Bahrain (merged)

[RWC]

After hearing from friends about the standard of living in the richer arabian countries,i have zero doubts that bahrain can do the job well.
What concerns me is that it's nigh on impossible to EVER have a reasonable track on sand.It has to be flat for a start.

[Sodemo]

What I am worried about is that it looks like the track will be another "dust bowl" like Hungary where no one overtakes as its dusty off-line.

If they had pre-planned it they would have ensured the surrounding track area near the "overtaking braking zones" were tarmaced to try and minimise the amount of dust blown onto the track.

[Bostik]

If you want to see progress of the Bahrain International Circuit - have a look at Herr Tilke's website: http://www.tilke.com/HTML_E/FRAME1.HTM

They have blasted a lot of rock to make the track quite undulating. Yes, rock - its not got the big windswept sand dune effect that Dubai has.
The immediate track area will be sprayed anyway, so there should be minimal sand problems - but the F1 teams know that racing is not always about having hot sticky tyres and hot sticky tarmac - the real test of these brilliant drivers takes place when they have to use their driving skills and experience - rain? dust? same problem really.

The industry is taking it very seriously - take this recent quote:
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: 'With our race series in Germany and Asia, now extending to Britain and the USA in 2004, our Formula BMW talent promotion scheme is going more and more global. The establishment of a further Formula BMW Racing Center in Bahrain is another milestone in this venture. We hope that our involvement will provide a further impulse for the expansion of motor racing in the Middle East. The commitment and success with which Bahrain launched its bid to host a Formula One Grand Prix is evidence of the interest and potential that prevails in this region.'
There will also be a one make regional sportscar (Radical SR3) championship based in Bahrain.
Although Bahrain only has a population of 650,000 - 50% of those are under 25 years old. Huge interest in motor sport - they have had an active motor club since 1952.

[Bostik]

Why is so much fuss made about the number of paying spectators in Bahrain?
I would hazard a guess that the businesses(sponsors)that fund F1 do not care very much if only 40,000 people attend the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
A cumulative audience of over 57 billion people watched the 17 televised Formula One events in 1999. Source: www.hire-speed.com
The sponsors are only interested in those numbers - and the F1 Paddock Club for their local guests.
The Government of Bahrain are spending $150 million to build a race circuit (which is long overdue) and to get some quality airtime (how many people think Bahrain is in Saudi?).
$150m - so what? Dubai is about to invest $275m on an indoor ski slope!!

[GP Racer]

It would look very bad indeed if the inaugural GP only drew 40,000 fans. Besides, and I could be wrong on this, but, unless the govt. owns and operates the track, then you need to sell tickets to pay for all the track expenses, don't you? The TV audience, no matter how large, won't help the track pay the bills.

At Indy, a privately owned and operated track, they draw 150,000 to 200,000, one of the biggest F1 crowds of the year, and they still complain that the profit margin is slim.

I think fans at the track are a neccesity to make a successful GP.

[gttouring]

not to mention- wet tracks and driver skill is an effect of nature coming in with rain to 'spice' up the game.
Now BUILDING a track on sandy lots is not nature but poor planning, and if sand gets into the intake and into the engine enough- i see explosions and siezed engines, where water may evaporate or cause little effect in the mist size particles that enter- sand will nt evaporate, and may cause havoc to radiators and moving parts-oh no.
and really did everyone forget the 'tent-city' they have to build for this event? TENTs!?
this is a global multiBILLION euro/dollar/pound effort and they get tents for teams and spectators (as reported on SPEED) they do not have facilities to handle a gp coming into town, with fans and teams. build 150million dollar track, (no infrastructure-ooops!) start a few series (of radicals and what have you) and govt. subsidizes the race- sounds real good- for Bernie Max and the FOA...not to mention FIA coffers

[stuartscott]

The circuit will be the best in the world when it is completed. I recently visited the facility and it is well within schedule. The official website is www.bahraingp.com

[Adam43]

Stuart, welcome I've seen your posts elsewhere on ten-tenths, but not so much in F1.

