a success, but here was an article about the drag race (before it happened):


http://www.gulfweeklyworldwide.com/source/3_47/images/Trackpic.jpg

There is something undeniably attractive about watching people get into vehicles built purely for speed, ramming the accelerator to the floor and holding it there until the race is won. It’s like a modern day joust. Two people mounting their faithful steeds and unleashing them for the sake of glory.

Now that glory is up for grabs for the people of Bahrain. Rumble in the Desert, henceforth referred to as ‘the Rumble’, is the first official drag race event in Bahrain taking place on Thursday, November 18 at the Bahrain International Circuit. E K Kanoo continue proudly with their promotion and sponsorship commitment to the world of motor sport within the kingdom.
Organised to capture the glamour, speed and adrenaline of a typical drag event, the Rumble will be complimented by an auto show, bike show, an exhibition of the latest car and car accessories, family entertainment as well as, of course, the first-ever Drag Race.
The Rumble is a two-part event; an individual race against the clock and a racing competition with impressive cash prizes for the winners exciting. Drag racers from other GCC states and locally built cars have been registered, promising a good old tete-a-tete between some undoubtadely impressive mechanical beasts.
The all-day event starts at noon and lasts past midnight. Ticket prices are for the full day and are priced at BD5 for adults and BD3 for children and are available from the Toyota F1 Centre, Toyota Sitra Showroom, and the BIC ticket outlets at Seef and Dana Shopping Malls, and The British Cub. Every person entering BIC with a ticket is automatically entered into a raffle with $500 prize.
Never an industry to shy from some razzmatazz, there will be large screens showing live coverage of the event across the whole circuit. Also Bison Energy Drink will be sponsoring all the family entertainment, music and all day DJ, and Jawad will also be wetting our whistles and filling our stomachs. Children’s enter-tainment will be varied with a bouncy castle, balloon making, face painting and surprises.
At the Auto Show, the snazziest cars on the island will be on display and all are welcome, so if you own a classic car or a custom, showpiece, or an original, join in the thrills of the event and be a competitor. Incentives to participate include some top-notch trophies and cash prizes galore, sponsored and presented by Mercedes Benz, Tyron, Al Haddad, L&G, Khaleej Finance, Behbebani and E K Kanoo.
Those with a preference for less wheels will be catered for as well. The Bahrain Motorcycle Club are joining the event so anybody’s fancy two-wheeler can be registered.
The event is organized by E K Kanoo, sponsored by Batelco, Bapco, Bison Energy Drink, Al Ayam, Bahrain Tribune and supported by Nissan, Kleeman, Khaleej Finance & Investments, Sparco, Sonax, Skoda, Michelin, Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Porsche, Bin Hindi (TYRON), Volvo, Antera, Khan, BP, Blaupunkt, BP, Arabian Motors, Bahraini Cars.com, Gulf GT.com and Mathias Middle East.

Here are two pics from the GT festival website (www.gtfestival.com):

http://www.gtfestival.com/system/_showimg.php?key=4&size=3

http://www.gtfestival.com/system/_showimg.php?key=11&size=3

This was last night:



GT Excitement in Manama

Bahrain will get its first taste of high-powered, high-speed GT cars ahead of the Bahrain GT Festival with a unique display and cavalcade of some of the world’s fastest and most spectacular GT cars on Wednesday 24th November. This fascinating opening to a weekend of GT race action is free to everyone at the Seef Mall with the GT Show at Seef and throughout Manama with the GT Cavalcade.

Today’s exciting preview will offer fans the chance to get close to the drivers and cars that will compete in the 13 race Bahrain GT Festival at speeds of up to 340 km/h on November 25th and 26th. The GT Show at Seef will start at 1330 today with up to 20 Ferrari, Porsche, Viper and Lamborghini supercars, as well as famous historic GT cars, on display in the Seef Mall car-park opposite entrance 1.

All fans will have the chance to get up close to these USD500,000 racing machines and see the skill of the team mechanics in action as they practice their pitstops. The international superstar drivers who will steer their cars around the Bahrain International Circuit at high speed will also be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. Tickets for the GT Festival are still available and will be on sale at the GT Show at Seef.

At 1530, the streets of Manama will reverberate to the sound of 600bhp GT engines when the GT Cavalcade leaves the Seef Mall for the Bahrain International Circuit. Everyone in Bahrain will have the chance to get a taste of up to 20 GT cars on the road as the GT Cavalcade passes through the Pearl Roundabout and along the King Faisal Highway before driving through Muharraq and past the Grand Mosque on route to the Bahrain International Circuit. Although not at racing speed, the cavalcade will present a unique sight with some of the best viewing positions along the Corniche. Roads will be closed only briefly as the Cavalcade passes through.

GT Show at Seef and GT Cavalcade Schedule

1330: GT Show at Seef in Seef Mall Car Park opposite entrance 1 begins
Up to 20 GT Racing supercars on display
Pitstops and autograph sessions with the drivers

1530: GT Cavalcade through Manama
High-powered Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis on the road

Bahrain motor sport 'getting into top gear'

http://gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxvii/250/images/Ratel.jpg
Mr. Ratel


THE Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) yesterday got a stamp of approval from the man responsible for bringing the GT Festival here. Stephan Ratel, known at the Bernie Ecclestone of the Grand Touring (GT) sport, is optimisic about Bahrain's future in the motor sports industry.

Mr Ratel, who runs Stephan Ratel Organisation, organises the FIA International GT Championship, which he hopes could come to Bahrain as early as next year.

"The idea is to bring the International GT Championship to the BIC, which cannot function on the F1 alone," he told the GDN yesterday.

"With the success of last week's drag race and plans for the F3 event next month, Bahrain's position as a motor racing centre is shaping up.

"The long-term plan is to bring the GT here."

The two-day GT Festival is a globally unique event, said Mr Ratel. "It includes the dream names of cars such as the Austin Martin, Lamborghini and Ferrari. The teams have come from championships from around the world," he said.

"Drivers from Australia, the US, UK and all over Europe will be taking part, people who have never competed against each other before.

"It will be very interesting to see what happens."

Mr Ratel described that BIC facilities as "mind blowing" and as the best he has seen so far.

"I have not been to the Shanghai track but this is the best I have seen. It is the first 21st century circuit and brings a new dimension into racing."

The future of racing in Bahrain, added Mr Ratel, lies on the shoulders of young driving enthusiasts.

"I think the future of racing in this country depends on the capacity to bring in national talent," he remarked.

"GT racing could be an avenue to explore as it is not as expensive as preparing F1 drivers.

"We hope to see drivers from Bahrain in the GT and also see a team based here. The motor sport scene here will take off if we can get local heroes which the public can identify with.

"We are here for the long-term and we hope this festival will be the beginning of something important."

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MOTOR racing fever reaches its peak today as more than 70 dream cars, including the likes of Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari, thunder down the main straight at 340km/h in spectacular wheel-to-wheel racing as the two-day GT Festival is flagged off at the Bahrain International Circuit. Then they round corners at neck breaking speeds before braking at the last possible moment in a courageous attempt to overtake that tenacious Lamborghini in front.

GT (Grand Touring) racing is a unique event and incomparable even to Formula One. It is the pride of the motor industry as a whole.

Other events on the card are the Mini Cooper challenge races, Mecar championships and a passionate race of Historic GT cars.

The GT Festival is another prestigious event to be held at the state-of-the-art Bahrain International Circuit following the tremendous success of the Gulf Air Formula One Grand Prix in April.

The two-day event will feature modified sports cars from among the most famous and extravagant the motor industry has ever produced; cars that captivated the heart and soul of sports car enthusiasts around the globe.

The event will also feature some of the best cars and teams in the world as well as many of the leading drivers, some of whom have raced in F1 like Karl Wendlinger and David Brabham.

"GT racing cars are probably the closest racing gets to the super high performance cars that we see on the road - Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis and the like. The difference is that the racing versions are all super performance models with bodywork that looks as though it has been on steroids, slick racing tyres, aerodynamic wings and bodywork together with raw horsepower and thunderous engine notes," said BIC general managerg Martin Whitaker.

To give Bahrain a preview of the attractions of GT racing ahead of today's and tomorrow's Festival, GT cars took to the streets of Manama yesterday with the GT Show and Cavalcade.

Fans got a taste of GT supercars as 20 GT racing Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches were on display in the Seef Mall car park from 1-30pm to 3-30pm yesterday.

The fans also met international drivers in an autograph session. The cars then paraded through the roads of Manama giving everyone a chance to see what was in store at the BIC today and tomorrow.

One of the great attractions of GT racing is the variety of different cars competing, meaning that most GT races feature a number of different classes in which drivers are competing against a group of cars of similar specification, as well as for the overall result.

The Bahrain GT Festival features three difference classes of cars, each governed by a strict set of rules used to run the major European championships. These classes include in order of there speed, starting with the fastest, GT1, GT2, and GT3.

Speeds can top 400 km/h depending on track characteristics while engine capacities rise to eight-litre to produce in excess of 600 bhp. This requires carbon fibre brakes to shed speed as quickly and effectively as possible.

Unlike F1, GT drivers have very little visibility according to Vic Elford, one of the most notable racing figures in the world.

"With full-face helmets, pretty useless rear and side mirrors, the driver is like in a tunnel, with everything moving very fast around him. There is no much room for error," said Elford.

"It is also very, very hot inside a GT car. Drivers have to be very fit as their heartbeat rockets up to 180 beats per minute at the start of the race. And since they drive for much longer and have to get the car on its optimum edge, and keep it there for hour after hour, it requires huge concentration and with the heat and speed all thrown in, it makes for a very full-on and tough series."

Governmental affairs and public relations director Shaikh Salman summed up the general atmosphere of the Bahrain GT Festival: "It is going to be a fun filled day for the whole family with more than 13 races and other exciting entertainment venues. I hope that everyone is prepared and bought their tickets soon as we do not want what happened at the Drag Race (tickets were sold out and people had to go home disappointed) to happen at the GT Festival."


SCHEDULE
(in order of time, race and duration)

Today

8.30am: Mini Practice/Qualifying - 15 minutes

9am: Historic GT Practice - 30 minutes

9.45am: International GT Qualifying 1- 60 minutes

11am: Me CAR Race 1 - 20 laps

Noon: Historic GT Qualifying - 30 minutes

12.45pm: International GT Qualifying 2 - 60 minutes

2pm: Mini Race 1 - 10 laps

2.45pm: Historic GT Race 1 - 35 minutes

3.45pm: International GT Race 1 - 35 minutes

Tomorrow

8.30am: International GT Race 2 - 35 minutes

9.35am: Historic GT Race 2 - 35 minutes

10.25am: Me CAR Race 2 - 20 laps

11.40am: International GT Race 3 - 35 minutes

12.30pm: Mini Race 2 - 10 laps

1.20pm: Historic GT Race Final - 60 minutes

2.50pm: On Track Entertainment - 20 minutes

3.10pm: Grid Formation GT (grid walk) -

3.20pm: International GT Race Final - 60 minutes


RACE INFORMATION
3 drivers can share driving duties at each race.

11 races make up the 2004 FIA GT calendar.

24 hours long, Le Mans in France is the world's greatest sports car race (but not part of the FIA GT championship).

55 per cent of a race distance is the maximum permissible between driver changes.

500 kms is the maximum race distance in the FIA GT championship, or three hours, whichever occurs first.

GT Festival a smashing hit

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THE Bahrain GT Festival came to a colourful end yesterday in front of cheering motor racing fans at the Bahrain International Circuit. The two-day motor racing fiesta witnessed top action in a number of races involving historic and modern cars at a state-of-the-art oasis which is nominated for the best circuit prize.

National and international motor racing enthusiasts rubbed shoulders as cars whizzed past at more than 300 k/ph and at the end of the day everyone was unanimous in declaring the event a smashing success.

There was much to celebrate for Bahrain supporters as the local drivers dominated the Mecar and Mini Cooper events and raced to deserving victory.

Mohammed Al Baharna triggered wild celebrations winning the Mecar event completing the final race in 17 minutes and 24.26 seconds after a fierce challenge from another Bahraini Shaikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa (17:24.40) who finished second while Graham Heath (17:41.51) was third.

Fahad Al Musalam continued the victory run for Bahrain leading a 1-2-3 in the Mini Cooper event.

Al Musalam won the last race in 19 minutes and 29.40 seconds and with it the title ahead of compatriots Ebrahim Busmait (19:44.94) and Ali Aryan (19:46.38).

But in the main GT race David Brabham and Allan Simonsen continued their good work and drove the Coopers Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello to a historic victory.

The red Ferrari with a kangaroo on the bonnet led the race from start to finish completing 26 laps in one hour, three minutes and 68 seconds, with an average speed of 162.331 k/ph.

Behind the Australian team came Larbre Competition's Chrysler Viper GTS driven by Frederick Makowiecki and Frederic Dedours, who just grabbed second place from Francois Fiat and Dominique Dupuy in their Saleen S7, after the DDO car suffered a broken differential after experiencing oil and water problems throughout the day.

In GT2 class, Infineon Team's duo of Lars Nielson of Denmark and US's Patrick Long who drove their Porsche 996 GT3, had the best time of two hours, five minutes and 44 seconds with an average speed of 155.687 k/ph.

Roland Berville and Jack Leconte, also driving a Porsche GT3 for the Larbre Team, emerged winners of the GT3 class in three hours, 14 minutes and 41 seconds and managed the best average speed of 149.631 k/ph.

The Historic GT title was won by Hans Huegenholtz in his 1965 Ford GT 40. He was followed by Christian Traber in a 1962 Jaguar Type E and third was Damien Kohler who drove a Diva GT.

The circuit was praised by all drivers as a "fantastic facility and a fantastic race track," as Brabham put it.

"This is a very impressive set-up and it was a pleasure to drive around this circuit. We had a couple of yellow flags due to earlier accidents and that favoured us as we might had run out of fuel before the end of the race," added Brabham, a former Formula One driver and son of three time F1 champions Jack.

His co-driver Simonsen was very excited about being on Bahrain's F1 circuit after driving most of the season in Australia.

"We drove an intelligent race and it was such a pleasure to win on a prestigious circuit."

Mini Cooper (Race 2) (Pos, name, class, time, laps, gap, best speed, best time): 1 Fahad Al Musalam, Mini Cooper, 19:29.400, 10, -, 117,870, 1:55.755; 2 Ebrahim Busmait, Mini Cooper, 19:44.948, 10, 15.548, 117.061, 1:56,555; 3 Ali Aryan, Mini Cooper, 19:46.385, 10, 1.437, 117.230, 1:56.387; 4 Ali Al Kobaisi, Mini Cooper, 19:50.779, 10, 4.394, 116.156, 1:57.463; 5 Fuad Nonoo, Mini Cooper, 19:55.000, 10, 4.220, 116.436, 1:57.180; 6 Lee Palmer, Mini Cooper, 19:56.526, 10, 1.525, 115.592, 1:58.036; 7 Khalid Sultan Al Faisal, Mini Cooper, 19:57.670, 10, 1.144, 117.356, 1:56.262; 8 Yousef Al Rashoodi, Mini Cooper, 20:07.006, 10, 9.335, 114.593, 1:59.065; 9 Gilles Duthil, Mini Cooper, 20:22.826, 10, 15:819, 113.461, 2:00.253; 10 Billy Daly, Mini Cooper, 18:09.304, 9, 1 lap, 114.189, 1:59.486; 11 Khalid Al Thahranee, Mini Cooper, 8:10,762, 4, 5 laps, 116.992, 1:56.623; 12 Ebrahim Kanoo, Mini Cooper, 6:17.647, 3, 1 lap, 11.885, 2:03.046.

