How Bahrain’s F1 gets mightier every year...
Manama : This year’s highly anticipated motorsport has finally come to a successful conclusion, and while many of the visitors and spectators take home what an experience it has been, there are those set of people who made it all happen and without any time to waste, have already started planning the initial stages of next year’s mega event, set to take place in the heart of the Sakhir desert.
Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), a one-of-a-kind facility has managed to earn itself the perfect tag of being: “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East.” The ultramodern motorsport facility cost approximately $150 million to build, providing the perfect setting to host the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix since 2004.
Giving Bahrain a salient position on the map, this year’s event was covered by more than 500 journalists with more than a million viewers. Certainly not an easy achievement and not something that can be very easily executed; however in conversation with DT News, BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, stated that it is his competent team that makes it happen.
“I feel it’s a huge effort that comes from all the team players, including our sales team and entertainment team that generates such great results. This year brought a great entertainment package, lauded by everyone who came,” Shaikh Salman said.
He pointed that this year’s racing regulations were exciting and probably the biggest change in Formula1 regulations ever to take place. The intensity of the race expectations have to be matched with the kind of entertainment that will be offered off the track.
“Looking at how our fan base and motorsport culture has been growing every year, we invest effectively in giving families a winning experience on and off the track. The difference between this race and the others is that we see it as a family-oriented event in terms of providing a winning balance between the racing and the entertainment podium,” he added.
Talking about the high ticket sales this year, Shaikh Salman said that it makes him extremely happy but he doesn’t take it for granted.
“Our team works relentlessly every year to give visitors a great experience. They surprise me by doing a better job every other year.” He pointed that bringing F1 to Bahrain was a big responsibility and team starts planning next year’s event as soon as the race concludes.
“When the event finishes, we have our debriefing meetings, jolting down all the important points while they are still fresh in our minds. The team then has a couple of months where they explore the different options that can be looked into. It isn’t like we wake up in September and start wondering what the plan for next year’s race is. We work on it throughout the year and try to bring the best of what we can find within the budgets we have,” Shaikh Salman shared with us.
Point out, criticise- make us bigger, better!
In 2014, the circuit celebrated its landmark 10th anniversary by introducing a state-of-the-art floodlight system. This led to the Bahrain Grand Prix being held as a night race for the first time, ushering in a new era for the circuit. Shaikh Salman states how all opinions given to the management is taken into consideration, because at the end of the day, the aim is to make the race experience an ultimate one for ur guests.
“We ask feedback from everyone. From the media to the teams, we ask them to be picky and criticise; it doesn’t help me if they say everything is good. Every small opinion and suggestion matters. And because of every minuscule detail, we aim to make every year’s event better than its predecessor.”
Highlighting how it is an honour to see journalists from around the world coming to Bahrain and reporting the event to hundreds of different territories, Shaikh Salman says every single person reporting is also playing the role of an ambassador to his country and when they go out and say: “Yeah I know Bahrain, I’ve been there and it’s amazing,” a value cannot be assigned to the kind of feeling that recognition gives.
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