60th Anniversary F1

SPECTATOR GUIDE

The race weekend, which takes place 12th, 13th and 14th of March at the award-winning Sakhir track, will be the inaugural race for this year’s 60th anniversary celebratory season of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Formula One World Championship. This will also be the 7th time the Kingdom of Bahrain hosts the third most popular sporting event in the World.

60TH FORMULA ONE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS

Bahrain International Circuit and Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, are proud to present the  official 60-day countdown to the year’s most highly anticipated sporting, social and business networking event; the 2010 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. ‘The Home of Motorsports in the Middle East,’ officially opened by His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the 17th of March 2004, has brought an ever increasing number of spectators to the Kingdom, with this year’s special event promising to be the biggest, most exciting Gulf Air Bahrain yet.

Just as it is for Formula One, 2010 marks Gulf Air’s own 60th anniversary celebrations.  To mark the occasion and celebrate the airline’s next 60 years,  Gulf Air announced that  passengers buying Gulf Air tickets online to arrive in Bahrain between the 11th -14th  of March from 6am and 12 noon and wishing to travel to the circuit, would be met at the airport, taken to the track and receive a complimentary gift.

Also supporting "Race Number One" will be a program of three leading international motor racing series that will be complementing Formula One. These include the GP2 Asia Series, the Porsche Mobil1 Super Cup, and the Bahrain based Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship.

Support Races

The GP2 Asia Series will be holding the fourth and final round of its 2009-2010 season, with many of the future stars of single-seater racing showcasing their talents on the biggest stage.

The Porsche Mobil1 Super Cup will be opening its 2010 championship in Bahrain. The perennial support series of Formula One, the Super Cup brings together identical Porsche 911 Cup cars that have been a constant favourite since the series began supporting the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Chevrolet Supercars will be staging its sixth and penultimate round of the 2009-2010 season. Being the Middle East’s most talked-about championship, it brings together the region’s best drivers in highly intense battles which guarantees adrenaline pumping racing action.

"This year’s race being the first in the F1 calendar and seeing the return of racing ledged Michael Schumacher, the 2010 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be one of highlights of this year’s racing calendar" - Kyle Haywood, CCO of Gulf Air.

Legends

As part of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Formula One and Gulf Air, an unprecedented and never-before-seen gathering of Formula One legends, both past and present, will take place.The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will bring together some of the greatest heroes and former World Champions the sport has seen since its birth in 1950. Among the famous names expected to be at the Grand prix are:

• Sir Jack Brabham
• John Surtees
• Sir Jackie Stewart
• Emerson Fittipaldi
• Niki Lauda
• Mario Andretti
• Jody Scheckter
• Alan Jones
• Keke Rosberg
• Alain Prost
• Nigel Mansell
• Damon Hill
• Mika Hakkinen
• Jacques Villeneuve
• Michael Schumacher
• Fernando Alonso
• Lewis Hamilton
• Jenson Button
• As well as special guest appearences by Juan Manuel Fangio Jnr.

Bahrain’s 60th Anniversary
Formula One Collection ‘Will Never Be Repeated’

For the diamond celebration of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Bahrain International Circuit has created the most ambitious historic racing car collection ever seen – and it will exist for only three days. Bringing together many of the iconic cars that have won championships during the 60 years will add to the spectacle and add to the uniqueness of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Bahrain will bring together cars from each decade including some of the classics from the 50s such as Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. More recent winners from the 60s onwards will be represented by Lotus, Ferrari, Tyrrell, Matra, Brabham and Williams in what promises to be the most spectacular gathering of World Champion ship winning cars ever seen at a Grand Prix.

A total of 20 landmark championship-winning cars will be joined by the 20 surviving world champions for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration on March 12-14.

