BIC hosts official launch event for Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026

Kingdom’s F1 spectacle scheduled for 10 to 12 April as part of first season in top flight’s ‘new era’
Turn 1 Grandstand sold out with Main Grandstand 98% sold; BIC’s Corporate Lounges and Champions Club hospitality also sold out
F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 slogan: ‘The Island of Racing Passion’
Superstar DJ and producer Martin Garrix to perform live on the Friday night of F1 weekend
Incredible support series programme on track plus plenty of off-track family entertainment awaits race-goers
BIC all set for six days of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 starting on Wednesday with first of two three-day sessions

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, hosted this evening the official launch event of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 – part of F1’s highly anticipated first season in its ‘new era’.

The Kingdom’s sporting and entertainment spectacle is scheduled for 10 to 12 April in Sakhir, and it will be marking the fourth round of the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship.

With sweeping new regulations coming into effect and an 11th F1 team joining the grid, the excitement and anticipation is at an all-time high ahead of the new campaign, and details of what to expect in Bahrain’s F1 extravaganza were announced at today’s launch.

In attendance at the BIC Media Centre as a special guest for this evening’s event was Andrea Stella, Team Principal of back-to-back F1 Constructors’ World Champions McLaren.

Also on hand were BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Gulf Air CEO Martin Gauss, and world-renowned F1 presenter and commentator David Croft.

Stella shared his thoughts about the upcoming F1 campaign, with the top flight’s teams all rolling out brand-new cars that are smaller, narrower, and lighter than previous years, making them more agile and thus promoting more exciting action on track.

The cars will also boast more environmentally friendly power units featuring a 50-50 split between international combustion engine and electric power along with new active aerodynamics with different modes and a boost button to overtake.

A replica of the 2026 F1 car in stunning Bahrain livery was unveiled during this evening’s launch.

Also entering this campaign, an all-new team in Cadillac will be competing in the world championship, joining McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas, Alpine, and Audi, who have rebranded after racing last season as Kick Sauber.

Turn 1 Grandstand sold out with Main Grandstand 98% sold and Corporate Lounges and Champions Club also sold out

This year’s F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix promises to be one of its biggest yet.

After welcoming a record sell-out crowd for a third straight year in 2025, Shaikh Salman revealed today that tickets for the 2026 race weekend have been selling fast, with Turn 1 Grandstand sold out and main grandstand 98% sold with two months still to go before the grand prix.

Shaikh Salman commented: “We are looking very positive for 2026, reflecting the incredible popularity of motorsport in Bahrain and around the world. Our Turn 1 Grandstand is already sold out, the main grandstand 98% sold, with the others are not far behind. In addition to the sell out of our Corporate Boxes and Champions Club hospitality, we are set for an incredible weekend of racing and entertainment in April.

Tickets to the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 can be purchased online at the circuit’s official website bahraingp.com, or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000.

Hospitality options are also still available with F1 Paddock Club and The Dome by F1 Experiences. More details on these offerings are available on bahraingp.com or by calling +973-17451086.

F1 race slogan: ‘The Island of Racing Passion’

Shaikh Salman revealed this evening the slogan for this year’s grand prix as “The Island of Racing Passion”.

Shaikh Salman explained that this reflets Bahrain’s rich history in motorsport, which goes back decades before BIC hosted the region’s first-ever F1 grand prix.

“We are really proud of our racing history, not just as the first F1 race to be held in the Middle East back in 2004, but you can go way back to 1954 when the Bahrain Motor Federation was founded – that passion has been there for a long time,” Shaikh Salman said.

“At the same time, we also wanted our slogan to recognize the growing passion of the fans and the generation in Bahrain who have grown up with F1 as part of their lives.

Gulf Air continued support for Bahrain’s biggest global event

At the press conference, Gulf Air CEO Martin Gauss spoke of the partnership between Formula 1 and The Kingdom’s national carrier.

“We are extremely proud of our longstanding partnership with the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix — a relationship that dates back to the very first race in 2004. As Bahrain’s national carrier, we are honoured to play a role in elevating the Kingdom’s global profile and welcoming visitors from every corner of the world to experience this iconic international event,” stated Gauss.