Mecar (Race 2) (Pos, name, class, time, laps, gap, best speed, best time): 1 Mohammed El Bahrna, MECAR, 17:24.266, 10, -, 131.755, 1:43.556; 2 Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa, MECAR, 17:24.400, 10, 0.134, 132.533, 1:42.948; 3 Graham Heath, MECAR, 17:41.515, 10, 17.115, 130.621, 1:44.455; 4 Peter Moulsdale, MECAR, 17:48.561, 10, 7.045, 129.113, 1:45.675; 5 Roy van der Weijden, MECAR, 18:00.270, 10, 11.709, 130.308, 1:44.706; 6 Roy Toms, MECAR, 18:06.031, 10, 5.760, 128.263, 1:46.375; Scott Aitken, MECAR, 18:06.482, 10, 0.451, 129.218, 1:45.589; 8 Carl Cramm, MECAR, 18:13.745, 10, 7.263, 126.461, 1:47.891; 9 Sam Zian, MECAR, 18:27.032; 10, 13.287, 128.617, 1:46.082.

Hi, well good news, 3 new drivers for f3, which is a great start. One of them (Salman) was in my school, he graduated like 5 years ago, so good luck to him and the rest and future drivers. Enjoy:


3 Bahrainis for F3 races

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BAHRAIN's Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Mohammed Al Baharna and Hamad Al Fardan will be the first riders from the Arab region to participate in a Formula Three race, according to Bahrain International Circuit chairman and General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

The three drivers, who have already competed in the Formula BMW Asia series which concluded earlier this month, will take part in the Super Prix (Formula Three) Grand Prix to be held in Bahrain on December 9 and 10.

"We are very happy with the success of the GT Festival and are now looking forward to the Super Prix Grand Prix," said Shaikh Fawaz.

"We have had a hugely successful weekend and we are hoping to be on the FIA GT calendar next year," added Shaikh Fawaz.

"This part of the world had an opportunity to witness cars that they admire and love to see. We want to have more such events in the near future.

this is indeed good news, because formula 3 is the step before formula 1. if you're good you can promote!

formula 3 is an event held before every formula 1 race.

3 new arabs within one season is pretty good. i don't think there has ever been an arab in a forula series?

no, not as far as am concerned, so this is definately good news. There is alos plans to establish a bmw driving school in BIC, so hopefully that vision will turn into reality.

Bahrain International Circuit has made its mark on international motorsport fans at the Autosport International Show in England.

The show was held at Britain's National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

It featured a range of displays from all aspects of the motorsport industry covering over 1 million square feet.

With pride of place on the Bahrain International Circuit stand reserved for the recently awarded 'Best Grand Prix' trophy, fans from around the world flocked to find out more about the development of the circuit and this year's 2nd Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April 1/2/3.

The Autosport International Show is a yearly event where both key business leaders in the industry meet and fans have the opportunity to enjoy unique motorsport displays from major automotive manufacturers, teams and sponsors.

Highlights of this year's event included launches from Mitsubishi, SEAT and Ford and the chance for fans to meet Formula One drivers including new Red Bull Driver David Coulthard and, fresh from lapping the Bahrain International Circuit in his BMW Williams, Australian Mark Webber.

With over 250,000 fans from across the world visiting the NEC, the show provided an important platform to demonstrate BIC's leadership of the development of motorsport in the Middle East. The many visitors to the BIC display were impressed by the circuit's development plans and facilities on offer at the circuit to both fans and companies for corporate activities.

Martin Whitaker, BIC's general manager said, 'The Autosport International Show is a very significant event for the entire motorsport industry and it is important that BIC can use this event to show the world the opportunities here at the circuit for businesses and fans alike.

Equally important is to remind the motorsport world how far BIC has developed during 2004 as demonstrated by the splendid trophy we were fortunate to have on show, recognising the circuit and the Kingdom's acheivement in winning the Best Grand Prix Award for 2004. Everybody visiting the stand was impressed by the facilities the circuit has to offer and we hope this will prove to have been an important event in both spreading the word further about the opportunities at BIC and in attracting more international fans and businesses to the circuit'.-

Road shows are to be held in Kuwait, Dubai and Saudi Arabia to promote Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2005.

Beirut was the first stop of the Formula One Road Show 2005 which will travel in its latter stages to the Gulf cities.

Gulf Air's prepared packages for the Lebanese market were also highlighted at the event.

The Bahrain International Circuit, which recently won the prestigious award for the best organised Grand Prix of the 2004 season, started its Pan Arab Formula One Road Show from Beirut.

The campaign began on January 21 and lasted until January 26.

The Road Show, which was led by an 11-member BIC team, aimed to promote the Formula One in Bahrain (third round of the FIA Formula One World Championship 2005) which will take place on 1 April 1, 2 and 3.

During the Road Show, the audiences were introduced to Formula One racing, the process of buying race tickets, and how to arrange for travel and transport packages.

They also lived a virtual Formula One driving experience through an F1 driving simulator, which brought to life most aspects of Formula One driving with all of its thrill and excitement.

Beirut was the first stop of the Formula One Road Show 2005 which will travel in its latter stages to Kuwait, Dubai, and then Saudi Arabia.

The reason for kick starting the campaign in Lebanon, was due to the regional importance of Lebanon in the field of motorsport, in addition to the leading role the Lebanese Motoring and Tourism Club ATCL plays in nurturing young talent in motorsports.

On January 19, a Press conference was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beirut which hosted more than 80 media representatives 10 of which were TV stations.

The speakers at that conference included Martin Whitaker, General Manager of the Bahrain International Circuit, the Lebanese rally champion, Abdo Feghali, who stressed the importance of what the BIC is represents with respect to motor sport in the Middle East region, and Hisham Abu Alfateh, manager public relations Gulf Air, who expressed his satisfaction over the strong relationship between Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, and stressed out the benefits resulting from such a fruitful relationship.

He also discussed the global operations of Gulf Air as an international carrier.

"The Road Show was a great success," said an official.

The BIC stand was located at the newly built ABC Ashrafiyeh Mall which attracted a large number of motor sport enthusiasts and Formula One Fans.

In addition to the stand, the BIC drivers and promoters hit the streets of down town Solidere where they distributed flyers, and created excitement and interest amongst the crowds.

BIC also had the opportunity to drive the Road Show into the famous and prestigious BuddaBar establishment where through music and raffle draws were able to further deliver the message of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2005.

After the Gulf Air Bahrain GP 2004, BIC embarked on an ambitious and highly intensified work program to realize its slogan as "Home of Motorsport in the Middle East".

Just a few months ago, the Circuit hosted two international races, which are the F3 SuperPrix race and the Bahrain GT Festival. That is in addition to a wide variety of races like drag racing, MECAR, and Mini Cooper challenge.

Also, the BMW Williams F1 team recently launched its team livery in the BIC a few weeks ago.

In addition, BMW recently opened a Performance Center in BIC, which is the first in the Middle East and the second in the world.

The centre is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the world and for the very first time, the center unites the programmes of Formula BMW Racing center and BMW Driver Training under one roof.

Also, the BIC will witness the opening of an off-road school on its premises, which is one of the best in the world, and contains 20 Land Rover cars.

Facelift for Bahrain 'F1 village'

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Bahrain International Circuit is being beefed up prior to the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April 1,2 and 3 thanks to additional landscaping designed to make the event more appealing and enjoyable to spectators.

Fans flocking to the $150 million circuit will be offered a wide variety of new activities and services in time for the April race.

New tarmac has been laid on walkways between the grandstand and the “F1 Village” behind the main grandstand.

Shuttle buses will run continuously for the public allowing them to enjoy practice, qualifying, support races and the Grand Prix as well enjoying the “F1 Village” and the merchandising outlets, coffee shops and recreational areas.

“We aim to offer race fans the most memorable experience,” said BIC general manager, Martin Whitaker.

“With this in mind, we have added and upgraded a string of services and facilities to ensure that spectators enjoy their time at the circuit,” he added.

'The popular “F1 Village” will have a new vibrant atmosphere this year with relaxing grass areas, palm trees and seating.

'A large number of coffee shops and restaurants will be on hand together with outdoor eating area on grass and around the palm tress has also been created for the enjoyment of the fans.

“Visitors will have a variety of choice with their food and beverages and the service will be quick and efficient.

'We have put a great deal of effort into making sure that spectators have a good time at the race and we have made improvements across the whole spectrum from flag poles to toilet facilities,” Whitaker added.

To cater for the demands of spectators ATM machines will be installed in the “F1 Village” and water stations will be added throughout the area.

Eight giant LED screens will be installed around the track to offer greater coverage for spectators.

Three of these screens will be erected on top of the pit building directly opposite the Main Grandtsand with others dotted around the track in prime locations for the other grandstands.

Another totally new development for this year’s race will be the introduction of the BIC TV.

“For the first time in the Middle East a TV station for the fans will be aired on the giant screens. We will have a crew that will be conducting interviews with drivers, F1 bosses, stars and fans throughout the weekend,” Whitaker said.

Another area that has been developed in the name of beauty since last year’s race is the F1 Paddock Area.

The long open space between the team buildings and the pit garages will include 12 “Green Islands”. Each island will be sized at 36sqm and contain four mature palm trees. The islands will include a range of flowering shrubs, grass and plants. Traditional Arabic seating will be set-up around the islands in order for team members and their guests to watch the activities in the paddock.

The team buildings will be boosted in hospitality areas as the space at the bottom of the step will be upgraded to include a garden. A three meter grass area has been installed where team members can relax and enjoy the sun.

More than 2,500 flowering shrubs have been planted in the vending area next to the main grandstand.

Another 800 ground cover plants will be set in a five meter wide strip running along the inside of the car park fence.

Tickets for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix are available at the sales counter at Seef Mall, Bahrain Mall and the Bahrain International Airport.

Tickets are also available via the website or through the call centre 00973 17450000.

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Champions Ferrari could race their new Formula One car earlier than planned if the old one proves too slow, technical director Ross Brawn said.

Brawn said at the unveiling of the F2005 that Ferrari could introduce the new car at the season's third race in Bahrain, rather than the fifth in Spain, if the modified version of last year's dominant car struggled too badly.

The season starts in Australia next week.

'Our plan is to introduce the new car in Barcelona,' Brawn said at the Maranello factory.

'But depending on how it tests and how the interim car competes, it could be anticipated and the logical race to anticipate it to would be Bahrain.

'It wouldn't be easy to do it at Bahrain and I think it would be quite a tough decision,' he added.

'Technically it's possible but it depends on how the interim car's going.

'If we're competitive on the interim car, I'd much rather introduce the car in Barcelona (in May). The infrastructure wouldn't be in place to support the car as we'd like.'

Under new regulations, engines must last for two races this year instead of just one.

The engine from the F2004 is not transferable to the F2005 so Ferrari must therefore swap cars after the second or fourth races to avoid a 10-place penalty on the starting grid.

'We believe this is the right decision,' Brawn said of the scheduled Spanish debut. 'Although at the beginning it may be frustrating.'

Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher has won in Spain for the last four years. He also won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix last year while Ferrari ended the year with 15 victories from 18 races.

'We always want the new car as quickly as possible,' Schumacher said.

'The new car should be quicker than the old car so the old car gives us less opportunity to win, particularly because the competition is very strong.'

Schumacher, who is aiming for a sixth straight world title and an eighth in total as Ferrari seek a seventh constructors' title in row, said he had confidence in the car but most of all in his team.

'I'm here for the 10th time and after nine years I'm still happy and a bit nervous about the new season,' said Schumacher, who joined Ferrari in 1996. 'The new car looks good but we'll only see how good later.'

'What's more important is that we have a very good team and even after all our years of success we are highly motivated. So let's hope for the best.'

Sporting director Jean Todt said Ferrari's 'extraordinary' recent success did not make them less motivated.

'That doesn't mean we don't still have the will to win,' he said. 'In fact, it makes us even more determined as we seek to keep our place at the top of Formula One.'

Brawn said the new car would be worth the wait.

'I believe this is the best car we have produced to date,' said Brawn. 'It's stiffer, lighter, more stable and, fundamentally important in the light of the new regulations, will place less stress on the tyres.'

Schumacher, meanwhile, warned against judging the season by the first few races.

'Over a season development goes very quickly, as we have seen before with ourselves,' said the 36-year-old.

'Don't take what you see as the start of the season as what will happen at the end of the season. It's a long, long year with many races, a lot of things can happen.'

NEWLY-widened Zallaq Road has been opened one week ahead of schedule, ready for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. The BD1.85 million project included the widening of the road into three lanes on each direction, said Works and Housing Under-Secretary Nayef Al Kalali.

"The widening from two lanes to three lanes has been done for the full length of 36 kilometres," he told the GDN.

"This is to absorb the expected increase in traffic during the race period.

"The development also includes the improvement of the three roundabouts along the road."

A new traffic light at the road's junction with the Equestrian Club's entrance, and another traffic light at the junction with Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Road have also been installed.

Mr Al Kalali said the road's alignment near Awali and close to the Sakhir Palace has been adjusted.

Traffic safety barriers have also been installed in the middle island along 10km in order to improve safety and reduce accidents along this road, said Mr Al Kalali.

He said all the utility ducts were being moved underground.

"All electricity cables have been protected and those which conflicted with the expansion works have been relocated," said Mr Al Kalali.

"Phone lines have also been protected on the road and a new lighting network has been installed along the road to improve night vision and increase safety."

Haji Hassan Group executed civil and asphalt works, under the supervision of the roads and bridges department at the Roads Projects and Maintenance Directorate.

"Works and designs of the project were implemented according to the specifications and quality agreed upon at a total cost of BD1.855m, which is less than the approved budget," Mr Al Kalali said.

FANS attending the second Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix are in for an extra special treat. The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) is giving the public the chance to experience the race track first hand. Buses will take people to the track to reveal a side to the BIC that normally only drivers enjoy.

As well as taking in a lap of the track, passengers on board will also have the benefit of expert commentary from one of the Formula BMW Asia drivers who will give a unique insight into driving at the circuit.

Fans will be able to get insider information on how drivers view the track, how it differs from other circuits and what to expect during the Grand Prix, being held from Friday to Sunday.

BIC general manager Martin Whitaker said he was delighted to be able to provide this service.

