BIC: Busy beehive

Manama, Apr. 16 (BNA): Formula One frenzy gripped Bahrain yesterday as minutes ticked by for the start of the biggest sporting and entertainment event of the year - the Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix - which kicks off tomorrow at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. The BIC was a beehive of activity as team crews continued to unload expensive racing gadgetry in the garages. Glittering car cones of various colours, shining wheels and other delicate car parts were systematically placed outside each team garage before the final part of putting them together begins today, according to Gulf Daily News (GDN) newspaper Thursday. Meanwhile, tickets continue to sell fast with just one day to go for the event. After the Main Grandstand tickets were sold out on Tuesday, BIC yesterday announced that University Grandstands One and Two were also sell outs. Drivers, crew members and FIA officials continued to arrive in Bahrain till late Tuesday and more drivers talked about the excitement of battling in the desert after sun set. "Bahrain is always an enjoyable weekend: I really like the paddock and the atmosphere around the venue is great. There's always a fairy-tale feel in the paddock and the facilities are fantastic, especially at night when all the lights turn on," Force India's Nico Hulkenberg said on the Formula One official website. "It is also the place where I drove my first Formula One race, back in 2010, so I have some very good memories about this race - not least last year's race, which was very enjoyable to drive." His teammate Sergio Perez was also wholesome in praising the desert circuit. "Returning to Bahrain brings back a lot of good memories. Last year's race had all you can ask from it: a lot of action, a great performance and of course finishing on the podium. It's a good track for me; I won there in GP2 and generally always had good races so I feel positive about going there," added the Mexican. "The track itself is a stop-and-go circuit with long straights, sharp braking zones followed by rapid acceleration: rear tyre degradation is quite high and I expect it to be one of the themes of this race. Grip is always a challenge with all the dust blowing on the track, and the surface evolves a lot during the weekend and the race itself. There are two DRS zones and a few good overtaking opportunities, especially in the first sector: this should make for some good racing. "The last race in China was interesting for us, as we were able to be much more involved in battles against the other teams. "As we keep learning about our car and its set-up, we are closing the gap to our rivals, which is really encouraging. "There is still a long way to go but everyone is working hard for it and hopefully we will soon be able to mount a more consistent challenge for regular points," GDN reported.