Historic F1 Bahrain Grand Prix set for exciting flag-off

Manama, April 3 (BNA)-- The long wait is over. History is ready to be made. The biggest sporting and social occasion of the year is finally here. The 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix kicks off in grand fashion Friday (April 4) with plenty of action and excitement both on and off the race track at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. The sound of roaring engines and screeching tyres are set to fill the desert air once again, while scenes of children laughing and families having a good time will be among the memories made by the tens of thousands expected to attend. BIC is ready to host three fantastic days of Formula One racing, and the excitement ahead of the weekend has reached fever pitch. BIC will be celebrating its landmark 10th anniversary all weekend long, culminating with the hosting of its 10th Formula One race. To mark the special occasion, the 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix will be held under floodlights for the very first time. Such are only a few of the history-making moments coming up at "The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East". Fan-favourite and 2009 World champion Jenson Button, driving for Bahrain-owned McLaren, will be starting the 250th Grand Prix of his career on Sunday. It is the most for any driver on the grid. Meanwhile, the GP2 Series will be kick starting its 10th season in Bahrain. It is one of two support championships to the Grand Prix. All these special milestones and more are set to make this already momentous occasion even more special. BIC is no stranger to hosting memorable events in Formula One. In 2010, the Kingdom had the privilege of kicking off Formula One’s 60th anniversary celebrations. All past Formula One World champions living at the time gathered at BIC to mark the milestone moment – a first in Formula One history. In 2004, BIC staged the maiden Formula One race in the Middle East, opening doors for the top flight to a whole new market and a whole new world of opportunities. This year, the Bahrain Grand Prix hopes to continue the history-making trend with a spectacular weekend like never before seen. All of Formula One’s top drivers are in the Kingdom and the teams are all geared up in their respective garages at BIC for Friday’s start. Gates open at 11am and fans are advised to come early in order to avoid any possible delays due to traffic. The Formula One cars will be getting out on track at 2pm for the first practice session of the weekend, to be held until 3.30pm. Practice two will then take place later in the evening from 6pm to 7.30pm, marking the global debut of BIC’s all-new, state-of-the-art floodlight system. There will also be racing in the two support championships in the GP2 Series and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. GP2 will kick off the weekend’s events at 12noon Friday with a practice. It will then hold its qualifying session under floodlights at 8pm. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge will have a lone session of testing Friday from 4.30pm to 5pm. GP2 is widely accepted as the chief feeder series to the top flight, with a large number of drivers on the Formula One grid having graduated from its ranks. GP2 is holding the first round of the 2014 season in Bahrain. The meeting will comprise two races. The feature race, to be held on the Saturday (April 5), will be over 32 laps or a total of 173.184 kilometres. The 23-lap sprint race follows on Sunday (April 6). It will cover 124.476km. The Porsche GT3 Cup, on the other hand, is the leading motor racing championship in the region, managed by Bahrain-based Austrian racing legend Walter Lechner. It features plenty of talented drivers from all across the globe, and races are held at top-class circuits throughout the region. The challenge is holding an exhibition round as part of the Grand Prix weekend. The season recently concluded in Bahrain with the sixth and final round at BIC last month. Kuwaiti youngster Zaid Ashkananai was crowned the overall champion following a dramatic one-point victory over last year’s winner Clemens Schmid. In gearing up for Friday’s start to the weekend, an exclusive Formula One Pit Walk was held for all three-day ticket holders. A large crowd of fans turned out for the activity, which gave them an up-close-and-personal look at the Formula One teams hard at work in their garages. Another pair of Pit Lane Walks will be held Friday for Paddock Club pass holders. Aside from the racing, there will be plenty to enjoy off the race track starting Friday for the entire family. The first of three major concerts will be held Friday, with Saudi pop sensation Rabeh Saqer taking to the stage from 9pm. Saqer is set to delight his legion of fans from Bahrain and across the region. On Saturday, a mind-boggling double-bill featuring legendary rock band The Scorpions and two-time Grammy Award-winning DJ Afrojack will be taking place. The Scorpions will begin their live performance at 7.30pm, to be followed by Afrojack at 9.30pm. Also as part of the entertainment hand-picked by BIC for the weekend are a wide variety of main stage acts at BIC’s F1 Village vending area, roaming performers, an extreme activity, an F1 Game Zone and a pair of children’s entertainment tents. The main stage acts will feature popular UK-based street dance crews Boadicea and Peridot, solo musician The Petebox, and MC Tony and DJ Tony. Among the roaming acts will be the Spark! LED drummers, Cornalusa, The Dapper Chaps, Sideshow Steveie, Art Prometheus and many more. The extreme activity is a High-Rope Course, while the F1 Game Zone will take you right into the heart of F1 racing. Finally, the children’s entertainment will see two exclusive tents – the first catered to popular TV character Shaun the Sheep, and the other featuring an under-the-sea theme. Both will have plenty of fun shows, games and so much more for young kids. All these can be enjoyed from the very opening on each day until doors close past 11pm. All are invited to be a part of the Bahrain Grand Prix and join in on the fascinating celebrations of BIC and the Kingdom’s first-ever Formula One night race. Tickets for the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased at the BIC stands in Bahrain City Centre or Seef Mall; online at www.bahraingp.com or on the official BIC page on Facebook; or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000. Tickets range from BD150 for all three days at the Main Grandstand to BD60 for three days at the University and Victory Grandstands. Three-day tickets for the Batelco Grandstand are BD120 apiece while tickets for the Turn One Grandstand are BD100. Those with Main Grandstand tickets will have a chance to win valuable electronic prizes as part of BIC’s "10 EVERY 10" raffle promotion on April 5 and 6. Ten winners will emerge every 10 minutes during the one-hour qualifying session and also throughout the Grand Prix. A total of 260 winners in all will be identified by their seat numbers, and they will be presented their prizes by a team of BIC staff. Special discounts on tickets are available for children, senior citizens and those with special needs. Children aged three to 12 years old can get tickets at 50 per cent off, while school students aged 13 to 17 can get a 25 per cent reduction. Further, senior citizens aged 60 and above and those with special needs can both purchase a ticket with a 25 per cent discount. For more information on the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, visit www.bahraingp.com or call +973-17-450000. Also follow BIC’s official accounts on Facebook (facebook.com/OfficialBahrainInternationalCircuit), Twitter (@BAH_Int_Circuit), Instagram (instagram.com/bah_int_circuit) and YouTube (youtube.com/bahrainbic) for regular updates. A O Q