"It's one thing to watch the action on the track from the grandstands, it's another experience altogether to do a lap of the circuit," he said.

"What better way to understand what the drivers actually go through than to experience it first hand. It will help to put the race in context for hardened race fans and those new to Formula One."

The buses will run for a two-hour slot between 3pm and 5pm, from public car park 10. Ticket-holders wishing to take advantage of the opportunity should meet there as close to 3pm as possible.

Tickets for the race are still available at the sales counters at Seef Mall, Dana Mall, Bahrain Mall and the Bahrain International Airport. They are also available via the website on www.bahraingp.com or through the call centre 17450000.


Free bus transfers lined up

FREE bus transfers are available daily for F1 fans travelling to and from the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), in Sakhir. Transport is being provided from Bahrain airport as well as hotels during the three days of the race. There is also a service operating between the airport and hotels.

The bus schedule is:

Airport to hotels: available every 30 minutes around the clock;

Hotels to airport: as above;

Hotels/airport to the BIC: available every 30 minutes from 6am to 2pm; and

BIC to hotels/airport: available every 30 minutes from 3pm to 11pm.

Hotels included in the above schedule are: the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa, Gulf Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Regency InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Hilton, Mövenpick Hotel, Novotel Al Dana Resort, Ramada Hotel and Panorama Hotel.


Mapping out the attractions

A MAP of tourist attractions is being released for fans attending the race.

It gives directions to tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, embassies, service apartments, banks and cinemas, says the survey and land registration bureau, which has produced the map.

It says the map, printed in English and Arabic, would be available for free to spectators attending the Formula One event.

Special F1 coin

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A special edition 100 fils coin, which was minted to commemorate the first Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix last year, is available to buy.

The coin, which is not for circulation, carries the logo of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).

The reverse side of the coin bears its denomination. It comes in a presentation pack and can be purchased from the Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA) currency issue directorate for BD2 each.

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Michael Schumacher hopes Ferrari's new Formula One car can put him back on the winning track and end Renault's run of success in Bahrain this weekend. "The two screwed up races at the beginning of the season are just more of a motivation for us," the seven-times world champion, a winner at the desert circuit last year, told his personal website.

"Everyone is motivated, everyone is ready to go. We will work on taking back the lead step by step, don't worry."

With just two points from the first two races, Schumacher and the as-yet unraced F2005 have plenty of ground to make up.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso leads the championship with 16 points and his Renault team top the constructors' standings with 26.

Ferrari, rocked by stunning defeats in Australia and Malaysia, have pressed the new car into service two races ahead of schedule after trailing dismally at the last race in Sepang.

Reliability will be the big question mark now, particularly in the Middle Eastern heat, even if the car is far more competitive in practice.

Ferrari have a proud record going back to 1999 of winning their new car's first race but Bahrain could break that six-year streak. Renault have the momentum.

"It will most likely not be an easy race for us but then again, most races aren't easy," said Schumacher. "I'm happy to take on the challenge." So too, are Renault who can win three races in a row for the first time in their Formula One history.

The team have welcomed Ferrari's decision to debut the new car in Bahrain, seeing it as a sign that the champions are rattled.

"I still think we are a step ahead," said Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, the winner of the season's opening race in Melbourne.

"Before Melbourne we said we were going there to win and we won. The same thing happened in Malaysia. The Renault showed it was better. If the car is working well, it works well everywhere.

"Ferrari have a lot of fans but an Italian fan should support an Italian driver, even if he drives a foreign car."

If the Renaults can maintain their supremacy then Alonso should be Fisichella's biggest rival but the French team are wary of others.

"Our success in the opening races has obviously increased the weight of expectation but we are taking nothing for granted at all," said technical director Bob Bell.

"As soon as McLaren put together an incident-free race weekend, I still believe they will be our main opposition among the Michelin teams.

"Williams made a step forward between Australia and Malaysia while we need to see if Toyota can confirm their speed at this race," he added.

"Don't forget that we have only had two races out of 19, so we are still trying to draw conclusions from a very small sample of data."

McLaren will be depending on Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, who has scored just one point so far, to improve their showing in the standings.

Great to see this thread come back to life!! I'll be watching the practices, qualifying laps and of course the big race on Sunday! I know you're in the UK Bahraini Spirit, but what is the temperature and humidity like in Bahrain at this time of year?

Ferrari should do better this weekend than it has done in the past races, primarily because of the new F2005 engine in the 2005 chassis. But, I don't think Renault is a fluke. Fernando Alonso is the future of F1 driving for the next ten years, and Fisichella is not too bad, but the Renault team has put out a fast, fairly powerful and reliable car. They don't have the best team management under Flavio Briattori(sp?), but he is ok. I'd rather have Jean Todt and Ross Braun running my team anyday.

Anyway, it should be a good race. Maybe Toyota will pull out a win this time!

Hopefully, I'll be at the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis on June 17!!!!

Hey Nick, well at this time of the year, the temperature ain't that bad especially the humidity if u compare it to ther times of the year.

- Temp should range be about 23 Celsius (73 F) at night and can rise to 36 Celsius (96F).

- Humidity is around 30% to 55%.

The drivers are lucky cause in the summer, those figures shoot up hehe.

And about Ferrari, they won it last time here, so they might win it again. I do agree with Alonso, world class driver.

Enjoy the race and please do post more here :).

I'm gona go today to watch that practice session, was given a VIP corporate lounge pass yesterday .. see yaah guys :)

Enjoy it Moody and take it easy:). Take pics if you can.

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Tens of thousands of fans have packed into Bahrain as the country hosts its second Formula One Grand Prix, which opens with practice sessions today.

They will be flocking to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), Sakhir to watch the world's top drivers prepare for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which climaxes on Sunday.

Practice sessions continue tomorrow followed by pre-qualifying laps for pole positions.

A host of side attractions and support events are also lined up for the three-day event.

Gulf Air said that it was operating at near full capacity from virtually all destinations.

"We are over 98 per cent full," said public relations manager Hisham Abu Alfateh.

"We usually have five flights a day from Dubai and we've added two more for the Grand Prix. All of these are full.

"The daily Beirut flights are also full as are flights from Frankfurt, London and Paris."

BIC public relations manager Hameed Halwani said he could not release accurate ticket sales figures but that they have been 'unbelievable'.

"The sales personnel have been working until 2am for the past two nights," he said.

A HOST of side attractions are lined up for the second Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix being held from today until Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

Last year's event was a qualified success and the professional way in which the event was run led to it being awarded the prestigious Best Organised Grand Prix Trophy by the sport's governing body, the FIA.

The BIC has developed a wide range of new entertainment activities which are designed to delight and captivate the thousands of race fans and families travelling to the Sakhir track.

The FIA Formula One World Championship is among the biggest annual sporting events throughout the world and with it comes the trappings of glamour, colour, ultimate sporting competition and raw energy.

Now the organisers at BIC will be adding greater energy and entertainment off-track to match the excitement on it.

This year, race fans will be able to get closer to the drivers with autograph sessions in the F1 Village as well as enjoying conflicting emotions in the Village, with areas to relax as well as to sample the action and excitement.

The BIC is pulling all the stops out in order to ensure that the diverse cross section of race fans - families and children, car enthusiasts and racers - are all catered for with a variety of activities designed to make the visit to the circuit one to remember for a very long time.

In addition, the circuit authorities have vastly improved spectator access to grandstands and the F1 Village with new walkways and shuttle bus services, new food and beverage outlets are being provided along with more water stations, better toilet facilities and ATMs.

Among the entertainment initiatives are:

Giant TV Screens and the BIC TV: Eight new giant screens will broadcast the race live within the circuit. The circuit's own broadcasters will fill the screens during non-F1 competition with a continuous programme called BIC TV. This circuit run channel will take spectators behind the scenes, into the garages, the Formula One Paddock and team garages where interviews will be conducted with drivers, team owners, famous personalities, race engineers and all the other people who make up the rich tapestry of an F1 weekend.

BIC Radio: Every spectator will be given a miniature radio together with headsets which can be tuned directly to the circuit's radio station. The service will be offered in both Arabic and English and spectators will be able to follow the race commentary as well as all the other events going on in and around the track, particularly those on BIC TV via the Giant Screens.

F1 Driver Autograph and Photograph Session: For the first time at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, fans will get the chance to meet a selection of F1 drivers and get their autographs and photographs. This is a unique opportunity as the fastest drivers in the world rarely have the chance to meet their fans during a Grand Prix weekend. The chance to get up-close and personal with the drivers takes place on Friday from 3.30pm until 4.30pm and on Saturday from 3.30pm until 5.50pm at the vending area.

Mini Cooper Stunt Driving Display: Back by popular demand following the BMW Williams F1 launch in January will be Russ Swift and his show of stunt driving tricks and car acrobatics to delight everyone. Russ will be making Mini Magic on the Drag Strip in front of the Oasis Complex and on the giant screens on all three days. The practise session will begin at 9.45am today, the qualifying sessions at 4.15pm today and the actual race will be held at 4.45pm tomorrow.

Family Fun: Throughout the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend an area within the F1 Village and Vending Area will be devoted to various games and activities for all the family.

There will be a variety of staged shows, in Arabic and English, bouncy castles, face painting, henna drawing, Arabic and English DJs, stilt walkers, Big Face F1 drivers mingling with the crowd and much more to make this a memorable family day out. Magic Island is providing many of the attractions, including a Rodeo Bull, Climbing Wall, Bunjee Run, Air hockey, kiddy rides and video games.

Laser show: There will be a daily laser show after sunset in the vending area.

Tickets for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix are still available at the sales counters at Seef Mall, Bahrain Mall and the Bahrain International Airport. Tickets are also available via the website on www.bahraingp.com or through the call centre on 0097317450000.

A SPECIAL pavilion is being opened by the government at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), Sakhir, to attract investment to Bahrain. The Invest in Bahrain pavilion will be open to the public during the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which begins at the BIC today. Sponsored by the Economic Development Board (EDB), the pavilion features some of the most promising ongoing mega projects in Bahrain, including Durrat Al Bahrain, the Bahrain World Trade Centre, Al Areen Desert Spa & Resort and the Bahrain Financial Harbour.

The pavilion is the brainchild of General Organisation for Youth and Sport (Goys) president and BIC chairman Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

"Formula One in Bahrain is not just about motor sporting. It is the greatest global PR exercise aimed at showcasing Bahrain's unique cultural heritage, regional strategic importance, modern business infrastructure and investment potential to the world at large," he said.

"The yardstick for measuring is not just how financially successful the F1 is as an event because real success cannot be measured by these standards.

"The F1 has firmly put the Kingdom of Bahrain on the world-sporting map, generating tremendous interest for the nation and the region at large."

The mileage received in terms of media coverage alone is immeasurable, said Shaikh Fawaz.

"The Invest in Bahrain pavilion is therefore another logical step in the right direction to showcase Bahrain's potential as an investor's hub," he said.

"The EDB is the point of contact for investors interested in starting their business in Bahrain.

"To this end, it assists the investor in organising visits to Bahrain to further explore investment opportunities, provides information to support the investment decision, helps the investor build a network of local contacts, and works with the relevant ministries to speed up the investment procedure."

Many of the recent economic and business development initiatives that have been witnessed in Bahrain were initiated by the EDB.

The world has awakened to recognise Bahrain's potential as an investment-friendly nation, said Shaikh Fawaz.

"The pavilion is yet another instrument of value addition in Bahrain's blueprint for economic growth," he noted.

The pavilion is promoted by Pico Bahrain, an event marketing organisation.

"The F1 is another window of opportunity for us to explore, experiment and express the spirit of successful business enterprise," said Pico Bahrain chief executive officer Khalid Juman.

"The Invest in Bahrain pavilion will do good to involve, initiate and impress, what we have so diligently chosen to express."

The pavilion will serve to highlight Bahrain's potential as an island of opportunities, while enabling investors from across the globe get a feel of the country and a measure of its pulse, said Mr Juman.

"The pavilion will pave the way for an open dialogue among interested partners, seeking to connect opportunity to achievement and bridge dreams to reality," he pointed out.

RENAULT F1 champions Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella and Franck Montagny met with fans at the YK Almoayyed & Sons Renault dealership in Sitra last night.

The winners of the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix chatted with fans and signed autographs.

The event also marked the launch of the Renault sports range - the Megane Sport, the Clio Sport, the Clio V6 and the Megane Coupe Cabriolet.

The two-litre Megan Sport starts at BD9,000. The two-litre Clio Sport starts at BD7,600, while the three-litre Clio V6 starts at BD18,000.

The Megane Coupe Cabriolet, which also has a two-litre engine, is the only coupe cabriolet in the world with a glass top. It opens and shuts with the press of a button in 22 seconds and the price starts at BD10,750.

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World champion Michael Schumacher will be aiming to fight back in the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir from today to Sunday, after seeing his championship defence dented in the opening two races of the year.

Schumacher, who was received by BIC officials on arrival at the Bahrain International Airport yesterday, has won the last five world titles.

He is hoping that the introduction of his new Ferrari car, brought in by the Italian team two races early, will motivate him to regain his form which saw him win 13 of the 18 Formula One races last year.

He has won just two points so far after being hampered by bad weather in qualifying in Australia at the start of March and being simply out-paced by his rivals in Malaysia two weeks ago.

But after weeks of relentless testing Ferrari believe their new F2005 is race ready and Schumacher is preparing to take the fight to current championship leaders Renault here in the Middle East.

"After having been in Formula One for so many years, I know that every season has it's ups and downs," said Schumacher.

Ferrari's other driver Rubens Barrichello was second in the season opener but failed to finish in Malaysia.

some pics, models are from EDB's tent.http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid163/peede28a8185285aa2a2632a761f2f0b0/f49e924e.jpg

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I love watching how the highway disappears under that building, the proposed square from BFH to Bab al bahrain.

Thousands of spectators passed and so what Bahrain is preparing for the future and all were stuned with other projects such as Durrat al Bahrain and Alareen resort.

Emotional moments were lived today.. people do like our country, some were even taking a sun bath in the F1 villege laying on traditional 'Sadoo' matresses !!

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Bahraini Spirit,

The best circuit has become even better. todays practice was so good. the focal point is the fact the the event is extremely organized. facilities were added and the F1 villege looks so pretty. lots of changes this year.

I'll get better pics tomorrow...

I watched the second practice session today. It was 100 degrees fahrenheit, but the humidity was only 20%. That low humidity will really help. The humidity in Malaysia was about 40% with temperature's about the same and it was really hard on the drivers. Alonso almost couldn't even stand up during the award ceremony, because he was so exhausted.

The Ferraris are looking good and so are the Renaults. I'll be up at 6am on Sunday to watch the race live!!

