THE Bahrain International Circuit slogan ‘Home of MotorSport in the Middle East’ is not just a group of resounding words.
Behind each letter lie enormous Bahraini efforts to achieve a huge leap in all sorts of international motorsport events taking place in Bahrain. These efforts are masterminded and conducted mainly by Bahraini citizens aided by foreign expertise to help reach perfection.
Nine months ago, the dream turned into reality, and Bahrain became the first Middle Eastern country ever to host a round of the FIA Formula One Championship. However, Bahraini ambitions never reach a limit, and extended to host other racing series that help support national awareness of motorsport. This emphasised Bahrain’s location on the regional map as a home for motorsport in the Middle East.
In that regard, the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has recently concluded the events of the Bahrain GT Festival, which took place between November 25 and 26. It featured around 70 of the most extravagant GT cars racing wheel to wheel in an astounding show of speed crowned by a much-acclaimed regional and international success.
And this was just the beginning, because during December 9 and 10, the BIC was the hosting ground to the F3 SuperPrix race, which a number of Bahraini drivers took part in, a fact that embodied the Kingdom’s efforts to nurture young racing talent in the region.
But for the optimum in speed and performance, there is nothing comparable to Drag Racing, one of the most popular forms of racing in the region, which took place on November 18 in the BIC. Everyone on the stands witnessed cars that housed roaring engines that sent shivers across the spines of motorsport enthusiasts with petrol in their blood. The Drag Race was also part of the F3 SuperPrix weekend on December 9 and 10.
These diverse series of international and regional races helped further propel Bahrain into the international motorsport arena, which translates the officials’ promises on making the circuit a home for motorsport in the Middle East through nurturing young talent and elevating the standard of motorsport in the region to an unprecedented form.