Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, GP2 Asia Series and Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship Set

Manama, Wednesday 10th March 2010: With the 2010 Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix only two days away, several regional and international championships prepare to compete when Race Number One kicks off the 60th anniversary season of Formula 1™.

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, a championship which has supported the prestigious FIA Formula 1™ World Championship since 1993 and has a long history as one of the most skilled international series, will be hosting the inaugural race of its 18th season at this year’s Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. The series, deemed one of Porsche’s most exciting championships, is well established as a top tier event due to the combination of lightweight cars, weighing 1130kg, and powerful engines producing 420bhp. While slight modifications can be made, teams are restricted to the extent to which they are allowed to modify their vehicles, resulting in races being decided based on a driver’s ability, skill and talent. The 24 car starting grid will see identical Porsche GT3 911 models compete, similar to the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, which is based at Bahrain International Circuit. Race Number One will feature the start of a new season for Porsche as the 1st and 2nd rounds of the championship are held at Bahrain International Circuit.

Two time winner and last season’s championship title holder Jeroen Bleekemolen will be racing for Al Faisal Lechner Racing team. The Dutchman will be joined by Rene Rast who claimed six victories last season, making for an extremely competitive team. Other favourite contenders for this year’s title include Slovakian Stephan Rosina (Lechner Racing), Supercup record holder Patrick Huisman (Konrad Motorsport) and Sascha Maassen (ToLimit Team).

The exciting GP2 Asia Series will be revealing this year’s selection of racing prodigies and exceptional young talents as the FIA Formula 1™ World Championship’s most active feeder category helps the next generation of motorsport stars reach the top level of the sport. With a television audience of over 13 million viewers and an ever growing fan-base, the GP2 has expanded its reach to the Asian and Middle Eastern motorsport sectors with its Asian branch. Formula 1™ drivers such as Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Timo Glock and Nico Hulkenberg are all GP2 graduates and competed in this championship immediately prior to finding themselves behind the wheel of a Formula 1™ car. The FIA Formula 1™ World Championship 2010 season will see no fewer than nine former GP2 drivers line the starting grid when Race Number One kicks off the calendar on the 12th, 13th and 14th of March. The GP2 Asia Series has established itself as a strong championship and a natural path to both the European GP2 Series and Formula 1™. So far both of its champions have landed an F1™ drive, with Romain Grosjean lined up at the Renault F1 Team and Kamui Kobayashi racing with Toyota F1 in 2009 and with Sauber in 2010, while 2008 runner-up Sébastien Buemi is Toro Rosso’s official driver since last season.

The championship already visited Bahrain International Circuit earlier in the year when it competed during the 2010 Gulf Air Desert 400 where Davide Valsecchi claimed round 1, giving him enough points to claim this year’s championship title. Charles Pic blistered across the finish line in race 2 after a thrilling battle with Adrian Zaugg, Giacomo Ricci and Javier Villa.

GP2 Asia Series Race 1 – 34 laps

Pos Driver (Team)                        Time/Gap
01. Davide Valsecchi (iSport)      1h02m05.146s
02. Luca Filippi (Meritus)              + 2.792s
03. Javier Villa (Arden)                  + 6.067s
04. Giacomo Ricci (DPR)            + 6.238s
05. Charles Pic (Arden)               + 13.026s

GP2 Asia Series Race 2 – 23 laps

Pos Driver (Team)                     Time/Gap
01. Charles Pic (Arden)              41m11.960s
02. Giacomo Ricci (DPR)            + 3.586s
03. Javier Villa (Arden)                 + 9.371s
04. Sam Bird (ART)                      + 22.388s
05. Edoardo Piscopo (DAMS)     + 23.193s

The Bahrain based Chevrolet Supercars ME Championship, one of the region’s most exciting series, will be part of the support race line up for the Formula 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. The series, completed manufactured and developed in the Kingdom following a unique partnership of Chevrolet Motorsport and Bahrain International Circuit, provides a platform for the development of local and regional drivers throughout the Middle East. With Fahad Al Musalam, Adbulaziz Al Yaeesh, Tarek Elgammal and Sheikh Hamad Al Khalifa all in contention for the 2009-10 title, it will be a significant round which may well decide this year’s SC09 overall winner.

Chevrolet Supercars ME Championship standings

Position. Driver                                 Points
01. Fahad Al Musalam                     69
02. Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh                   62
03. Tarek Elgammal                         57
04. Sh. Hamad Al Khalifa                 50
05. Raed Raffii                                   40
06. Mohammed Al Owais               39
07. Sh. Salman Al Khalifa                20
08. Prince Khalid Al Faisal              18
09. Raed Charawi                            12
10. Ahmad Al Harthy                         9

Tickets to the 2010 FIA Formula 1™ World Championship Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased online at Bahrain International Circuit’s official website, www.bahraingp.com or by calling the circuit hotline on +973-17-450000. They are also available at the Bahrain International Circuit Welcome Centre in Sakhir, and at the circuit stands in Seef Mall and Bahrain City Centre.