• 1950 Alfa Romeo 159 (provisional)
• 1951 Ferrari 375
• 1951 Ferrari Thin Wall Special
• 1952 Ferrari 500
• 1954 Mercedes 196
• 1960 Cooper T53
• 1962 BRM P57
• 1963 Lotus 25
• 1964 Ferrari 1512
• 1968 Lotus 49
• 1969 Matra MS80
• 1972 Lotus 72
• 1973 Tyrrell 006
• 1976 McLaren M23
• 1978 Lotus 79
• 1979 Ferrari 312
• 1982 Williams FW08
• 1983 Brabham BT52
• 1988 McLaren MP4/4 (Static display)
• 1992 Williams FW14
• 1996 Williams FW18

This once-in-a-lifetime 60th Anniversary Collection will encompass the many giant leaps made in racing car design and construction, and also the most unforgettable sporting contests, to have taken place in motor sport history. The Ferrari 500 F2 in which Alberto Ascari claimed his 1952-53 world championships remains one of the most successful cars of all time.  No driver has beaten Ascari’s unbroken run of nine consecutive Grand Prix wins, and neither have they beaten his record of winning 75% of races entered in a single season.

From the sport’s first decade the remarkable Mercedes-Benz W196 of 1954-55 also makes a rare appearance, with the car in which Juan Manuel Fangio claimed two of his five world championship titles to be demonstrated by 1998-99 world champion Mika Häkkinen on the Bahrain International Circuit.

Many of the cars will be reunited with their championship-winning drivers, starting with the 1960 Cooper-Climax T53 in which three-time champion Sir Jack Brabham won his second title and banished the classic front-engined Grand Prix cars forever.  Other champions attending include John Surtees (1964), Sir Jackie Stewart (1969, 1971, 1973), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972, 1974), Mario Andretti (1978), Jody Scheckter (1979) and Nigel Mansell (1992). Other champions will be represented by their own illustrious kinsmen, including Juan Fangio II, nephew of the Argentine five-time title winner and a former Indycar star in his own right, who will take the wheel of a Maserati 250F.  The illustrious Hill family have produced the only father and son world champions in the sport’s history, and will be extremely well represented at the celebrations. 

Graham Hill’s two title-winning cars – his 1962 BRM P57 ‘stackpipe’ and ground-breaking 1968 Lotus-Ford 49B – will stand alongside his son Damon’s 1996 title-winning Williams-Renault FW18.  Damon will be present and returning to the cockpit, while his son Josh will take a break from his junior racing programme in the UK to demonstrate grandfather Graham’s iconic Lotus.

“Bahrain has the honour of opening a new era in Formula One history on March 12-14. A tremendous season is in store with the return of some illustrious names and the debut of new teams.  In only seven years our race is held in high enough esteem to mark this landmark in Formula One history, and how better to celebrate the occasion than with an unrepeatable gathering of legends?” - Bahrain International Circuit acting CEO, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa

NEW CHALLENGES FOR 2010 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

The 2010 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be kicking off the 60th anniversary season of the FIA Formula One World Championship with a brand new track layout as it extends its existing 5.412km circuit to a thrilling 6.299km.  After six years as host to the biggest sporting, business and social event in the Middle East, the Bahrain International Circuit’s new track extension now offers a challenging loop of corners and height changes reaching out into the Sakhir desert to bring fresh challenges and exciting overtaking opportunities in readiness for the 2010 event.

While the iconic desert circuit will retain its unique character, the new loop will sweep left as the cars accelerate out of the existing Turn 4 and take them into a fast flowing right-hander before a complex sequence of five bends brings them back towards the original circuit.  From here they will accelerate through a left-right kink before a tight and challenging hairpin brings them back on to the existing circuit, adding eight new corners to what is already one of the drivers’ favourite venues.Increasing the challenges during the new season, new regulations ban mid-race refuelling and increase the importance of cars passing on the track rather than through pit strategy, which has been another key factor behind the revision.

Already the 2010 Formula One season is the most anticipated in recent memory, headlined by the return of Mercedes-Benz as a Formula One constructor for the first time in 55 years led by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.  The 2010 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix marks the first race in Formula One’s 60th season and will see Schumacher and Mercedes confront an all-star line-up including the British McLaren ‘superteam’ of reigning World Champion Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s new partnership of double world champion Fernando Alonso with two-time Bahrain Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa.

HUGE VARIETY OF ENTERTAINMENT TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF FORMULA 1™

The Bahrain International Circuit prepares to celebrate this momentous occasion in the history of motor sport with a huge variety of exciting entertainment and live concerts.
 