Great, I read about the projects stand, great idea, Bahrain is movin in the right direction :). Moody, can you do us a favour for the future, can you take pics of the projects in Bahrain, like the BFH, City Center and BWTC (construction updates). Am doin the monthly BWTC update but it's only from one corner, street shots will be really nice to actually see how far the buildings are with the cranes. The thing is I won't be in Bahrain for about another 3 n a half to 4 months. I'll post your model pics in the related threads for other ppl to c. Great job, enjoy it and also nick-in-atlanta, don't forget to wake up ;).

Roaring start for F1

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One of the biggest sporting events in the world got off to a roaring start in Bahrain yesterday with top drivers holding practice sessions.

Tens of thousands of fans watched them drive around the Bahrain International Circuit track in Sakhir for the 2nd Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which culminates tomorrow.

Michael Schumacher and Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello had their first official trials of their new car.

Practice sessions continue today followed by pre-qualifying laps for pole positions.

A host of side attractions and support events are lined up for the three-day event.

For the first time fans also got the unique opportunity to get closer to F1 stars and get their autographs.

The F1 teams are also meeting fans and the media at various events ahead of the Grand Prix.

VISITORS to Bahrain are getting a taste of its traditional hospitality at a Heritage Tent set up on the sidelines of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

They are being welcomed at the door with popular local snacks, offered by girls wearing jalabiyas.

Inside, visitors get a glimpse into Bahrain's past with several displays showcasing works of artists, both men and women, who are helping to keep tradition alive.

The many attractions include live demonstrations on how to build miniature dhows, henna painting, basket-weaving and embroidery.

The Culture and National Heritage Directorate stand allows visitors to dress up in traditional Bahraini clothes, including wedding gowns.

Some of those are rarely worn today, says directorate secretary Khadija Faraj Al Saad.

"We have the Shutfa, which is a larger golden version of the black 'agal worn with the ghitra today. In the past it was worn only by shaikhs and at weddings.

"There are also jalabiyas, women's wedding gowns and others."

Among the participants is Dr Jamila Bu Hussain, a dentist by profession, who is selling some of her glass-paintings and ceramics.

"This is my hobby," Dr Jamila points out.

"My themes usually feature scenes from traditional Bahraini life. They are usually bought by tourists as souvenirs."

McLAREN BEST IN PRACTICE

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MccLaren proved surprisingly ffaster in practice yesterday while a change in scenario did not alter Ferrari's fortunes as they continued to struggle on the opening day of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Reserve driver Alex Wruz (1:30.695) was the pace setter in hot and humid conditons as McLaren had the most profitable and productive day with all their three cars finishing in the top 10.

Pedro de la Rosa (1:32.333), who will be driving McLaren's second car in the absence of Juan Pablo Monotya, was fourth and Kimi Raikkonen (1:32.988) eighth.

By contrast, world champions Ferrari put up a brave face despite Michael Schumacher clocking the fifth best time (1:32.431) and Rubens Barrichello sitting out the second practice session with gearbox problems.

Leaders Renault, on the other hand, moved up the table with characteristic flourish and eventually finished with Fernando Alonso second best (1:31.969) and Giancarlo Fisichella seventh (1:32.708) as they showed no sign of slowing down after winning the first two races in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur.

Red Bull test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi was third best (1:32.319 while Toyota's Jarno Trulli, Bar Honda's Jenson Button and Toyota's Ralf Schumacher completed the top 10 on the first day of testing.

Schumacher happy with new car

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Defending world drivers champion Michael Schumacher said yesterday that he is happy with the performance of his new Ferrari F2005 - and believes that its arrival will signal a Ferrari revival.

The seven-times title winner's defence of his crown was dented in the opening two races of the season in Australia and Malaysia.

But after a good day's practice in advance of tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix he said he believes Ferrari have a good chance to claim their maiden win in this year's championship.

"I was in this car testing last week so I am not nervous any more, but it is still a nice feeling to have the car in your hands and to finally drive it on the track," said the 36-year-old German.

Schumacher has picked up just two points so far this year.

He added: "The times we have been setting today show that most likely we will not be the 14th or 15th car on the grid any longer, and that we will be stronger.

"We ran through our entire planned programme and everything went very smoothly."

Ferrari started the season with a modified version of last year's car, but the team have failed to match early-season leaders Renault. who are leading with 26 points.

Asked how he rated Ferrari's chances, he said: "Better than before. I am very happy with the car, I did not have any problems with the car and we are in a good way."

Team chief Jean Todt said: "It is always a special feeling to see a new car make its official debut at a Grand Prix weekend.

"I am cautious when it comes to making an initial assessment. On the one hand, Michael had a good day, allowing us to get a deeper understanding of how the car functions in race conditions.

"The performance of the car-tyre package leads us to believe that it has an encouraging potential, thanks to the great amount of work carried out by the team and our partners - first and foremost Bridgestone.

"On the other hand, there is Rubens' gearbox problem, which prevented him from running in the second hour of practice.

"We are currently analysing the cause of the problem. In general, it is too early to have a clear picture and we will have to wait until tomorrow and Sunday for that." Barrichello said: "At the end of the first session, I had a gearbox problem, which meant I could not run in the afternoon.

Shame

"It's a shame, because the two timed laps I did showed that the car was well balanced."

But Fernando Alonso of Renault was unconcerned by the performance of Ferrari's new car.

"I didn't see a very dominating car there from Ferrari and this is good for us," said Alonso. "It's not really a good day to have clear information about that, but I think they are similar to the first two races."

Alonso won the last race, in Malaysia, to move into an early lead in the title race as Schumacher claimed his first points of the season with a disappointing seventh-place finish.

"When I arrived in Australia for the first race I was pretty sure that Ferrari and McLaren were our big rivals," said Alonso.

"Now I still think they are the big teams this year and at the end of the championship they will be there.

"But also we have teams who have improved a lot and there are not only two or three teams fighting for top prizes, there will be four or five which is even better for Formula One."

But Alonso is hoping that the conditions in Bahrain, which matched the 37-degrees Celsius temperatures seen at the last race in Malaysia, will work in his favour again here tomorrow.

Wurz sets the pace as Ferrari struggle

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FOR the third time in succession this year, world champions Ferrari failed to make any impression on the first day of a Grand Prix as McLaren's Alex Wurz set the pace at the Bahrain International Circuit.

The much debated F2005 hit the track as expected but failed to find the much-needed pace and punch to challenge the fast improving McLaren or leaders Renault who completed a very satisfying first day of testing at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Schumacher began brightly in the first session as the new gleaming red car showed some potential and finished second behind Ricardo Zonta of Toyota.

The seven-times world champion clocked a best of 1:32.120 during the five-lap session.

But later in the afternoon, the German was considerably slower during a 16-lap session and the car too struggled and had to settle for fifth best after locking his breaks.

Schumacher's teammate Rubens Barrichello too had problems of his own.

The Brazilian warmed-up well in the morning finishing fifth but had to sit out the entire afternoon session as the team engineers wrestled with a gearbox problem.

Austrian Wurz had no such problems as he steered his car with confidence to finish 1.274 seconds ahead of his closest challenger and leader Fernando Alonso of Renault and 1.624 seconds better than Vitantonio Liuzzi of Red Bull.

Wurz replaced Pedro de la Rosa who in turn will be replacing regular driver Juan Pablo Montoya who has withdrawn after suffering a shoulder injury while playing tennis with his trainer.

"I'm very happy with everything today. The car was good and I did thejob that was asked of me and delivered the fastest time," said a delighted Wurz.

"I would have loved to race here but I will have to wait."

McLaren's good day was completed when De la Rosa put the second car in fourth place with a best lap of 1:32.333 just ahead of Schumacher and Toyota's Jarno Trulli, who finished second in Sepang.

Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella, who won the season-opener in Melbourne, was seventh and the thid McLaren car of Kimi Raikkonen was eighth.

Like Ferrari, Bar Honda also continued to struggle with Jenson Button managing the ninth best time while Ralf Schumacher gave his new Toyota team something to cheer about finishing in the top 10.

The first day of action was quite exciting as drivers battled temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius.

Quickly

McLaren were the early leaders as Wurz quickly overcame minor mechanical problems to turn on the heat. Raikkonen stepped up the heat further and Schumacher followed with an impressive first lap.

Trulli joined the fray and the times kept improving with just one tenth of a second separating the first four drivers.

The day was also not incident-free as Sato experienced mechanical problems and had to stop on the cirucit and Ralf misjudged twice as he struggled to keep pace with his car.

If the first day's action is any indication, today's second day of practice and the actual race tomorrow can be spellbinding.

Can runaway leaders Renault be stopped or will the Ferrari be able to get back into winning ways?

A million dollar question worth going miles to get an answer.

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is hoping his team can claim an unexpected hat-trick with another double-points finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix here tomorrow.

The team, which arrived on the grid this year after energy drink giant Red Bull bought the Jaguar Racing team from Ford, has proved the surprise of the season in the first two races.

Experienced former McLaren driver David Coulthard and rookie Christian Klien finished fourth and seventh in Australia then sixth and eighth in Malaysia and Horner hopes they can keep the momentum going this weekend.

"A hat-trick of double points-scoring finishes would be absolutely unbelievable," said Horner. "I am more than happy with the start but we have gained momentum and we need to look forward and not backwards.

"We will give it a go on Sunday and see what we can do. We had a good first day, worked through our own programme and we are happy with the progress and the plan and now qualifying is important." Horner knows that the start of the season is the best time for the smaller teams to beat the better equipped, manufacturer-backed outfits before the grid shakes out into its more expected order.

But he is confident that the team, who have just installed former Renault man Mark Smith as a deputy technical director, will continue to develop and perform despite a lack of testing in recent weeks.

"We haven't had the chance to do a substantial amount of testing, we had an engine test in an old car last week, but we have got our first development steps coming in Barcelona next week," he said.

Faultless

"I think from the first time we ran this car, it ran faultlessly and it is not all that long ago, at the beginning of February. The car has been reliable and it has given the drivers confidence.

"What we aimed to do at the beginning of the year was to capitalise on opportunities as they came up and we have grabbed our opportunities in both Melbourne and Malaysia."

Test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi finished both yesterday's practice sessions in third place but Coulthard and Klien were both outside the top 10.

Ferrari have brought their new car to the Bahrain circuit for its debut race and Red Bull will face stiff competition from them, McLaren and Williams to stay in the top eight by the end of tomorrow's race.

Bahrain F1 puts region on the map

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Bahrain’s Formula One (F1) Grand Prix has propelled the Kingdom onto the global stage by attracting more TV viewers from around the world than any event ever hosted in the Middle East.

The full extent of the benefits derived from F1 will be revealed by Manama-based Martin Whitaker, general manager, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), during Festívale, the Middle East’s first convention for event organisers and destination management professionals, from April 24 to 26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Whitaker will evaluate the economic impact of the event for the Bahraini economy and demonstrate the huge commercial and public relations value F1’s global audience provides for the region’s thriving events organization business during Festívale 2005.
An average 345 million racing fans are expected to tune-in for the second Gulf Air Grand Prix, making it the most watched televised event across the region. By the time the 19-race season finishes in Beijing in October, more people will have watched the races than will have watched the last World Cup or the Olympics.
“F1 is a window to the world for corporate events and hospitality companies,” said Whitaker. “It has to be remembered that TV commentary doesn’t just focus on the race. Any aspect of the organization that falls short of team, sponsor or spectator expectation is broadcast to the millions of people around the world.”
“On the other hand, if everything runs smoothly, millions of people from ordinary fans to other sports associations, multinational corporations and even governments will be able to observe at first hand the expertise of the event organisers.”
As far as F1 is concerned however, the Middle East’s event organising capabilities have already taken a commanding lead. The region’s debut fixture in April 2004 resulted in the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix being voted the best organized Grand Prix in the world by the sport’s highest global body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.
“To win such a prestigious award for our very first Grand Prix was an incredible achievement.” said Whitaker. “In terms of global perception it reinforced Bahrain’s status as a major events destination with a superb organizational infrastructure, more than capable of hosting even the most demanding and complex events.”
Investment in staging an F1 Grand Prix is considerable but the dividends are high and immediate. To host a fixture is to showcase the country, its people its facilities and sponsors with its event and hospitality organisers out in the lead.
“The Bahrain Grand Prix demonstrates that countries in the Middle East can host major international events,” said Sabine Enthammer, executive director conferences, IIR Middle East, organisers of Festívale 2005. “The 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and the Leaders in Dubai forum later this year will again highlight the very best of event planning and organization in the Middle East.”
More than 30 speakers from around the world, including Rod McGeoch, chief executive of Sydney’s winning Olympic Games bid, and member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, will address the convention.
Other speakers include, Virginia Kern, chairman, Fair and Exhibitions Ltd; Amanda Stainer, head of exhibitions, The Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd; and William J, O’Toole, managing director, Event Project Management System, Australia.

BAR have to score points in Bahrain this weekend after drawing a blank in the first two races of the Formula One season, says Briton Jenson Button.

Button let rip at partners Honda after he and stand-in team mate Anthony Davidson were sidelined by engine failures in the last race in Malaysia and he felt fully justified in his anger.

With that problem sorted, according to apologetic Honda engineers, the English driver feels BAR can now get back on the road to recovery.

'Coming here the car looks reliable, which is positive because that's the thing we need the most,' he told reporters at the Sakhir circuit. 'Our season has to start from here really.

'If you look at last year we only had nine points by this point. We didn't have a very strong start to the season,' added Button, who finished third in Bahrain last year on his way to 10 podium finishes in all.

BAR ended the year as runners-up to Ferrari but have wrestled with aerodynamic and engine problems with the new 007 car introduced in January.

'I'm 16 points behind (Renault's) Fernando (Alonso) so we need to start getting some good results, not just points but out there challenging the top teams,' said Button.

'I think we can. Our race pace from what we've seen in testing is very good.'

Button was ninth quickest in first practice at the dusty desert circuit yesterday.

The problem for both BAR and Button is that, with both cars retiring from the previous race, they must run early in today's single-lap first qualifying on a track that will favour the later runners.

Button said Honda had responded promptly and favourably to his criticisms about the engines.

'When the adrenalin is pumping you say what you think. I was very upset because our performance so far in the race had been good,' he said of Malaysia.

'It was disappointing that such a small part had gone wrong, especially for a company like Honda. I think I did the right thing and I think it shows how much I care about the performance of the team.'

Button's loyalty was questioned last year after the Briton tried to join Williams, only for his contract with BAR to be upheld. However, there is a performance clause that has to be met by the team to prevent him leaving at the end of 2005.

Am watchin the runs today, circuit lookin excellent and a very good day. Lemme go back and finish it :).

Great job Bahraini Spirit.

BIC is definately my favourite circuit, done thousands of laps behind my PC :)
So i would like to know some more about further development of the BIC, also i would really like to buy that special BIC coin, maybe someone could send it to me?

Hi estonian, great your lovin our circuit :). Which game do you play on ur pc?

About the BIC, there is going to be or there already is a BMW driving school, track updates are takin place every year and there are projects planned and u/c near the circuit worth over $2 billion.