Stacked grid of F1’s superstar drivers, including four World Champions

This season, a star-studded field of 22 F1 drivers – including four F1 Drivers’ World Champions from past and present – will be lining up on the BIC grid for the 57-lap night race.

They will be led by reigning World Champion Lando Norris, who will be looking to defend his crown alongside Oscar Piastri at McLaren.

The pair will be facing stiff challenges from Mercedes with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull Racing with four-time World Champion Max Verstappen and new teammate Isack Hadjar, Ferrari with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Williams with Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, Racing Bulls with Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad, Aston Martin with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Haas with Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, Audi with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, Alpine with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, and Cadillac with the returning star tandem of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Piastri was last year’s winner in the Kingdom, delivering the first-ever victory in Sakhir for McLaren. Hamilton, Alonso, Verstappen, and Leclerc have also won past editions of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, while Perez was a winner at BIC in the only time the F1 Sakhir Grand Prix was held as part of an historic F1 double-header in 2020.

Wide variety of colourful off-track family entertainment

Just as it is every year during F1 weekend, BIC has put together a fantastic programme of all kinds of off-track attractions for the whole family to enjoy.

As a major part of this year’s entertainment lineup, a water spectacular circus will be putting on an incredible show for race-goers.

There will also be plenty for the younger fans attending with their family and friends, such as live shows on stage featuring a variety of performers such as Hot Wheels, Barbie, Blippi, and many other popular characters.

The fan-favourite Ferris Wheel is also back to offer a memorable carnival ride for all those attending, while a wide variety of roaming acts will be interacting with attendees across BIC’s F1 Village.

For motorsport enthusiasts, F1 Fan Zone will be bringing them closer to the sporting experience with all kinds of motorsport activations.

These and so much more is in store at the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026.

Garrix becomes first of a series of top international artists announced by BIC for F1 weekend

The F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix experience would not be complete without the mega concerts taking place to celebrate the massive occasion.

BIC also announced that multi-platinum DJ and producer Martin Garrix will be performing live on the Friday night of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026.

His epic show will be open to all grand prix ticket-holders at no extra cost.

Garrix is just the first international artists announced by BIC who will be setting a celebratory mood off the track at this year’s F1 weekend.

The 29-year-old is one of the youngest and most successful DJs and producers championing the pop and electronic scene. He has been ranked number one on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list in multiple years, and his hits have generated more than a billion streams online.

Garrix has collaborated with major stars including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Bono and The Edge of U2, Bebe Rexha, Khalid, Macklemore, and Avicci, to name only a few, and he has performed live at major events worldwide such as the Winter Olympics, Coachella, Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland,.

International support series line-up ensures non-stop racing

The F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 will feature plenty more thrilling action on track throughout the race weekend from the three international support series, including the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME).

Both F2 and F3 are the chief feeder series to F1, boasting talents who are to become the future stars of the top flight. F2 will be staging the second of 14 rounds in 2026 in Bahrain, while F3 will be staging the second of 10 rounds in its season at BIC.

After holding its opening round at BIC in November of last year, the PCCME – which was born and bred at BIC – returns for its fifth and penultimate meeting of this year’s championship.

F1 pre-season testing at BIC over six days, with tickets still on sale for fans’ open days

Aside from the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026, BIC will also be hosting six days of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026.

The tests will be divided into two three-day sessions, with the first starting from tomorrow, Wednesday, and continuing until Friday. The second will be held next week from February 18 to 20.

Fans will be able to access the tests on the last two days of each session, including on Thursday and Friday (Editor’s note: 12 and 13 February) this week and then again on 19 and 20 February. Tickets cost BD10 per day for adults and BD5 per day for children.

There is also free access on both open days of the second Bahrain test on 19 and 20 February for all who purchased their tickets to the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 during BIC’s Early Bird promotion. This means that fans who had bought tickets before 8 September last year will have access to both public days of the second test.

There are exclusive hospitality packages for testing, featuring the best views of the action along with incredible, five-star cuisine and beverage selection throughout the day. The hospitality lounge is located right above the F1 pit lane, and more information is available on bahraingp.com or by calling +973-17451086.

All those attending the tests will also have a chance to enjoy off-track activities with racing simulators and Batak and stick catching games. The replica 2026 F1 car in Bahrain livery will also be on display for all to see up close.