Non-stop action at F1 weekend!

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

It’s race week, and the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 will be showcasing non-stop action on the track at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) this coming Thursday to Saturday.

Three top championships will be supporting F1 all throughout the race weekend, including F1’s leading feeder categories in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the FIA Formula 3 Championship.

They are to be joined by the region’s top one-make series in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME).

All these will be hitting the tarmac at the highly anticipated season-opening round of the 2024 FIA F1 World Championship, as the Kingdom of Bahrain celebrates “20 Years of a Modern Classic” and marks its milestone 20th anniversary in motor racing’s top flight.

The grand prix will also be the first-ever F1 Saturday night race in Sakhir, and it promises to be a record-breaking event, with tickets to BIC’s grandstands having already completely sold out.

Fans wishing to be a part of F1 history can still take advantage of two of BIC’s hospitality options, The Dome by F1 Experiences and The Champions Club.

There is some availability in each, both of which offer exclusive experiences in an unmatched setting.

The Dome by F1 Experiences and The Champions Club are specially curated hospitality options created in cooperation with F1 Experiences for the most passionate of F1 enthusiasts.

To purchase these hospitality packages, go to bahraingp.com, call the BIC Hotline on +973- 17450000, or visit the BIC stand at City Centre Bahrain or the Beyon Money BIC Fan Village at Block 338 in Adliya.

Both F2 and F3 are holding the opening rounds of their 2024 seasons at BIC, while the PCCME will be staging its fifth and penultimate meeting of its 2023/2024 campaign.

F2 is the last rung on the ladder to F1, with many of the championship’s graduates starring in the pinnacle of motorsport today, including Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, George Russell of Mercedes, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant of Williams, Yuki Tsunoda of RB and Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber.

The 11-team F2 field, each fielding two all-new cars in the series, includes defending champions ART Grand Prix, Prema Racing, Rodin Motorsport, DAMS Lucas Oil, Invicta Racing, MP Motorsport, Van Amersfoort Racing, Hitech Pulse-Eight, Campos Racing, Trident, and PHM AIX Racing.

F2 free practice and qualifying will be held on the Thursday of F1 weekend, to be followed by the 23-lap sprint race on Friday, and then the 32-lap feature race on Saturday.

Meanwhile, F3 is one level lower than F2, and it offers a defined entry point for young and ambitious drivers to join the F1 circus, while giving them the chance to take the path to join their heroes in the main paddock.

Spearheaded

There are 10 teams in this season’s 30-car grid, to be spearheaded by defending champions Prema Racing, Trident, MP Motorsport, Campos Racing, Hitech Pulse-Eight, Jenzer Motorsport, Van Amersfoort Racing, ART Grand Prix, PHM AIX Racing, and Rodin Motorsport.

Like F2, practice and qualifying will be held on the Thursday of F1 weekend.

The F3 sprint race will then take place on Friday over 19 laps, and the feature on Saturday over 22 laps.

The 2024 F2 season is set to feature 14 rounds, flagging off in Bahrain and concluding in Abu Dhabi in December, while the 2024 F3 championship consists of 10 rounds, beginning at BIC and ending in September in Monza, Italy.

F2 and F3 recently staged pre-season testing at BIC over three days, putting in their final preparations for their respective on-track battles.

Joining the two single-seater series is the PCCME, featuring the region’s leading gentleman drivers of various nationalities competing in powerful and dynamic Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars.

They race in various categories, including Pro, ProAm and Am, with additional classes set for GCC and rookie drivers.

The PCCME was born and is based in Bahrain, created by BIC in cooperation with Lechner Racing.

It gives the region’s home-grown talent an opportunity to realise their racing potential while enhancing personal track experience.

The PCCME has thus become hugely popular with competitors and fans alike, with real racing and genuine rivalries on track.

At F1 weekend, the PCCME will have two practice sessions on Thursday, followed by qualifying and the first of two 11-lap races on Friday. Saturday will see the second race.

The season kicked off in Bahrain in November and has made stops at Dubai and Abu Dhabi, before returning to Sakhir this weekend in support of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024.

The championship finale will also be held in support of F1 in Jeddah from 7 to 9 March.