Anyway. I had heard that there are no problems with getting it completed in time. I'm sure it will be an excellent facility.

When did you go there? How far developed is it?

Also, dos anyone know if they are to host an event before the GP? I'm not suggesting that it will be like Dallas or Spa when the track broke up, this is a permanent circuit. However it would bbe interesting (and useful for the organisers) to get some feedback before the 'main event' (as they call it).

[crozier74]

Their doing exactly that Adam

There's to be a running of a Euro F3000 race there in March to give them feedback before the GP.

[stuartscott]

Adam, Steve and I visited two weeks before christmas and were amazed at the facilities at the circuit. It will be a drivers' track with a lot of overtaking opportunities which will be good for spectators. It isn't flat by no means and has three hairpin corners with downhill braking. There will be parts of the track that will be in the sanddunes so tyres
will be an issue especially if it is windy. They hope to run an F3000 before the Grand Prix and also a GT race which we hope to be taking part in.

[Adam43]

Excellent, be sure to give us a report somewhere on ten-tenths

Thanks for the information (I think I may have known about the Euro F3000 race ).

[stuartscott]

We will give you a report on ten-tenths about Bahrain and the circuit but for our racing please look for updates on the GT forums and our own website www.wood-scott.com

[chrisgr31]

Originally posted by gttouring
another reason why expansion of GP's into places with no history or motorsports infrastructure should be done so hastily, Bahrain has announced it does not have the sufficient hotel facilities or accomodations to house the Gp circus from teams to visitors and will set up a 'tent city' to do so. yeeesh. a little more preparation on bahrains part prior to a GP purchase would be in order- bernie is a greedy ass for handing them a GP, Dubai should be on the list first, it is a large city, and Shanghai- well it has the accomodations. is this bad or will it cause a huge grwoth for bahrain as a tourist destination? or is this ill prepared (not to say bad, but it has clearly not been thought through) Gp already off the 2005 calender?

I am not sure why a tent city should be a problem. The culture in the Middle East is different to the western world. It was only a couple of days ago that my parents were talking abouta trip they had contemplated taking in Dubai which involved staying in a tented oasis at a cost of something like £500 a night!

If the Sheik wants something done, it will be done, on time and in great style.

I really must get around to looking at flight options for this Grand Prix, even if the terrorist threat is a bit worrying!

[Asp]

Originally posted by gttouring
Now BUILDING a track on sandy lots is not nature but poor planning, and if sand gets into the intake and into the engine enough- i see explosions and siezed engines, where water may evaporate or cause little effect in the mist size particles that enter- sand will nt evaporate, and may cause havoc to radiators and moving parts-oh no.

I posted a few months ago a quote by a circuit director on this problem - the sand will be treated by a special chemical that will gel the sand together and prevent any problems with sand - not just with any potential engine problems but the more immediate problem of losing grip on the track.

[bahraini spirit]

ppl, ur not giving the race a chance, bahrain is new to this as every new venue is. bout infrastructure, i mean its the first race, and knowing that u got the go ahead to host a race, u build a circuit in a record time, a 170 hectare construction site in what, less than a year and a half. u dont expect to build tons and tons of hotels in that time. and besides, after the country was given the green light, tons of projects are proposed for that area. am not saying that bahrain is dubai in terms of wealth or facilites or infrastructre, but its trying hard to create a respectable atomsphere and i think its an achievement to what has been already done. and as ive mentioned before in the other post, we have the oldest and most established motor sports federation in the region since 1952. some projects coming up in that area (known as sakhir) are a huge hotel and marina, a proposed huge horse track, a huge resort and a ski slope. bostik, who said its about figures and money, its about quality and not quantity. as u said dubai is building the $275 million ski dome, but if numbers where that important, bahrain can talk more about its proposed $700 million ski dome which will be the largest in the world once completed (5 years with planning and construction dunno when though).

my point is, never judge somethin before u c it, ppl before u where proven wrong. always look at the bright side.