Bahrain International Circuit

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain is a country in the Persian Gulf. The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. The country is situated between the Qatari peninsula and the north eastern coast of Saudi Arabia to which it is connected by the 25-kilometre (16 mi) King Fahd Causeway. According to the 2020 census, Bahrain's population numbers 1,501,635 people, of which 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. At 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) in size, it is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

The Bahrain International Circuit is a 5.412 km (3.363 mi) motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Beginning in 2006, Australian V8 Supercars raced at the BIC, with the event known as the Desert 400. However, the V8 Supercars did not return for the 2011 V8 Supercar season. 24 Hour endurance races are also hosted at BIC. The circuit has a FIA Grade 1 license. The circuit also has multiple layouts.

The circuit is located at Sakhir, in central western Bahrain, approximately half an hour from the capital, Manama.  Bahrain International Airport boasts good connections inside the Middle East and around the world and can be found a further 10 minutes north of Manama, on an island joined to the city by two large bridges. Bus, taxi and hire car are your choices for getting around Bahrain. Airport buses operate to and from all the main hotels, as do circuit shuttles.

The circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, the same architect who designed the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The main contractor for the project was Cebarco-WCT. The circuit cost approximately 56.2 million Bahraini Dinars (US$150 million) to construct. It has six separate tracks, including a test oval and a drag strip. The circuit posed a unique problem. Positioned in the middle of a desert, there were worries that sand would blow onto the circuit and disrupt the race. However, organizers were able to keep the sand off the track by spraying an adhesive on the sand around the track.

The surface of the track is made of graywacke aggregate, shipped to Bahrain from Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire, England. The surface material is highly acclaimed by circuit bosses and Formula 1 drivers for the high level of grip it offers. The same aggregate material is used at the Yas Marina Circuit, venue of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Shortly after the Formula One February 2014 testing, the first corner of the track was renamed after seven-time champion German driver Michael Schumacher in honour of his achievements and also in support after he suffered an almost fatal skiing accident late December 2013.

Asian Destinations Readers, don't forget to prepare an umbrella and hat to protect yourself from the scorching heat of the bahrain sun.

Entrance ticket prices and match schedules can be accessed further via https://www.bahrainp.com/ . Asian Destinations Readers can also visit the nearest place that can be visited is the Bahrain National Museum.

 

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain_International_Circuit

https://www.bahrainp.com/

https://www.racingcircuits.info/middle-east/bahrain/bahrain-international-circuit.html#.YcpTaMlBzIU

https://www.inspirock.com/bahrain/manama/bahrain-international-circuit-a121188991

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain