BIC, Sakhir: A number of Formula 1’s star drivers arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain today ahead of this weekend’s 2017 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) hosts the sporting and entertainment spectacle from this Friday to Sunday at Al Sakhir.
Among those seen arriving at Bahrain International Airport were Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen, Mercedes ace Valtteri Bottas, Force India’s Esteban Ocon and Renault’s Jolyon Palmer.
They were received upon reaching the island by BIC’s Meet and Greet staff, who assisted them in their arrival formalities and made sure they receive a warm welcome to the country.
Aside from the drivers, Formula 1 personnel and other members of the international racing community continued to arrive in Bahrain.
The stage is set for the third round of this year’s FIA Formula 1 World Championship, and BIC is getting all geared up to once again be the centre of global attention.
This year’s Bahrain Grand Prix will be the event’s 13th edition and fourth as a night race.
Meanwhile, more than 50 of the world’s most supremely talented race car drivers outside of Formula 1 will be lining up on the grid at BIC as part of this weekend’s support programme.
They will be competing in three different championships, including the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and the TCR International Series.
Newly rebranded as Formula 2, or F2, after being known as the GP2 Series since 2005, this single-seater championship is widely accepted to be the chief feeder series to Formula 1. It will be holding the first round of its new 2017 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The F2 grid will include 20 cars, representing 10 teams. Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco are driving for PREMA Racing; Louis Delétraz and Gustav Malja for Racing Engineering; Luca Ghiotto and Artem Markelov for Russian Time; Nobuharu Matsushita and Alexander Albon for ART Grand Prix; Oliver Rowland and Nicholas Latifi for DAMS; Ralph Boschung and Roberto Merhi for Campos Racing; Sergio Sette Camara and Jordan King for MP Motorsport; Nabil Jeffri and Sergio Canamasas for Trident; Nyck de Vries and Johnny Cecotto for Rapax; and Norman Nato and Sean Gelael for Pertamina Arden.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is based on the highly successful Porsche formula for racing. The championship was created to give the region’s home-grown driving talent an opportunity to realize their racing potential, while enhancing personal circuit experience.
It is now well established as the most exciting, successful and professional one-make series on the regional motor racing calendar.
Launched in 2009, the championship is in its eighth season. It features the region’s leading drivers, all competing in the powerful and dynamic Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the Middle East’s world-class circuits.
The field competing in Ryan Cullen, Al Faisal Al Zubair, Rob Frijns, Bandar Alesayi, Wolfgang Triller, Charlie Frijns, Dylan Pereira, Magnus Ohman, Christoffer Bergstrom, Philipp Sager, Bashar Mardini and the homegrown Bahraini trio of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Shaikh Hamad bin Isa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
The TCR International Series will be holding the second of 10 rounds in its 2017 season at Bahrain.
The championship kicked off on April 1 and 2 at Rustavi International Motorpark in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The grid of 18 cars features Stefano Comini, Jean-Karl Vernay, Roberto Colciago, Hugo Valente, Attila Tassi, Gianni Morbidelli, Jens Reno Moller, David Kajaia, Duncan Ende, Giacomo Altoe, Pierre-Yves Corthals, Milovan Vesnic, Stian Paulsen, James Nash, Ference Ficza, Dusan Borkovic, Mat’o Homola and Pepe Oriola.
Now in its third year, TCR International Series was conceived and launched by Marcello Lotti, the man who revived the FIA World Touring Car Championship back in 2005. He envisioned a new class that could fill a gap at the bottom of the Touring Car pyramid, one that was affordable for car manufacturers and independent teams alike and was capable of offering close and exciting races.
Seven leading brands of car manufacturers are to be represented at in the series’ races in Bahrain – Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, SEAT, Alfa Romeo, Opel and Kia.
Tickets to this year’s Grand Prix spectacle continue to be available. Tickets cost BD150 for the Main Grandstand, BD120 for the Batelco Grandstand, BD100 for the Turn One Grandstand, and BD60 apiece for the University Grandstands and Victory Grandstands.