About that coin, it's circulated by the BMA (Bahrain Monetary Agency). Their website is www.bma.gov.bh (you might find instructions there).
I have no idea how u can get the coin, am not in the country and won't be there for another 4 months or so, maybe one of the bahraini forumers can help you.

Enjoy the race tomorrow, and let me add Alonso and Trulli are on fire. Schumi is gettin there slowly.

Alonso storms to provisional pole

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Renault's Fernando Alonso produced the fastest lap in first qualifying for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.
Alonso clocked one minute 29.848 seconds but Michael Schumacher was just 0.389 seconds behind, ominously powering the new Ferrari into third.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli separated the two in second while Britain's Jenson Button was 10th in his BAR and David Coulthard finished back in 12th for Red Bull.

The final positions will be decided in Sunday's last qualifying session.

Searing track conditions at the Sakhir circuit had threatened to produce a sluggish qualifying session.

Pedro de la Rosa, replacing the injured Juan Pablo Montoya, was the first out and produced a solid run in his McLaren.

But the Spaniard was soon reeled in by Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella, whose aggressive run of 1:30.445 saw him finish fifth overall.

Schumacher toppled Fisichella from the top of the standings with an injection of pace thanks to the new Ferrari, which was making its first competitive outing.

Toyota also showed improvements of their own in Bahrain as Trulli leap-frogged the world champion.

But it was to be Renault's day as overall championship leader Alonson stole the advantage with a blistering final lap.

Nick Heidfeld was a fine fourth for Williams with team-mate Mark Webber sixth. The Australian was unable to replicate his earlier form in final practice where he set the fastest-ever time at the circuit of 1:29.527.

It was another frustrating day for the BAR camp as they continued to be dogged by the engine problems that have blighted their season.

Two weeks after their double third-lap retirement in Malaysia, Button could not get to grips with the dusty Bahrian circuit, though he did finish one place ahead of team-mate Takuma Sato.

Rubens Barrichello was also out of luck in the second revamped Ferrari as he struggled with a faulty gearbox and had to settle for 15th.

And things were not much better for former world champion Jacques Villeneuve as he got into difficulty with his car's handling. The Canadian finished 16th and a massive 1.4secs slower than Sauber team-mate Felipe Massa.


QUALIFYING POSITIONS

1 F Alonso 1:29.848
2 J Trulli 1:29.993
3 M Schumacher 1:30.237
4 N Heidfeld 1:30.390
5 G Fisichella 1:30.445
6 M Webber 1:30.592
7 K Raikkonen 1:30.594
8 C Klien 1:30.646

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Well estonian, today is your lucky day for news about the BIC:


RUF to invest USD50 million in production base in Bahrain
Crowning Bahrain's reputation as the first country in the Middle East to have an international Formula 1 circuit, the boutique German high performance sports car maker, RUF-Automobile GmbH today announced its plans to set up a full-fledged service, production and marketing base in the Kingdom.

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Mr. Alois Ruf, Managing Director, RUF-Automobile GmbH and Chairman, RUF-ME (right) shaking hands with Mr. Rashad Janahi, Vice Chairman, RUF-ME, after the announcement today in Manama.
This is its first such facility outside its home-base in Pfaffenhausen, Germany.

The new company, RUF-Middle East (RUF-ME), is being set up as a joint venture with local businessman, Rashad Janahi at an initial investment of US$50 million.

In a joint announcement at a media briefing held near the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), senior representatives of RUF and RUF-ME, said that the planned automobile production, servicing and marketing facility, is a one-of-its-kind development in the region, and is an indication of the growing maturity of the motoring market.

Explaining RUF's decision to set up a base in the region, Mr. Alois Ruf, Managing Director, RUF-Automobile GmbH, said: 'The Middle East, with its strong equestrian and great outdoors tradition, has over the past several years emerged as a key market for high-speed, high-performance automobiles. RUF has had a strong relationship with this region for over 20 years, which is reflected in its increasing customer base among high net worth individuals and avid sports car aficionados who take pride in owning custom-built high-performance machines.

'Our new facility will place us in closer proximity to our customers in the region, while also affording us access to other Asian markets. It will allow us to service RUF models that are already present here, while also developing the high-end automobile market for RUF in the region.'

'Obviously, Bahrain is the ideal choice for a production facility for a car manufacturer like RUF, because the Kingdom is the first in the Middle East to have a Formula 1 circuit, which will bolster the region's interest in luxury sports cars and in turn generate a surge in demand for our premium cars,' he said.

Mr. Ruf further said that the friendly investment policies of the Government of Bahrain, excellent infrastructure and seamless access to the regional markets were key drivers behind the company's decision to set up a production base in the Kingdom.

RUF was first established in 1939 as an auto service garage. Over the years RUF grew, manufacturing passenger tourist coaches and in 1963, the company began maintenance, servicing and repairing of Porsche cars, a business which it continues to do.

RUF began upgrading and tuning Porsche cars from 1970 onwards and in 1980s began manufacturing cars under its own brand name. RUF cars are based on 911 body shells. RUF manufactures only about 35 cars a year, which is purchased by car enthusiasts, race drivers and connoisseurs. Each car is customized according to the requirements of the buyer and sells for upwards of Euro 100,000, boasting of a top speed of 360 km/h

Elaborating on the company's expansion plans, Mr. Ruf added: 'We are also in the advanced stages of the development of our new, indigenous super car, which is slated to be launched next year. Our joint venture in Bahrain will supplement the production facility in Germany for the production of this car, which will be totally hand-tailored as is the case with all RUF cars.'

The new RUF offering is aimed at the premium end of the luxury sports car market, affords a large degree of customization to customers, and will sell at a price to be announced in due course.

'While starting off with limited production volumes, we aim to gradually upgrade our facilities in Bahrain to increase this number to more than 20 units in the near future,' he added.

Mr. Ruf who will Chair the newly formed Company further said that RUF, which has been a leading name in the global automobile industry for over 60 years, has joined hands with leading entrepreneur and car aficionado, Rashad Janahi, to set up the base in the Kingdom. 'We are very proud to join hands with Mr. Rashad Janahi for the setting up of RUF-ME, and we are confident that this partnership will immensely benefit RUF in its renewed foray into the region's market.'

Commenting on the partnership with RUF, Mr. Rashad Janahi, Vice Chairman, RUF-ME, said: 'RUF is known as a pioneering innovator within the global auto industry and is considered one of the most respected high-performance car manufacturers in the world.'

'We consider it as a great privilege to be a partner of RUF in the region. We also believe that it is an extremely timely decision by RUF to set up a base in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which only stands to benefit from the rising reputation of the country among global automobile enthusiasts.'

Mr. Janahi further said: 'The development of the Formula 1 track which has catapulted Bahrain's image globally as an exciting, modern and vibrant country, is yet another example of the visionary leadership of the Rulers and the Government in shaping the future of the country,' he said.

Unveiling the on-ground plans of the joint venture in Bahrain, Mr. Janahi said: 'The state-of-the-art production facility will come up on 20,000 square metres adjacent to the Formua 1 circuit. The RUF production base will be landmark in Bahrain as well as in the region, since it is the first automobile manufacturing facility in the GCC. It will also feature an advanced Research & Development (R&D) center, the first such full-fledged resource in the region.'

Full-scale construction of the facility is expected to commence within the next two months, and will be completed in a record time of 18-20 months.

Mr. Janahi further said: 'The facility will also result in significant employment opportunities for the local population. In addition, as part of our agreement with RUF, which will be responsible for the overall management of the Bahrain unit, we will also conduct a series advanced training programmes for our local Bahraini employees, both in Bahrain, as well as in Munich.'

Championship leader Fernando Alonso put Formula One pacesetters Renault on provisional pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix today.

The young Spaniard, who will be chasing the team's third win in as many races this season and his second in a row tomorrow, lapped the desert Sakhir circuit in one minute 29.848 seconds.

Italian Jarno Trulli was second for Toyota, 0.145 of a second slower, and on course for his third front row start in succession.

With track temperatures of 54 degrees Celsius, seven times world champion Michael Schumacher launched flagging Ferrari's fightback after two disappointing races in last year's car with third place in the new F2005.

The decisive final session is on Sunday, with grid positions decided by aggregate times.

Schumacher's Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello, limping through the session with a patched-up gearbox after a failure yesterday forced him to miss three practice sessions, was 15th.

Ferrari are flying out a new gearbox for his car and will have about two hours to install it tomorrow morning before the final qualifying.

Germany's Nick Heidfeld was fourth quickest for Williams, ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in the second Renault and Australian Mark Webber for Williams.

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, replacing the injured Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren, was ninth fastest.

'Green' campaign for race circuit

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SCIENTISTS believe that the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) could be an ideal venue to promote environmental awareness and renewable energy. They propose that the BIC could harness renewable energy inputs such as solar and wind power to generate electricity for air-conditioning, lighting and water irrigation. Other environmentally friendly suggestions include the planting of Jojoba trees (a species renowned for having a low demand for water) near the circuit, which would be aesthetically pleasing, as well as help clean the environment.

The researchers from Bahrain University, Reading University, UK, Cranfield University, UK and the BIC compiled these suggestions after conducting a four-month study during and after the 2004 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

The paper, entitled Bahrain's Formula One Racing Circuit: Energy and Environmental Considerations, will appear in the next issue of the journal Applied Energy, which is published by Amsterdam-based Elsevier every quarter.

The journal is distributed in almost 10,000 universities worldwide and its circulation is 200,000.

One of the researchers Bahrain Univer-sity physics professor Dr Waheeb Essa Al Naser said the research was conducted to help promote Formula One, Bahrain and the application of renewable energy. "We want to show how Formula One may look in the future if we use solar energy. It's very easy to do this," he said.

"We would like to make F1 environmentally friendly in the same way that Korea hosted the Olympic Games.

"It's very important to have renewable energy. Bahrain is very rich with the amount of energy we receive from the sun.

"We could convert the energy from the sun into electricity by using photovoltaic cells, which are like solar panels, or filament tape.

"Everything has a cost, but it is worth it for a better environment."

The paper shows that the peak amount of electricity purchased during the 2004 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix was 4.5 megawatts (mw) and that similar amounts could be generated by installing photovoltaic cells and wind turbines.

The paper suggests that if 12,000sqm of the BIC complex was covered by adhesively fixed modern photovoltaic cells, then 1.2mw of solar electricity could be generated.

Furthermore, if two horizontal axis at 150m height above the ground, three 75m bladed, wind turbines were to be installed at the BIC, then the output could typically reach 4mw.

The paper goes onto discuss ways to make the BIC more environmentally pleasing, as well as help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The scientists suggest that if 10,000 Jojoba trees were planted near the circuit the micro-climate would be improved and the local environment would be cleaner.

"The Jojoba trees species only need to be irrigated five times a year and the oil produced from the seed can be used in many ways," said Prof Al Naser.

"It will always be green and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions," he explained.

Meanwhile, the paper also examines the noise levels emitted from the vehicles on the circuit during the Grand Prix on April 4 last year.

It shows that the sound intensity level (SIL) recorded outside the lecture halls of Bahrain University's Sakhir campus, located 2km away from the BIC, did not significantly disturb the academic learning process.

The levels recorded outside the lecture halls of Bahrain University were 65 decibels (dB) and 70dB, the latter being the equivalent of the sound emitted during a telephone conversation.

The research is the work of scientists from Bahrain University Prof Al Naser and Dr Souheil El Masri, Reading University, School of Construction management, UK Professor Roger Flanagan and engineer Naser Waheeb Al Naser, Cranfield University, School of Engineering, UK, Professor S D Probert and the BIC government affairs and public relations director Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Prof Al Naser said Henri Timm and Redwan Mumtaz from Tilke, Bapco, Gulf Air and Bahrain University also supported the study.

THERE will be no shortage of side attractions to keep people busy as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix climaxes at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), Sakhir, today. The FIA Formula One World Championship is among the biggest annual sporting events in the world and with it comes the trappings of glamour, colour, ultimate sporting competition and raw energy.

Fans were able to meet and get autographs signed by F1 champions during the first two days of the event.

Several stores selling authentic F1 T-shirts, caps and other memorabilia are found at the circuit's vending area.

Plenty of activities for children, including video games, bouncing castles, face painting, a bull ride and others are available.

The Gulf Air stand, which is exhibiting its latest products and services, also has an F1 simulation ride.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) had a stand offering visitors to Bahrain a glimpse of upcoming projects, including the Bahrain Financial Harbour and the Bahrain World Trade Centre.

A Heritage Tent gives visitors, residents a glimpse into old Bahrain. There are also several areas to relax and cool off from the summer heat.

In addition, the circuit authorities have vastly improved spectator access to grandstands and the F1 Village with new walkways and shuttle bus services.

New food and beverage outlets are being provided, along with more water stations, better toilet facilities and ATM machines.

Among the entertainment initiatives are:

Giant TV Screens and the BIC TV - Eight new giant screens will broadcast the race live within the circuit. The circuit's own broadcasters fill the screens during non-F1 competition with a continuous programme called BIC TV.

This circuit run channel take spectators behind the scenes, into the garages, the Formula One Paddock and team garages where interviews will be conducted with drivers, team owners, famous personalities, race engineers and others.

BIC Radio - Every spectator is being given a miniature radio together with headsets which can be tuned directly to the circuit's radio station. The service is offered in both Arabic and English.

Laser show - There will be a laser show tonight after sunset in the vending area.

Tickets for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix are still available at the sales counters at Seef Mall, Bahrain Mall and the Bahrain International Airport.

Tickets are also available via the website on www.bahraingp.com or through the call centre on 0097317450000. Ticket sales will close shortly before the start of the actual Grand Prix at 2.30pm today.

So many great news for BIC and Bahrain :runaway:
About that 'Green' campaign I was a bit sceptical, the track really has a soul as a modern desert track, It looks so much different besides other circuits and I love it.. but when I am carefully looking that map, The jojoba plants and wind turbines would make dramatic views at the desert and should look great.
Hope that they will NOT add anymore grass to the circuit.

I play Grand Prix 3, becouse I think its the only game for PC with a downloadable tracks, with a really nice Bahrain circuit too :)

Cool, well the tv program starts in 25 mins for me, so lemme get ready to watch it, c ya later.

Sweet another race in Bahrain. I hope some of these "temporary viewers" watching it because it's THE local race will turn into mainstream F1 fans :yes:

Bahrain's not the most exciting circuit in terms of layout, but it's unique location will keep everyone guessing.

Great race, hotest in history and 7 drivers out hehe, Welcome to Bahrain I say. Ya with this circuit, you either love it or you don't, but it's great for overtaking. De la rosa was cool, really entertained us, my pick of man of the day (although Alonso won it, wouldn't be interesting if he was man of the day again for 3 times or so). Toyota are doin great, but Renault are the best at the moment. Ferrari needs to get their things sorted out for Imola soon. In the end, Alonso es el rey.


I can also confirm to estonian that the BMW driving school is up and running and a Bahraini driver who used to be in my school won the asian race :).

