Formula One Bahrain History
History - Facts - Winners -Geography - Schedule - Circuit
The remaining 10 Formula One cars will then during a five minute break, declare their fuel loads to the FIA. A final 20 minute session will then set the top 10 grid positions. The formula one teams will be allowed to run their fuel load as low as possible by making as many laps as possible, and thus improve their times as the weight falls. This is an improvement for the TV audience because the formula one teams will need to be out making as many laps as possible to lower their fuel load.
Following this session, the top 10 F1 cars will be placed in parc ferme and required to refill their fuel load to the level of that at the beginning of the final 20 minutes.
There is an speculation that a small change will come into force on this rule, as a loophole was found by the FIA. It was feared that F1 teams would declare a big fuel-load, but then on the out lap, 'leak' or use a big quantity of fuel and thus having a lighter F1 car to go quicker with.
How has all this changed Bahrain?
When a small Middle Eastern island of 650,000 people was awarded a Formula one race in 2004, motor racing fans might have been forgiven for their skepticism. The Formula One is the world’s greatest motor race, with a decades-long history and television viewer ship of over 300 million fans in 172 countries.
Yet Bahrain not only pulled it off, the kingdom did it in some style, first completing the $150 million track ahead of time despite sweltering heat and sandstorms; then winning the Federation Internationale d’Automobile (FIA) award for the best organized of the season’s 19 races.
The coming 2006 F1 race will be Bahrain’s third, cementing the kingdom’s position as the Middle East’s motor racing hub.
Where did the idea come from?
The idea for an F1 circuit in the Middle East was born when the Crown Prince met up in Monza, Italy, in 1999 with racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart who, introduced Shaikh Salman to Bernie Ecclestone, the acknowledged patriarch of F1. Since no F1 circuit existed in the Middle East, the idea seemed worth exploring, recalls Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, who was president of Bahrain Motorsport Association from 1995 to 2000 when he was involved in dozens of local rallies.
The Crown Prince and Shaikh Fawaz discussed the merits of the concept and His Highness, as chairman of the Economic Development Board, commissioned EDB to look into the F1 idea and its potential impact on the economy and society. Tilke had designed F1 circuits in such cities as Barcelona and Malaga, Spain, as well as the one in Shanghai, China. The brief to Tilke said the Bahrain F1 circuit had to incorporate some of the characteristic designs and styling of this country. And, sure enough, they delivered with a distinctive and aesthetically pleasing F1 racing circuit.
When BIC and sponsor Bahrain Petroleum Company put out a call to train drivers for motor racing with a particular focus on F1, hundreds of applicants responded. These would be reduced to the 10 best drivers who will then go through rigorous training, theoretical and practical, to groom trainees who can take the incredible demands of motor sport and make a career of it.
The kingdom’s economy is expanding faster than ever, visitor numbers are going through the roof and flyovers, new highways, bridges, super ports and causeways are changing the landscape.
Though BIC’s own role in the economic boom is doubtless unquantifiable, it’s still undeniable that F1 has made a difference in putting Bahrain firmly on the map, open for business and drawing an international spotlight on the kingdom, its history, achievements and heritage and that it’s a small country capable of doing big things.