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Bahrain gears up for big F1 race, tickets sales soar

MANAMA, April 15, 2017

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has announced that the ticket sales for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix has witnessed a solid growth this year when compared to the 2016 sales.

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, yesterday conducted a tour of the BIC and attended the first day of the Formula 1 Grand Prix race.

During the tour, the Crown Prince welcomed the teams, residents and spectators attending the Gulf Air 2017 Grand Prix, noting that Bahrain and its people are pleased to receive guests from around the world, reported BNA.

His Royal Highness highlighted that the race is one of the region’s biggest and most exciting sporting occasions and the whole country is once again delighted to welcome the race back to the Kingdom.

The Crown Prince praised the organisers of the race, noting that all of Bahrain cherishes their success in consistently delivering a world-class event that has become engrained in Bahrain’s national identity. His Royal Highness went on to acknowledge the important role Bahrain’s youth play in the event’s organization, said the report.

His Royal Highness added that the Grand Prix has enhanced Bahrain’s ties with the rest of the world and exemplifies the Kingdom’s outstanding potential as a destination for international events. In this regard, the Crown Prince noted that the BIC is a source of great pride for the Kingdom and contributes directly to the success of Bahrain’s national economy.

Tickets have already sold out for the University Grandstand. They are also 98 per cent sold out for the Main Grandstand. With the highly anticipated night race happening on Sunday, this year’s mega event has generated great interest from race fans all over the world, said the BNA in its report.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel gave Ferrari a bright start to the weekend’s events by setting the day’s overall best lap time after topping the timesheet in both the day’s Formula 1 practices, stated the reporr.

The two-time winner with former team Red Bull registered a fastest lap of one minute 31.310 seconds. His best came during a highly competitive evening run, held under BIC’s state-of-the-art floodlights, which ended with up to three drivers of having a chance to capture the top spot.

Vettel was a mere 0.041s quicker than Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, and just 0.066s ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull in third place.

Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen was ranked fourth 1.168s off Vettel’s pace, while Lewis Hamiltoin of Mercedes, Nico Hulkenberg of Renault, Felipe Massa of Williams and Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the top eight.

Formula 1 action resumes today (April 15) afternoon with a third practice session starting at 3pm. Qualifying will then be held from 6pm to 7pm under floodlights.

Enrique Iglesias set for epic performance

Following yesterday evening’s spectacular performances by Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Klingande and MATTN, the music continues on Saturday with the headlining pair of Enrique Iglesias and Steve Aoki.

They will be performing live in back-to-back shows after Formula 1 Qualifying, with Iglesias being the first to take to the stage before Aoki closes out the night in style.

All those with tickets to the Grand Prix weekend will be able to enjoy all the concerts at no extra cost.

Iglesias is a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. His global popularity is undeniable, and he is one of the biggest artists ever to grace the stage at the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

He has been celebrated with just about every award an artist can receive, including multiple Grammys, Billboard Awards, World Music Awards, American Music Awards, and many more totaling over 200, said the BNA report.

Aoki is an electronic dance music icon. He has collaborated with other major artists such as Linkin Park, will.i.am, Afrojack, LMFAO, Iggy Azalea and Lil Jon, to name a few.

Aoki was ranked Best DJ in America by DJ Times in 2015, and until today continues to rock the airwaves with his hugely popular tracks.

Entertainment showcase for the whole family all through the weekend

Race-goers will have lots to do along BIC’s Formula 1 Village vending area.

Among the many attractions are a Dinosaurs and Ice Age Tent, a Haunted Mansion, a wide variety of Roaming Acts and shows, and plenty of kinds’ entertainment, stated the report.

The Dinosaurs and Ice Age Tent and Haunted Mansion are firsts for the Bahrain Grand Prix, and they are sure to be fan favourites. All those who choose to visit the Haunted Mansion must be truly prepared for a fright and must be aged 12 years old and above.

Meanwhile, a series of fantastic shows will be taking place all weekend long, as well as a wide array of international roaming acts, said the BNA in its report.

For the kids, there will be outdoor activities such as a Sensory Zone, Mumbo Tumbo Drum Beats, Badge Caricaturists, Face Painting and Pop the Balloon Man. There are also workshops to keep them busy and entertained all throughout the Grand Prix weekend.

The Main Grandstand ticket costs BD150 apiece, while a Batelco Grandstand ticket is BD120. A ticket to the Turn One Grandstand is BD100, while tickets to the University and Victory Grandstands are BD60 apiece.

Children aged three to 12 years old can get tickets for half the price, while entry is free of charge for those below three years old. School students aged 13 to 17 years old can get a 25 per cent discount. University students can get 10 per cent off, while senior citizens aged 60 and above along with people with special needs can get 25 per cent discount, said the report.

All tickets are for three-day access to the Grand Prix weekend, which, aside from F1, will include racing from other major international and regional championships, it added.
 




Tags: Bahrain | tickets | Crown prince |

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