Not only will there be international concerts from Hussain Al Jasmi, Flo Rida, Sean Kingston and Timbaland through the course of the event, together with international and regional performers on the Main Stage in the Formula 1™ Village throughout the weekend, but also there will be plenty of entertainers who like to share the atmosphere of the biggest social occasion in the Gulf with the audience itself.  Roaming through the many refreshment outlets, chill-out zones and play areas will be a small army of entertainers all there to ensure an
unforgettable experience.

CONCERTS

Hussain Al Jasmi
The renowned Emarati artist Hussain Al Jasmi will be performing on Thursday 11th March, 1 day prior to the Kingdom’s round of the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, at the BIC concert area, located at the Circuit’s facilities. All fans with a 3 day ticket to the 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be able to enjoy the concert free of charge.

Hussain Al Jasmi, one of the most famous singers in the Gulf region, has taken part in many of the region’s most important National festivals, including Bahrain’s Independence Day
celebrations, the ‘Al Mahaba’ Music Festival in Cairo and Damascus, and the National festivities of Kuwait, UAE and Oman. The Emarati superstar, who received the Murex D’or Award for ‘Best Arabic Male Singer’ in 2008 and the ART Oscar award for ‘Best Arab Artist’ at the end of 2009, has worked with many of the region’s most renowned poets, such as Ali Al Kaabi, Hamad bin Soheil Al-Katib, Ali Al Khawar and Faisal Al Yami.

Sean Kingston and Flo Rida
The 2010 Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be a festival of entertainment with the on-track action supported by a wide array of performers and some top-flight concerts.   R’n’B artists Sean Kingston and Flo Rida will perform on Saturday 13th March at the Bahrain International Circuit and fans who purchase a 3 day ticket will be able to attend the concert. Famous for his unique reggae fusion style, Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston has received numerous awards and has produced several chart hits, most popular of which was the song titled ‘Beautiful Girl,’ which topped charts all over the world, remaining in the number one spot of the UK’s Singles and the USA’s Billboard Hot 100 for over 3 weeks.

The 20 year old artist has worked with a long list of internationally renowned performers, including some of the most influential RnB performers of the last decade, such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T-Pain and many more. The winner of Fox’s Teen Choice Awards and the UK’s MOBO (Music of Black Origin) ‘Best Reggae Act,’ will be joined on March 13 by American rapper Flo Rida.Flo Rida’s debut ‘Mail on a Sunday’ features some of the industries most successful performers such as T-Pain, Timbaland, WILL.I.AM and Sean Kingston. He followed this with his 2009 album, ‘R.O.O.T.S,’ which saw the single ‘Right Round’ become a number one hit.  

Timbaland
Internationally renowned super producer Timbaland will be performing on Sunday March 14th to close the 2010 Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.  The concerts will be taking place at Bahrain International Circuit’s facilities and will be completely free for those in possession of a 3 day ticket.  For more than a decade, Timbaland has dominated the pop charts by producing an endless stream of hits for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, and Nelly Furtado. So prolific a hitmaker is he that in the span of a single year — 2006 to 2007 — Timbaland produced more than 10 international chart-toppers, including Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” Timberlake’s “Sexy Back,” and 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology.”

Timbaland’s touch extends to his own solo work — he scored three Top 10 singles alone from his 2007 solo album Shock Value. As he racked up the hits, Timbaland re-defined the possibilities of what pop music could sound like, from the bhangra-infused hip-hop of Missy Elliott’s smash “Get Ur Freak On,” to Furtado’s eerie, yet soulful “Say it Right,” to the orchestral R&B of Timberlake’s “What Goes Around Comes Around.” Unsurprisingly, he has been hailed by musicians and music critics alike as a sonic auteur in the tradition of such iconic, history-making producers as Brian Eno, Gamble and Huff, and Phil Spector.

2010 Formula 1™ Village

As ever the emphasis is firmly on a fun-packed family day out at the Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. With dancers, musicians, illusionists and artists from across the region and flying in specially from Europe, all ages are catered for as you soak up the ambience of the biggest sporting and social occasion of the year. The entertainers performing in the Formula 1™ Village at the 2010 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be:

