Bahrain to open 2024 F1 season

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Formula 1 announced yesterday the 2024 world championship calendar, with Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, set to celebrate its 20th anniversary as the opening round of the season and its first-ever Saturday night race.

The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be opening the new campaign in a race weekend taking place from 29 February until 2 March.

The race will be held on Saturday evening at the request of F1, in order to allow for necessary logistics for the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia, which is also scheduled as a Saturday event.

To coincide with the calendar announcement, BIC has launched its first-ever Summer Early Bird, a chance for fans to pick up their F1 2024 tickets with discounts of up to 20 per cent for its landmark celebration of 20 years in F1.

The Summer Early Bird sale, which will only be open for 10 days, offers ticket prices that BIC guarantees will not be beaten and offers fans the best value for money.

With the limited period to snap up tickets at these prices, fans are urged to book now at bahraingp.com or by calling +973-17450000.

BIC chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa said: “To have our 20th anniversary race to start the 2024 season is a huge honour for us and we plan to ensure this landmark event will offer a lifetime of memories for fans.

“We offer our particular thanks to Formula 1 for yet again placing their trust in us to kick off the new season in style. “We are also delighted to launch our Summer Early Bird ticket offer, offering fans the chance to snap up their tickets with amazing discounts available.

With our 2023 race selling out faster than ever before, I would urge fans not to delay to ensure they can join us for what will be a special celebration of our 20 years in Formula 1.

“Saturday night in Sakhir promises to be something special and we can’t wait to welcome fans to Bahrain next year for a weekend of spectacular racing and entertainment.”

The 2024 calendar will comprise 24 races, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place the week after Bahrain, with the season concluding in Abu Dhabi on 8 December.

Balanced

“I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. The Bahrain and Saudi races will make three Saturday races on the calendar along with Las Vegas.

This season’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled at 10pm local time on 18 November, will be the first full F1 race on a Saturday since 1985.

For the Saturday races, the opening two free practice sessions will be on Thursday, with the third practice and qualifying on Friday.

This season was the fourth straight year the Shanghai race was scheduled but then cancelled because of the pandemic.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy was to be hosted in Imola but had to be called off days before the race after severe flooding hit the region. Both are on the calendar for next year. Several races have been shuffled as F1 moves “towards greater calendar regionalisation, reducing logistical burdens and making the season more sustainable”.

Japan has been brought forward to April, “in the heart of the country’s beautiful cherry blossom season”, said an F1 statement.

Azerbaijan shifted back to September, with Qatar moved to just before the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

The calendar will contain three bursts of three races in three weeks, including the last three in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

There are also two three-week breaks—the traditional summer break and a pause between Singapore on September 22 and the United States Grand Prix on October 20.