ALONSO WINNER: Three out of three for Renault

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Formula one championship leader Fernando Alonso won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday to hand Renault their third win in three races. The young Spaniard, triumphant for the second race in a row, was simply unstoppable as Ferrari's hopes of winning on their new car's debut evaporated in the shimmering desert heat.

Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, who had raised Ferrari's hopes by qualifying on the front row of the grid alongside pole man Alonso, retired after 12 laps with suspected hydraulics failure.

Until then the German had hounded Alonso but his departure took the pressure off the Spaniard in a race full of incident and overtaking.

Italian Jarno Trulli crossed the line 13.409 seconds behind Alonso to take Toyota's second top three finish in succession, with Finland's Kimi Raikkonen following for McLaren's first podium of the season in third place.

Germany's Ralf Schumacher was fourth for Toyota.

Alonso leads the championship with 26 points to Trulli's 16. Michael Schumacher, winner of 13 of the 18 races in 2004, has just two points after two retirements in three races.

Renault lead the constructors' standing with 36 points to Toyota's 25 and McLaren's 19. Ferrari, champions for the past six years, are sixth with just 10.

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, standing in for injured Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, was fifth for McLaren after overtaking Australian Mark Webber's Williams two laps from the chequered flag. Webber had run third before he spun off.

Rejoining in fifth place, he did his best to hold off De la Rosa whose aggressive performance provided one of the highlights of the race.

Ferrari's woes with their new car were compounded five laps from the finish when Brazilian Felipe Massa, in a Ferrari-powered Sauber, passed Rubens Barrichello for seventh place.

Barrichello was then lapped by Alonso and passed by Red Bull's Briton David Coulthard on the last lap for eighth place -- leaving both Ferrari drivers out of the points for the first time this year.

When the lights went out Alonso had a clean start to make it into the first corner first while Schumacher had to fend off the challenge of Trulli, who made it past on the outside but was beaten back at the next turn.

Indian Narain Karthikeyan retired his Jordan early then Fisichella's Renault engine let out a puff of smoke on lap three and he pitted as Japanese driver Takuma Sato shot through the pack and up to eighth place in his BAR-Honda.

Fisichella returned to the track but was back in the pits on lap five and he was forced to climb out of the car and retire as Ralf Schumacher won an early battle with Heidfeld for fifth spot.

Schumacher retires from Bahrain Grand Prix

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Michael Schumacher's and Ferrari's miserable start to the Formula One season continued on Sunday when the seven-times champion retired from the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Schumacher, winner of 13 of last season's 18 races, has now retired from two of the first three grands prix, with just two points to his credit.

Ferrari took a gamble on rushing their new F2005 car into service in Bahrain, two races ahead of schedule, after their modified old car proved powerless to match Renault's pacesetting Fernando Alonso in Malaysia.

Despite Schumacher qualifying on the front row and matching Alonso's pace for the first 12 laps, his brakes appeared to lock up as he approached a corner.

The German drove straight ahead into a run-off area, returned to the track and cruised back to the pits where he went straight into the garage with suspected hydraulic failure.

"I think I picked up debris on the circuit following Fernando which may have caused some radiator to be broken," Schumacher told television reporters.

Schumacher added that bringing forward the F2005's debut was the best decision Ferrari could make despite team mate Rubens Barrichello's gearbox problems.

"We were in good shape with the car. I'm quite confident. I can't blame anyone. That would be mistaken. I think our strategy was absolutely the right strategy. It was just a piece of something that got into the car.

"The gearboxes have been running for thousands of kilometres beforehand," Schumacher said. "We are very confident and are still very confident that Rubens is going to finish the race."

Barrichello was running on a repaired gearbox after a replacement one suffered a problem in final qualifying.

Alonso led the race for Renault, chasing their third successive victory.

It was not all good news for the French team however, with Italian Giancarlo Fisichella retiring on lap four after returning to the pits with an apparent engine problem.

I've just been told that Jenson Button bought a large piece of land in a 6 star resort, and he wants it as a second home for him and his gf. I'll confirm this later, but this is good news for Bahrain :).

Gulf Air aircraft salute for F1 teams

In the high pressure build-up to the start of this year's Gulf Air Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix today, attention, for a short while, focused on the sky rather than the tarmac.

Following the highly popular fly past of a Gulf Air Airbus A330 at the 2004 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the teams and spectators were saluted with a spectacular, low-level fly past by two Gulf Air aircraft this year.

At 14:00 local time, an Airbus A330 and an Airbus A340 in Gulf Air's striking livery approached flying at a height of 500 feet above the circuit.

The A330, piloted by Captain Hameed Ali - who is also vice-president Operations - at Gulf Air and Captain Ghassan Al Salem, and the A340 piloted by Captains Adel Al Ansari and Yagoob Al Salem, passed just to the east of the main straight at the remarkably slow - but safe - speed of 150 knots (compared to average 500 knots at altitude).

Also on board was Captain Manin Saeed, who co-ordinated the sequence with the Bahrain Defence Force and Bahrain Civil Aviation. Running in together in trail they had individual passes before heading back to Muharraq, thereby signalling the start of the final countdown to the start of the second Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

"Last year the roar that went up from the crowd at the sight of the single aircraft flying over the circuit by an Airbus pilot was almost as loud as when the race started," said Captain Hameed Ali.

"This year we were doubly excited, as this time our own pilots - all Gulf nationals - were at the controls for this unique close formation fly past, which at very slow speed, maximized its visual impact..."

Gulf Air was founded in 1950. Today, it is owned by Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi and is the only truly pan Gulf carrier in the region.

The airline's network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 50 cities in 33 countries. The fleet is one of the most modern in the Middle East and comprises 35 aircraft.

Alonso wins in Bahrain

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Fernando Alonso took his second successive victory and made it a hat-trick of wins for Renault with a lights to flag victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Spaniard crossed the line 13 seconds ahead of second-placed Jarno Trulli - the Toyota team further proving their new found status as contenders with Ralf Schumacher clinching a fourth place finish.
McLaren finally showed their pre-season promise with Kimi Raikkonen completing the podium positions in third, while stand-in driver Pedro de la Rosa had an impressive - and eventful - race to come home fifth and score the fastest lap of the race.
But for a spin Mark Webber could have brought Williams their second podium in a row, the Australian eventually settling for sixth place ahead of Felipe Massa in the Sauber, with David Coulthard's Red Bull taking eighth place from Rubens Barrichello's ailing Ferrari on the last lap.
After starting from the front row of the grid, Michael Schumacher could not translate the qualifying pace of Ferrari's new F2005 into race reliability, the world champion retiring from second place with apparent hydraulic failure on lap 12 while closely shadowing the leading Renault.
With the front row at the Sakhir circuit seeing the 36-year-old seven-times world champion lining up behind the young championship leader many pundits see as the pretender to Schumacher's crown, it almost seemed as if the race - perhaps even the race to the first corner - was being set-up as some kind of watershed moment for the sport.
In the event the race to the first corner saw Schumacher having to let Alonso go and defend his second place from the fast-starting Jarno Trulli.
Elsewhere Raikkonen had got ahead of team-mate de la Rosa while Christian Klien failed to even start the race, the Austrian's Red Bull car stalling while lined up an excellent seventh on the grid.
By lap five Giancarlo Fisichella was also out of the race, the Italian parking his Renault in the pits after suffering an engine failure.
The news of his team-mate's demise must have been a concern to Alonso out in front, as must the looming presence of Schumacher in his mirrors.
No other car had come close to the Spaniard's R25 at Sepang and, with Schumacher around half-a-second behind on lap 10, Alonso must have been anticipating a hard afternoon's work ahead.
But just two laps later the obvious questions surrounding the reliability of a car receiving its debut five weeks ahead of schedule were answered when Schumacher disappeared off the circuit at turn nine. The Ferrari coasted back to the pits, the victim of an apparent hydraulics failure.
As the leaders headed into their first round of pit stops, de la Rosa was clearly enjoying his first competitive outing in an F1 car since 2002, the Spaniard's dice with BAR's Takuma Sato including a hairy moment at turn one, with de la Rosa breaking way too late and running wide in his efforts to relieve the Japanese driver of seventh place.
By lap 32, the leading runners now having pitted, Alonso lead Trulli by eight seconds. By this stage both Heidfeld and Sato were out - the German suffering a BMW engine failure on lap 26, while Sato was out with brake failure by lap 29.
Meanwhile Heidfeld's Williams team-mate Mark Webber made an error on lap 34, locking up and leaving the track in a very big way. Luckily for the Australian, the track's vast run-off areas meant that damage was limited to pride only, with Webber able to re-join in fifth place behind Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher.
Raikkonen had a similar off-track excursion three laps later but, unlike Webber, the Finn was able to hold on to his third position.
By this stage it was de la Rosa exclusively providing the entertainment. After having taken second spot from Button on lap 33, the McLaren was behind Barrichello's sixth-placed Ferrari three laps later.
On lap 39 the Spaniard tried to take the Brazilian at turn one, his efforts producing a near carbon copy result of his attempted earlier move on Sato. Three laps later de la Rosa finally made the move stick, and set about hauling in the fifth-placed Webber.
Alonso pitted for a second time on lap 41, with second-placed Trulli in two laps later. On lap 47 Jenson Button pitted from fourth place but, after stalling, the BAR mechanics proceeded to work frantically getting Button's car moving again.
After spending over a minute working on the car Button left his pit but was only able to cruise to the end of the pitlane before parking up, his clutch problems proving terminal.
By lap 49, and with Alonso comfortably leading Trulli, Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher, all eyes were again on de la Rosa - by this time crawling all over fifth-placed Webber. Indeed, so close did the two come it seemed for a while as though de la Rosa's lack of race action was going to result in a second consecutive enforced retirement for the Australian.
But there was no coming together, with de la Rosa taking fifth spot on lap 55 and earning plaudits for an impressive race weekend after Juan Pablo Montoya's shoulder injury threw him in very much at the deep end.
But, exciting as de la Rosa's exploits were, it was his younger compatriot leading the race, Alonso crossing the line two laps later to take his third career win - his second in a row.
After the race, Alonso predicted that Ferrari would be back challenging - eventually.
"Ferrari are here with their new car and they showed us they will be able to fight for victories again, as they showed in second qualifying and the first laps of the race," he said.
"But at the moment we have no worries. Toyota is our main competitor so they are in our thoughts at the moment."
The Spaniard added that he thought Renault may have a tougher time of it when the F1 circus heads to Europe, beginning with the San Marino in three weeks time, closely followed by Alonso's home race.
"We are truly competitive but now we arrive in new conditions in Europe, tracks all the teams know quite well," he said.
"We have done very well in the first three races of the season but our toughest races are still to come. Imola and Barcelona will be very hard," he added.
Alonso now leads the drivers' championship by 26 points, 10 points ahead of Trulli, with Renault leading Toyota by nine points in the constructors' title.
Results:
1. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:29:18.531
2. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota +00:13.400
3. Kimi Raikkoenen (Finland) McLaren - Mercedes 00:32.000
4. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 00:53.200
5. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) McLaren - Mercedes 01:04.900
6. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams - BMW 01:14.700
7. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Sauber - Petronas 1 lap
8. David Coulthard (Britain) Red-Bull - Cosworth 1 lap
9. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1 lap
10. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) Jordan - Toyota 2 laps
11r. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) Sauber - Petronas 3 laps
12. Patrick Friesacher (Austria) Minardi - Cosworth 3 laps
13. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) Minardi - Cosworth 4 laps
r. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR - Honda 11 laps
r. Takuma Sato (Japan) BAR - Honda 30 laps
r. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Williams - BMW 32 laps
r. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 45 laps
r. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 53 laps
r. Narain Karthikeyan (India) Jordan - Toyota 55 laps
r. Christian Klien (Austria) Red-Bull - Cosworth 57 laps

(rank: r = retired, nc = not classified)

Fastest Lap: Pedro de la Rosa, 1:31.447, lap 43.

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Grand Prix is a sellout!

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MANAMA: A sell-out crowd of 42,000 packed the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) for the Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.Ticket sales raced ahead of the Grand Prix's Bahrain debut last year, when the 34,000-strong turnout was swollen by give-aways.

Yesterday's numbers included 34,000 people seated in the BIC's grandstands, while others watched the event from the VIP tower, corporate boxes and the Paddock Club - as Renault's Fernando Alonso raced to victory.

More than 2,000 promotional tickets were given away to university students and the rest were virtually all sales, said BIC public relations manager Hameed Halwani.

"Last year 34,000 people watched the event, including people in the free-standing area," he said.

"Although the free-standing area is the normal practice in Europe and the tickets are cheaper, we decided against using it again here in Bahrain because the weather conditions are different."

Mr Halwani said that the closure of the freestanding area and the additional tickets sold made the grandstands much more packed than last year.

"The extra demand came in at the last moment, so we were unable to accommodate additional seating. We could have set up additional temporary seating, like we did for a recent drag race, if the demand had been more consistent," he added.

Formula One champions Ferrari, meanwhile, raced yesterday with a mark of mourning Pope John Paul on their cars. Italy's Toyota driver Jarno Trulli, who came second, also had 'Thank you Pope' on his helmet.

TENS of thousands of fans braved the sudden burst of heat to see the Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.

Around 42,000 packed into the Bahrain International Circuit for the climax to the three-day event, as the temperature hit 39° Celsius.

They came from all over the world, many of them hard-core racing fans, others just along for the excitement and the entertainment that comes with the F1 circus.

There were F1 globe-trotters who follow the teams from country to country, visitors from the US to Australia, others who had just hopped across from other Gulf countries.

Two thousand Bahrain University students were treated to tickets by the BIC and thousands of local fans, Bahraini and expatriate, also packed into the circuit.

Millions more people watched the race live on television, taking the name of Bahrain into livingrooms all over the world.

Yesterday was also a good day for merchandisers at the track, who had reported slow business over the first two days.

Most sellers expressed disappointment at the volume of sales they made during the first two days of the event, but reported that they made up for it on the final day.

Their views were mixed, however, when it came to whether this year's event was more successful for them than last.

Businesswomen Zainab Alabdulrazaq and Dalal Madoh, who have the rights to sell Ferrari team merchandise at the F1 event, said they felt sales were down from last year.

"There are a lot of people here, but they aren't spending the same way they did last year," said Ms Alabdulrazaq.

"Many people are wearing T-shirts and caps that they bought previously."

Ms Madoh said that yesterday was definitely the best day for sales.

"The first two days were slow but the volume of sales picked up a lot."

BAR Honda merchandise seller Michael Owens, who has the rights to market the team's products for them at all F1 events in the world, said he believed that sales would pick as the years go by.

"Last year most people didn't know about the team or about its drivers. This year I feel that there is a lot more awareness and people are asking for merchandise related to specific drivers and so on," he said.

"This is what normally happens. The event picks up steam as the years go by."

Mr Owens said that both the team's drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato seem to be equally popular among racing fans.

