Bahrain coming up!

After, what seems, a long off-season, engines are roaring and making ready to kick off the 2006 Formula One World Championship in Bahrain. F1Technical is previewing the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix that takes place next Sunday (12 March).

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a broderless island nation positioned in the middle south of the Persian Gulf. The country has a rich culture that has been influenced by the culture of its invaders. Bahrain has been populated since prehistoric times and has even been proposed as the site of the bibical Garden of Eden. Its strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians and finally the Arabs, under whom the island became Muslim.

Bahrain, meaning ‘Two Seas’ refers to the fact that the islands contain the two sources of water, sweet water springs and salty water in the surrounding seas.

In spite of its small size, Bahrain holds a strategic position in the region. While it was the first Gulf state to discover and extract oil in 1932, it has quickly moved to diversify its economy by becoming a leader not only in petroleum processing and refining but also through the development of the regions pre-eminent financial centre.

The Kingdom has been a beacon for economic and political reform. The King, majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has implemented broadbased initiatives since ascending the throne in 1999. In terms of economy, Bahrain is ranked as the most free economy in the Middle East and the Arab world. Bahrain has consistently been a leading economic, political and social ground breaker in the regian, with an international standard infrastructure and unique geographical location that accesses the major western and eastern hemisphere capitals within a short time.

Bahrain is also loved with the tourists. The diversity of cultures, lifestyle, entertainment and the accommodation attracts almost 4 million visitors annually.

The Formula One World Championship is the pinnacle of global motor racing. It has a similar level of profile to the FIFA soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games, the difference is that it takes place 19 times every year as opposed to once every four year.

This season the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is the first GP of the season. In 2004 the GP of Bahrain marked the first ever round in the Formula One championship to be held in the Middle East. The circuit is located at Sakhir, 30km south-west of the island’s capital city Manama. The Herman Tilke designed circuit contains no less than five track layouts within one complex. The construction of the circuit began in November 2002 and ended in March 2004.

The 5,411 km Grand Prix circuit was designed with the spectator in mind, with 50.000 grandstand seats, all providing excellent views. Those spectators, a total of 100.000 during a race weekend, get to see the cars heading into the external desert area, before coming back into the oasis-styled infield.

The track offers the drivers an unique experience in the way the circuit’s width varies at the end of the different straights. This allows for diverse racing lines, and the 12-corner design provides at least 3 overtaking opportunities.

Circuit/Date: Bahrain International Circuit/12 March 2006
Start time (local/UTC): 14:30 hrs/11:30 hrs (CET 12:30 hrs)
Lap/Race distance: 5.412 km/308.238 km (57 laps)
Winner 2005: Fernando Alonso (Mild Seven Renault F1 Team), 1 hr 29:18.531 min
Pole position 2005: Fernando Alonso (Mild Seven Renault F1 Team), 3:01.902 min (aggregate of 1st and 2nd qualifying)
Fastest lap 2005: Pedro de la Rosa (West McLaren Mercedes), 1:31.447 min on lap 43
Lap record: Michael Schumacher (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro), 1:30.252 min (2004)