Main Stage Performers

Gil Korilin: Master of Ceremonies on the Main Stage, the charismatic and witty Gil Korilin will keep the show rolling day and night.
DJ Hooch: one of the hottest party DJs in Britain, DJ Hooch will keep things swinging in between performances.
Circus Mama Afrika: a performance troup like no other, Circus Mama Afrika has an extraordinary appeal with music, dance, acrobatics and more.  In total 41 performers will be appearing
every hour on the hour on the Main Stage in the Formula One Village, including contortionists, street dancers and classical circus acts – be prepared for one of the big hits of the year!
Legends: Bob Marley tribute band all the way from the UK, playing four sets per day.  Enjoy all the greatest hits of reggae legends Bob Marley and the Wailers played exactly as they were
at the peak of their powers.
Patrick Alan-Rob:  British-born r’n’b star performing covers of some of the best-known hits of the genre.
The B-Boy Champions: A British-based freestyle dance troupe featuring international champion dancers who will be thrilling the crowds to some urban sounds.  The dancers are double Red Bull BC One world champion Lilou, world headspin record holder Roxy, world handspin record holder Cico and B-Boy champion Brahim.
Plague: hip-hop dance troupe from the UK featuring together some top individual performers to one world-beating ensemble.  Plague has won the UK HipHop Street Dance Championships three times and claimed the 2005 World HipHop dance championship.  Five times a day you can witness this stunning show.
Lisa the Violinist: a welcome return for this hugely talented musician who takes the elegance of her classical instrument and sets it against modern electronics and driving rhythms.  Lisa performed in the spectator and media areas in 2009 and appears on the Main Stage for 2010.
Half-Pipe Performers - Team Extreme: bringing together a host of world champion performers at the 2010 Formula 1™Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Team Extreme mixes BMX and skateboard action in the half-pipe together with urban sounds and freestyle dancers this is a barnstorming show with death-defying stunts and the coolest of soundtracks.

Roaming the Formula 1™ Village

Pop the Balloon Man: dazzling and delighting with his dexterity, Pop the Balloon Man will be creating extraordinary sculptures from his many-coloured balloons!
Thomas Trilby and Steve Kaos: familiar figures to regular visitors at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Tom and Steve will once again be towering over the crowds as they make their way
around on enormous stilts.  On foot and on bicycle in their array of spectacular outfits including Victorian Gentlemen and British Bobbies.
Mariachi Mexteca: central American spice comes from the strings of the Mariachi performers, who will playing traditional Latin American tunes.  A lively, vibrant and passionate addition to
the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix repetoire, enjoy the very best in flamenco.
Bruce Airhead: a maestro in a mankini, Bruce Airhead will leave you speechless with his six foot balloon cabaret show.  Promising uproarious laughter and a grand finale that will take your
breath away, catch the show six times a day.
Rick Coleman: a caricature artist who can capture the essence of someone in just minutes.  Take home a little piece of magic!
The Top Bananas: absolutely and categorically the world’s greatest stilt-mounted band, these gravity-defying musicians will keep you entertained with their wild costumes and zany
behaviour.
Karla face painting: one of the best face painting artists you will ever see, turn yourself into anything you fancy!
who will have you in stitches as they capture you in a personal caricature.
Noah Events: specialist kids play company from Bahrain.
Eliot Rush: soulful saxophone to seranade you in the spectator and media tunnels.
Gidda: a man with a unique hand drum to soothe you as you make your way through the spectator and media tunnels.
Rob: a favourite of commuters on the London Underground, Rob will be right at home in the BIC tunnels.
Cash Cows: returning after a barnstorming performance in the tunnels last year, Cash Cows bring their busking to the Main Stage in 2010.

BIC Race Zone

 
As part of the promotional activities supporting the 2010 Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix the Bahrain International Circuit has put its show on the road.  Located in the heart of the thriving Seef District, adjacent to the City Center Mall, you will find the free-to-enter BIC Race Zone with adrenaline rides, live music and performances, Formula 1™ simulator and Pit Stop Challenge plus refreshments and a dedicated children’s area.  Open from February 24-March 14 inclusive, the BIC Race Zone is the ideal spot to keep the good times rolling.

Don't Miss Out!

The 2010 60th Anniversary Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix takes place on 12th, 13th and 14th of March and will see plenty of action and entertainment for families, friends, adults and
children. Tickets are already on sale through the circuit hotline on +973-17-450000 or online at the circuit’s official website,www.bahraingp.com. They can also be bought at the circuit’s stands in Seef Mall and Bahrain City Centre, or at the Welcome Centre at the circuit entrance in Sakhir.