BMW Williams merchandise salesgirl Yazzy Al Awadhi agreed that the last day was the best for business.

"The first day for us was all right but sales went down on the second day. Yesterday, we were making up for it, though," she said.

"It was a great day, except for the heat."

Hot air balloon is grounded by wind
BAD weather grounded a hot air balloon, which was due to be one of the attractions at yesterday's Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.

The promotional balloon was flown for a short period early on Friday morning, but strong winds forced its pilots to land.

Windy weather on Saturday and yesterday kept the balloon from taking off again.

It was due to be piloted yesterday by American Don Conner, a professional balloonist, and Briton Dave Baker, who works at British Telecom (BT) and pilots a balloon part time for them.

"It's a promotional balloon for Gulf Air, which I have flown for the airline in 18 different countries," said Mr Conner, who helped launch the airline's balloon promotion in Oman in 1995.

"This is our first event of the new season, but unfortunately we only managed to get the balloon up for a short period at the start of the Grand Prix."

Mr Baker said balloons are a common promotional activity and serve many purposes.

"They are used to promote logos, entertain clients, at charity events and so on," he continued.

The pilots receive support on the ground from Robin Williams, who also works at BT.

The balloon will fly next in Australia and then in several destinations in Europe.

Michael Schumacher put a brave face on his worst start to a Formula One season after a pointless weekend for champions Ferrari in Bahrain.

The German, who has a meagre haul of two points from three races after winning the first five last year, suffered his first mechanical retirement since July 2001 while Renault chalked up three wins in a row.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who had wrestled with gearbox problems all weekend, trailed in ninth - the first time since the Brazilian Grand Prix of April 2003 that the Italian team has come away from a race empty handed.

Ferrari, beaten in the 2004 Brazilian season-ender, have also now racked up a four-race losing streak for the first time since Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone in 1999.

The German, winner of 13 of last year's 18 races on his way to a seventh title, was disappointed but refusing to be downcast.

Instead, he justified the team's decision to rush their new car into service ahead of schedule to counter the rise of Renault and Spaniard Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher qualified on the front row and gave winner Alonso a hard time until he suffered a hydraulics problem on the 11th lap. He drove slowly back to the pits and retired. "What we have seen coming here is it pays off to work hard and that is exactly what we will do - keep on working hard until the next race," he said.

"(Bringing the new car) was the best decision we could have taken. There is nobody to blame - it was absolutely the best strategy to bring it.

"It (the car) really looked good but that's why I think we will fight back."

Schumacher believed the car could not be blamed for a problem probably caused by debris on the track. "I don't think it has anything to do with the new car, it is just that something like this can always happen," he said.

De la Rosa is glad with fifth
Spanish stand-in Pedro de la Rosa proved his worth to McLaren yesterday with a memorable performance in Bahrain.

"This was my best race in Formula One by a mile," he said after finishing fifth.

"It's the first time in Formula One that I've had a competitive car and I have been able to enjoy and overtake people instead of being overtaken.

"I had a lot of fun and it's always fun when you finally overtake people."

The 34-year-old battled his way past Briton Jenson Button's BAR, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari and Australian Mark Webber's Williams.

"We had a massive battle there, I tell you," he said of his clash with Webber.

De la Rosa had not raced since the end of the 2002 season when he left Jaguar.

In four years in Formula One, two with now-defunct Arrows and two with Jaguar, his best result was fifth at Monza with Jaguar in 2001.

Injured

Employed as a test driver by McLaren, he found himself racing in Bahrain after Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was injured last weekend.

He had to ease off at the start as he found himself heading into the second corner with team mate Kimi Raikkonen, who finished third for McLaren's first podium of the year.

"I have been very honest. I've done my best today, I feel great and if its my last race it's not a problem because I proved a point today," he added.

Renault hails 100th crown
Fernando Alonso's commanding drive to victory in Bahrain wrote another page in Renault's Formula One history.

The Spaniard's success at the dusty desert track was the 100th for a Renault engine and also the first time that the French manufacturer had managed to win three races in succession.

Yet at the end, despite the sizzling heat, the 23-year-old made it all seem so easy after also securing Renault's third pole position in a row.

"It is the third consecutive weekend where I can say I have had no problems. It is fantastic, a dream," he told a news conference.

"The strongest point is the long runs, we are so constant in the laps and we can push even harder when we want.

"We have an extremely good package...and the tyres are unbelievable as well."

With the opening three 'flyaway' races out of the way, Alonso leads the championship with 26 points to the 16 amassed by Toyota's Jarno Trulli, the Italian who was his Renault partner last year.

For lap after lap, Alonso never missed a beat - unaware that Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, winner of the Australian season-opener, had gone out of the race early on after his engine began playing up on lap two.

"Fernando dominated from start to finish," said team boss Flavio Briatore. "He had a nice fight with Michael but after the Ferrari retired he just had to manage his tyres, his engine and the gap to Jarno."

Pat Symonds, Renault's director of engineering, was even more impressed. "To see a driver control a race like Fernando did this afternoon is an impressive sight," he said.

Second Phase Development-BIC (from an interview with H.E SH Fwaz ALKhalifa) in EDB special publication in occasion of Gulf air Bahrain GP 2005:

Government will fund the building of Automotive Museum, a shopping centre, a three star and..a five star hotel,showrooms, apartments and office facilitiesfor the motor racing industry.

From the project plan, I can see a building, most probably the Hotel, which has full view of track and very closely located next to Victory stand.

Great news, do u have a pic of the plan moody by any chance? That stand was probably a project haven, seems to have everythin. This circuit has definately boosted the investment environment in Bahrain.

Man i have there are load of news in that mag. don have time to scan all stuff.

Pics of this one, the ice berg photo and also detailed pics of alareen which i admit looks exteremly competitive and shall give competing neighbours hard time !

I prefer to wait until we get something decent on all? maybe they will release something in the comin days. Our boys and girls down here have much in their pocket, Will make competitors plans go south ,,, HEHEHEHHEee

Bahrain revisited, mega-projects and the purple people of London
Bahrain GP 2005©

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BY JOW SAWARD

If the truth be told we did not really enjoy the Bahrain Grand Prix of 2004. The circuit seemed soulless and the hotel was a monster rip-off, full of Russian hookers who had the irritating habit of ringing around rooms in the middle of the night, touting for customers. The impression we got was that Bahrain was a den of iniquity floating off the coast of Saudi Arabia, an island which thrived on alcohol and whoring. The attitude seemed to be that we were there simply to hand over our money to the locals.

Thus when we set off this year for Bahrain there was little enthusiasm. But what a difference a year makes. It was very clear from the moment the plane landed that Bahrain had woken up to the concept of Grand Prix racing. Everything in the airport had a racing car on it, the newspapers were full of articles about F1 and how it was going to help the country to progress. We had changed hotels and our new lodging was civilised and so anxious to please that they gave us all a traditional Bahraini coffee set to take home at the end of the stay. It was the first time in 20-odd years that a hotel management has given me anything other than grief or a small chocolate on the pillow.

The most important thing was that the attitude of the people really seemed to have changed. Everyone seemed friendly and enthusiastic. They appeared to want the race to be a success, to showcase the country's grand plans for the future and do what Formula 1 races are supposed to do for a country.

There is no getting away from the fact that Bahrain is in an intense rivalry with nearby Dubai. Both are building frantically, trying to outdo one another. Dubai is building this, so Bahrain is building that. Money is not the problem. In fact at times it seems to be almost irrelevant as in the Middle East it comes out of the ground. Bahrain has a whole series of mega-projects in the pipeline, the latest being a $4.7bn causeway which will go out across the Gulf of Bahrain to link the country with nearby Qatar. This will be around 25 miles in length, longer than the existing causeway which links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia (across which many of the five million tourists who visit Bahrain every year travel). The Bahrainis say they want this figure to go up to seven miilion by 2007 and they see the Grand Prix as being the thing that will help them achieve this ambitious figure. They are so confident that it will work that they are filling the place with big hotels and mega-malls. By the time we go back to Manama next year there will be a vast new World Trade Centre towering over the city - two vast 50-storey buildings which from afar will look like the sails of yachts. Across the road will be the huge Bahrain Financial Harbour development and just up the road a new City Centre development. There are resorts popping up all over the island and manmade islands are rising for the sea to house the deep-pocketed tourists of tomorrow. By next year the city will probably have sufficient hotel rooms to cope with the influx of visitors for the Grand Prix. At the moment there is a shortage which means that prices are high and many of the Paddock Club visitors have to be flown in on race day from Dubai.

There is an energy about the place now that did not seem to be there a year ago.

While the F1 circus was in town the foundation stones were laid near the circuit for two huge of tourist developments and an announcement was made about the establishment of a car manufacturing facility to build supercars. It will be the first such factory in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain Airport is receiving a $185m revamp and Gulf Air is expanding fast, using the race sponsorship to spread the word. Bahrain is on the move

It is almost as if Formula 1 has finally taken on a clearly defined sociological reason to exist. For years we have known of the effect of F1 in tidying that tidying up Long Beach back in the 1980s. F1 breathed new life into the moribund Albert Park and St Kilda districts in Melbourne. This effect is what they are looking for in Malaysia, in Turkey, in Shanghai and in Mexico and many other projects. If you are willing to invest the kind of money needed to get F1 you can (but not necessarily will) enjoy the benefits.

The Grand Prix this year was a celebration of all that is good about F1 after a winter when all things seemed to be bad. Everyone seems to be enjoying this season and the explanation one hears time and time again from those in the paddcock is that with Renault winning, there is something new. Toyota is close. McLaren and Williams can win and even BAR thinks that the opportunity is there. And, inevitably, Ferrari believes it can fight back.

Formula 1 is interesting and fun again.

And so we left Bahrain and forgot about all the bad things of 2004. We flew to Heathrow Terminal 3 and looked around and wondered where the Third World will be in a few years from now. Escaping the airport we travelled to the city centre on The Heathrow Express and felt abused by the purple people who run the service and revel is squeezing every penny from every passenger.

The attitude seemed to be that we were there simply to hand over our money.

It looks like London needs a Grand Prix.

Link to Article (http://www.grandprix.com/gt/gt14545.html)

Man i have there are load of news in that mag. don have time to scan all stuff.

Pics of this one, the ice berg photo and also detailed pics of alareen which i admit looks exteremly competitive and shall give competing neighbours hard time !

I prefer to wait until we get something decent on all? maybe they will release something in the comin days. Our boys and girls down here have much in their pocket, Will make competitors plans go south ,,, HEHEHEHHEee


Do you mind sharing some of that nice knowledge you have, pics of course hehe ;). That would be appreciated.

Skyline-BRN, great article and I fully agree with its content.

Yes, the country has changed alot in the past three mothes lanmarks rising, better looking highways, second seef flyover in its final stages, A HIGHWAY LINKING BIC WITH HAMAD TOWN FLY OVER IS SOMETHING NEW THAT I HAVE NOT MENTIONED, A new hotel next to seef, the feeling is.. the Whole country is under construction !

Moody you said you have a magazine with project pics? If so can you scan only the really good ones when you have time of course.

Bahrain to host final of BMW world series

THE Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir will be the venue for the first world final of the Formula BMW motor racing series from December 13 to 16.

Racing drivers from the four regional Formula BMW series (Germany, Britain, Asia, US) will compete against each other for the first time.

The best of the talented junior drivers can look forward to a total purse of $60,000 with the overall champion getting the chance to drive the BMW Williams Formula One car.

"Bahrain is an ideal venue for the first final," said BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen. "Even in December, the Gulf region affords good weather conditions for high-calibre motor racing. But what we regard as particularly important is that the circuit boasts first-rate safety standards."

During the four days of competition the young drivers will compete in qualifying and intermediate heats for a place in the final on December 16.

Between the Formula BMW races spectators can enjoy a motor racing support programme. "We are delighted to be the major partner for the inaugural event. It will strengthen our position as one of the future leading motor sport venues in the world and the home of motorsport in the Middle East," said BIC general manager of BIC Martin Whitaker.

Ok man,

when i feel free i will ..:)

:) thanks.

BIC and Bapco launch “RACE FOR BAHRAIN”

Two national companies have joined forces to pave the way for a young Bahraini to become a future Formula One driver.

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), home of Motorsports in the Middle East, and Bapco, the government run leading fuel supplier, have come together to launch a contest “Race for Bahrain” with an aim to search for a “Bahraini talent” that can one day become a Formula One driver.

The competition is open to all Bahraini nationals, aged 18 to 26. Entry forms can be collected from Bapco fuel stations scattered across the Kingdom. The forms must be completed and handed back to the Bapco fuel Stations or posted to BIC latest by the 31 May 2005.

Organizers anticipate that thousands will apply, however only 300 candidates will be selected to participate in the first stage of tests to be conducted at the Bahrain International Circuit. Following the initial testing, 100 hopefuls will go to the second stage. The competition will come to a grand finale when ten finalists vie for the top three positions.

The winners of the contest will receive the acclaimed prize of a full season’s race drive, including the use of a race car and all associated costs, in the all new BIC organised Bapco Sponsored Caterham Gulf Se7en Championship due to start in September 2005. The overall winner will also receive special international race tuition from a leading Formula One team.

“The Race for Bahrain contest is a fantastic opportunity, rarely offered in other countries, for any aspiring young Bahraini to come forward and demonstrate their ability to be the next Schumacher,” said the General Manager of BIC, Martin Whitaker.

“To be one of the top three and win a season’s paid for drive in the all-new Bapco Sponsored BIC Caterham Gulf Se7en Championship is an extremely exciting and rewarding prize. We are giving Bahrainis the opportunity and exposure to compete at the very top. This underlines yet another benefit that comes directly from the Bahrain International Circuit and its exclusive place on the FIA Formula One World Championship,” he said.

During the three days of this year’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, thousands of visitors collected the entry form through the BIC stand and hundreds have applied.

“Bapco is extremely proud to be associated with such an exciting initiative providing a real opportunity for the youth of Bahrain to prove their ability and talent,” said Bapco’s president, Dr Mustafa Al Sayed.

“The world of international motorsport is a highly demanding sport and only a small number in the world make it to the winner’s podium. It is our hope that the winners from this contest will use this as a positive step on the ladder to success,” he said.

Ya read about it a few days ago about the Caterham thing. It's what we need more of this will only make the BIC more successful (more than what it is at the moment) and bring forward more investments.

Bahrain TV is showing these days a documentary movie preseted by Jackie Stewart, 3 times world champion- F1

Featuring H.H Sh.Salman bin Hamad and Duke of York, M.Schumacher and the team who designed, built the BIC.

It's fantastic, a must see, shows every sngle aspect of the grand proje'

Nice, BTV shows the good programs when we're not there hehe, hehe 9ij Qan2t Il 3ela il 3rabeya lol.

lol..

MANAMA: Around $10 million (BD3.78m) was raised for the kingdom's reserve fund from last year's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, announced Bahrain International Circuit general manager Martin Whitaker yesterday.

