Excitement builds as only 20 days left for GP weekend

Manama : The nation-wide countdown continues and only 21 days remain until the year’s biggest weekend of sport and entertainment.

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) hosts the Formula 1 2018 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from April 6 to 8, and it promises to live up to its billing as the most highly anticipated annual spectacle in the region.

Headlining the weekend’s events will be the 57-lap desert night race, which has now established itself as a favourite of fans in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. A live performance featuring legendary musician Carlos Santana has also gotten everyone talking, and they are already looking forward to enjoying plenty of off-track attractions.

This year’s Bahrain Grand Prix will flag off at 6.10pm, 10 minutes later than its regular start time. The world’s most popular star drivers will be lining up on the grid, and the motorsport world’s focus of attention will be directed solely on them.Aside from Formula 1, there will also be plenty of racing in the two support series, namely the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

Formula 2 is widely accepted to be the chief feeder series to Formula 1. It will be holding the opening round of its 2018 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Porsche GT3 Cup is the biggest and most popular one-make motor racing championship in the entire region. It has been the number one choice of the Arab world’s most promising circuit racing drivers to broaden their racing experience in a professionally run series. The series will be holding its sixth and final round of its 2017/2018 campaign.

Off the track, Santana is bringing his celebrated Divination Tour to BIC.

Also, race-goers will have a trio of extreme rides to choose from, including a Reverse Bungee, a SCAD (Suspended Catch Air Device) Freefall and a Sky Coaster. Further entertainment will be seen at the Circus Stage, and from the Roaming Acts and Street Musicians and Dancers.

Young children will be able to enjoy a wide selection of engaging activities, all within a massive tent erected in BIC’s Formula 1 Village. Within this marquee, BIC has created four zones allocated for Circus Shows, Theatre Shows, a Candyland Interactive Zone and a Play Ground.

Tickets to this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased at the BIC stand at Bahrain City Centre. They can also be bought online at www.bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000. The prices are amongst the most competitive for any event on the Formula 1 calendar, with prices held at the same level for the fifth consecutive year.

Tickets can be purchased for seating at the Main Grandstand, Batelco Grandstand, Turn One Grandstand, University Grandstands and Victory Grandstands. Main Grandstand seats cost BD150 each for the three days, while Batelco Grandstand tickets are BD120 and Turn One tickets BD100. University and Victory Grandstand tickets cost BD60.

For the first time this year, fans will be able to purchase a single Friday ticket for the Batelco Grandstand at BD60, or they can buy a two-day ticket for Saturday and Sunday, also for the Batelco Grandstand for BD100.