"The amount was generated when the BIC hosted, for the first time in the Middle East, the third leg of the FIA world championship in 2004," he told a Press conference at the Jordanian Royal Motor Federation in Amman.

"By hosting such an exclusive event, Bahrain achieved instant exposure resulting in a spontaneous increase in tourism," he said.

Mr Whitaker said this year's event, hosted last month, attracted 34,000 spectators and over 47,000 people took part, including technicians, members of the media and spectators.

" BIC will also be hosting the final round of the Formula BMW in December and currently we are inking a plan to set up a rally school."

Jordan is aiming to host the first leg of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) next year.

"Jordan hosting a leg of the WRC will directly benefit the economy as tourism will be on the rise," he said. Mr Whitaker was in Amman to observe the Jordan leg of the Middle East Rally Championship.

Business park is planned at BIC

A BUSINESS park is to be created around the Bahrain International Circuit, to attract businesses from around the world.

The scheme was revealed as BIC announced its sponsorship of the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2005).

BITE 2005 is being held under the patronage of Crown Prince and BDF Commander-in-Chief Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

It is being held at the Gulf International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gulf Hotel, from May 9 to 11.

The event is being organised by Sunshine Tours, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

"We are proud to support an event that will promote Bahrain as a tourist destination," said BIC general manager Martin Whitaker.

"Awareness of the kingdom is growing rapidly, particularly following the success of the two Formula One Grand Prix and this is being reflected in the business and sports tourism."

He said that the circuit would be using the BITE to promote its complete range of corporate entertainment facilities, as well as its potential as a venue for cultural, social, trade and seminar based events.

"Our aim is to utilise the circuit 365 days of the year through hosting motorsports events, corporate functions and private gatherings," said Mr Whitaker.

"However BIC is currently in the first phase of the initial project laid out through a vision planned out by the government.

"Phase two will include a whole new concept that will turn BIC and the surrounding area into a business park with the potential of attracting international business from around the world."

F1 raises $110m for the nation
BAHRAIN'S first Grand Prix generated $110 million (BD41.5m) for the national reserve, it was revealed yesterday.

The figure of $10m published in yesterday's Gulf Daily News was incorrect, as a result of inaccurate information provided by the Bahrain International Circuit.

The BIC corrected its mistake with a new statement from general manager Mark Whitaker.

"Many of the visitors were from the Gulf and the Middle East region and the circuit is a significant player in the economic impact upon the Kingdom of Bahrain," he said.

"According to independent research, last year's event generated $110m of revenue for the Kingdom's reserve."

A total of 75,000 people attended the second Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the BIC last month, said the statement. A figure for revenue from this year's event is not yet available, said a BIC spokeswoman.

In addition to the Grand Prix, the circuit also hosted a GT Festival, F3 SuperPrix and the National Drag Race Championship last year.

This year, it is organising a full motor sporting programme which includes the final round of the new GP2 Grand Prix support championship, the BMW World Final for BMW Formula Junior cars, the FIA GT Championship and a round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship.

In addition, the circuit will be operating 365 days with corporate events on and off track. The BMW Performance Centre is now fully operational and the Adventure Drive Arabia 4x4 course is open for business, with the first event taking place later this month with the launch of General Motor's latest Hummer H3.

"However, BIC is currently in the first phase of the initial project laid out through a vision planned out by the government," explained Mr Whitaker.

"Phase Two will include a whole new concept that will turn BIC and the surrounding area into a business park with the potential of attracting international business from around the world," he said.

Business Park?

Like what?

Well, a fully designated area for companies to open branches there, this should be appealing to the automobile industry, hopefully it's successful. So far, so good.

Yaeh, the area around the circuit needs to be developed to further promote it...

I dont want factories

Well the sports car plant ($50 million) is on the way, read the article I posted somewhere, am sure there won't be heavy factories there, it's not an industrial city. A business park concept is where companies related to a certain sector are headquartered or have offices.

Yeah, that will be just great,

A new sector will be much appreciated, and car fans are all around so it will have good potential !!

THE Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) is stepping up a campaign to woo visitors from all over the world, all year round, says a top official.

The circuit will not be just a venue for Formula One and other motorsports, but will be operating with corporate events on and off track, said BIC governmental affairs and public relations director Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

"Our aim is to utilise the circuit through hosting motorsports events, corporate functions and private gatherings," he told the GDN at the BIC stand at the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2005).

The expo concluded at the Gulf International Convention and Exhibition Centre, at the Gulf Hotel, yesterday.

"We are proud that we were able to support BITE which was an event aimed at promoting Bahrain as a tourist destination," said Shaikh Salman. "Awareness of the kingdom is growing rapidly, particularly following the success of the two Formula One Grand Prix and this is being reflected in the business and sports tourism."

The BIC stand at BITE attracted hundreds of visitors. It featured the circuit's corporate and private facility, the BMW driving school and the newly launched 4x4 off-road course Adventure Drive Arabia.

"Many visitors were delighted to hear about BIC's complete range of corporate entertainment facilities as well as its potential as a venue for cultural, social, trade and seminar-based events," said Shaikh Salman.

BIC also hosted a luncheon reception for the exhibitors and took them on a tour of the circuit facilities yesterday.

"Here at the circuit we are sure the profile generated by the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix has ensured that Bahrain's identity will grow significantly in the years to come," said Shaikh Salman. "The events have helped change the perception about our region as a whole.

"Having won the award for best organised race event last year, we have to build on the success story.

"We are happy to note that the BIC tower has already become an icon for the kingdom."

Many global companies have started looking at Bahrain and the BIC as a venue for corporate hospitality and related events, said Shaikh Salman.

"BIC has the largest permanent dining facilities in the Gulf region with the capacity of entertaining 3,000-plus people in its Paddock Club hospitality suites, as well as hosting several thousands more in its 50-plus corporate lounges and suites.

"In addition to this, its facilities extend to a 500-seat media and conference centre."

Two Bahrainis, Shaikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa and Hamad Al Fardan, are currently taking part in the Formula BMW Asia .

More than 75,000 people attended the third round of the FIA Formula One World Championship last month at the BIC, said Shaikh Salman.

"Many of the visitors were from the Gulf and the Middle East region and the circuit is a significant player in the economic development of the kingdom," he added.

"In 2004, the circuit has also hosted a GT Festival, F3 SuperPrix and the National Drag Race Championship.

"This year the circuit is organising a full international and national motorsporting programme that includes the BMW World Final for BMW Formula Junior cars.

Facilities

"The BMW Performance Centre is now fully operational and the all-new Adventure Drive Arabia 4X4 course is open for business, with the first event taking place later this month with the launch of General Motor's latest Hummer H3."

"We see our future plans as perfectly complementing the existing developments of the Bahrain Financial Harbour, the Bahrain World Trade Centre and Durrat Al Bahrain.

"With the activities and facilities that we can offer at the circuit along with those at neighbouring venues such as the Riffa Golf Club and Al Areen Desert Spa, we aim to be integral in turning Bahrain into one of the hottest tourism destinations."

"Besides four international events, BIC is planning to organise several regional motor sporting events to help Bahrain live up to its name as the "Home of Motor Sports in the Middle East," said Shaikh Salman.

"The Bapco-supported Race for Bahrain series to be launched later in the year will help hundreds of young Bahrainis to be trained at the circuit. We shall take part in six international festivals and events this year to promote the BIC facilities globally."

CARS of all makes will be burning rubber at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir during an open day from 9am to 4pm today.

Members of the public are being given the opportunity to drive their cars at the track provided they are in good roadworthy condition.

Drivers, who will have to wear crash helmets, will be divided into groups based on their ability and experience and will get a 20-minute briefing on safety issues, track rules and other procedures, including different colour flags and light signals.

They will be led around the circuit for the first three laps to get acquainted with the track layout.

The cost for the event is BD100 for the full day and BD75 for half day (9am to 12pm and/or 1pm to 4pm).

Additional drivers need to pay BD25 and passengers BD10 each. To take part in today's event drivers must register between 8am to 9am at the track.

Things are getting serious these days!

A new initiative has been launched by the Bahrain International Circuit with an aim to build stronger bridges with the Bahraini and Arab peoplec.

'The circuit has launched a new project with an aim to pave the way for the public to interact with BIC officials. The public can now send in constructive ideas and comments directly to the circuit,' said BIC's director of Governmental Affairs and Public Relations, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The email address, ideas@bic.com.bh, will be monitored and each mail will be directed to the concerned department.

'Circuit officials were keen to provide the public with an opportunity to take part in this national project. The BIC first and foremost is a national project that Bahrainis and Arabs should be proud of,' he said.

The email will be monitored by a specialised communications team and will run from this month to January 2006.

'There were many instances were we received calls from spectators who wanted to provide comments. Based on this, we decided to set up a dedicated email address and team that can absorb comments and ideas for the benefit of the circuit,' said Shaikh Salman.

'The circuit is living up to its motto 'the home of motorsports in the Middle East'.

'We are holding events ranging from drag races, to mini challenges, Formula BMW Asia and the Bahrain Grand Prix. We want the public to contribute to this success and share ideas with us to further develop events at the BIC,' he said.

The Bahrain International Circuit previously launched another innovative idea, the 'Journalism award for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2005'.

The award aims to encourage the local media in the field of motorsport. The winners will be announced at the end of May.

VISITORS to the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix next year will be able to stay at a major resort now under construction in the desert, it was revealed yesterday.

The Al Areen Desert Spa and Resort in Sakhir, is on schedule to accommodate guests by the end of March.

Its client relations centre has been up and running since the foundation stone was laid over two months ago.

Work is continuing on the spa itself, which costs over $100 million and includes over 70 villas available for rent.

Marketing manager Talal Kanafani said that work on the spa is moving fast.

The project, co-owned by Gulf Finance House (GFH) and the Bahrain government, will include infrastructure such as retail facilities, a water park and restaurants. Plots of land have also been sold to investors to be developed independently, which should speed up the project.

The entire project is being built on a site measuring two million square metres and costs over $750m altogether.

The entire development is scheduled for completion by 2008. Around 16,000 to 20,000 people are expected to live and work there, said Mr Kanafani.

Electricity and Water Minister Shaikh Abdulla bin Salman Al Khalifa visited the site of the project yesterday to discuss the supply of water and power.

well this is subject to dates bahrain will host next GP, as fa i know there were talks to host 1st gp in 2006 calender, i.e. first week of march !!

Yeah, i always wondered, ever since i heard that Australia, usually the first host of the GP season has been pushed back to third, which is Bahrain's usual slot (for the past two yrs)....Its better this way, if Bahrain gets to host the first round of the season, the weather might be slightly better...

Thats much better, the weather was terrible this year

cOoL picture :

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?Y=2004&S=F1&E=Bahrain_GP

Great news, this will be really good for Bahrain since the first event is probably the most important, enjoy:

Bahrain will flag off the 2006 Grand Prix season by hosting the opening Formula One race on March 12. The Australian Grand Prix has been the season-opener since 1996 but has been pushed back to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the sport's governing body the FIA confirmed yesterday.

The decision was taken at the FIA's World Motorsport Council meeting in Rome.

The organisers of the Bahrain Gulf Air Grand Prix, which arrived on the calendar two years ago, said they are delighted to be hosting the opening race.

"We are all very, very proud of this announcement and the confidence that Formula One has in the people of Bahrain to stage the first race," said Bahrain International Circuit general manager Martin Whitaker.

"The first race of the year always attracts considerable media attention and next year will be no exception with added interest in new teams, drivers, sponsors, engines and regulations."

Haha, others are looking at us with an eye of an envy right now !

They finally anounced it...It was obvious that this would happen...They mentioned the Australian GP would take Bahrain's spot like about 7 or 8 months ago...Its only natural that Bahrain would host the opening GP...Switch with the Australians...The weather should be good...

This is big news for us here, there will whole new cars next year plus new qualifying rules so.... world eyes on us on March 12 , 2006... i'll buy my tickets if available from now, I'm sure it will Ruuunn fast this time!

We really need to capitalize on this, I mean the circuit costs are already covered and with this, it should be very successful. We definately need to develop the second phase (Business park and hotel) asap.

Yeah but stiil , the gov't pays USD 20 M every year to the FOA !

But it makes much more in return, and it can make even larger amounts if it knows how to market the thing with tons of other entertainment and associated events.

I did not doubt this one!

But it makes much more in return, and it can make even larger amounts if it knows how to market the thing with tons of other entertainment and associated events.
Yes, exactly...This is what we're lacking in...What we need to focus on...Our marketing is a disaster...We need to learn a thing or two from Dubai..

learn from the bigger world BP ...

AN ADVANCE party of international drag racing experts, including Santa Pod Raceway race director Darren Prentice, arrived in Bahrain to help finalise preparations for the International Drag Racing Festival to be held at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) tomorrow and on Friday.

The two-day event will bring together the fastest cars and bikes to battle it out, one-on-one, for the first time ever, on the BIC desert racing track.

The fifth and final round of the National Drag Racing Championship will also be held as part of the festival. With 152 points from four rounds of the championship, Ali Aryan from the Popeye Racing Team has sealed the Pro category title, followed by Unstoppabulls' Khalid Mohammed who is on 95 points.

The party was given a tour of the BIC facilities and, according to reports published on the European Drag Racing News website, they were 'immediately blown away by the size of the facility and by the iconic grandeur of the buildings'.

They were particularly impressed with the Desert Drive Arabia Experience tour in the Hummer H2 with the news site quoting members of the party describing the BIC facilities as 'magnificent'.

"The course has seventy five-degree climbs and even steeper descents over a feature aptly named 'the Camel Humps'," said Prentice. "The course, which is still under construction, took 20 minutes to complete and is just one more of the state-of-the-art features which this magnificent facility has to offer," he said.

Welcome

"We have been made to feel very welcome by the BIC staff and in particular by Kareem Jawad and his maintenance crew. He has shown us some excellent places to eat and a few tucked-away establishments to take in the local scene and culture," said Prentice.

"Darkness sets in very early in Bahrain and we can't wait to see the cars and bikes light up the start line as they leave," said Prentice. "The track is well-lit and you can see the whole of the shutdown area, even when standing on the start line. Everybody who is coming over, either to watch or to take part, is going to have a great time," he said.

Meanwhile, the UK's Southern Rebel Top Methanol Funny Car team arrived in Bahrain and driver Trev Capewell says they are all very excited and can't wait to get out on the track.

"After the UK National Finals I didn't touch the car until we received the invite for Bahrain," said Capewell. "Only then did we realise the damage caused to the engine following the last pass. At such short notice we had a major rebuild on our hands and the team have all worked extremely hard to prepare the car.

"We hope to put on a good show for the crowd, get more much-needed track time for the team and be part of the launch of an exciting new FIA drag racing facility. We are still looking for a five-second run this year, conditions permitting," he said.

I'm there tomorrow !! hehhe cant wait to see the fire car....;)