BIC stage set for record-breaking weekend in totally sold-out F1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP 2023

BIC stage set for record-breaking weekend in totally sold-out F1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP 2023

• BIC to open gates to public from 9am Friday morning, with first on-track action set for 9.45am
• Two hour-long F1 practices to headline day’s race programme, with F2, F3, Porsche Sprint Challenge ME supporting F1
• Loads of family entertainment at BIC vending area all throughout F1 weekend
• DJ Snake set for incredible live performance Friday night, starting at 9.30pm for all ticket-holders

The stage is set for a record-breaking race weekend at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) with the highly anticipated and completely sold-out Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 lighting up the Sakhir desert.

The global spotlight will be shining on the Kingdom of Bahrain as motorsport’s top stars hit BIC’s 5.412-kilometre track Friday (Editor’s note: 3 March) for the first time in the 2023 FIA F1 World Championship, kicking off a packed weekend of action at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”.

BIC will be opening its gates to fans from 9am on Friday, just in time for the first on-track sessions of the day.

A pair of hour-long F1 practices will be headlining the programme. The first will be held under daylight conditions at 2.30pm. That will be followed by the second at night under BIC’s state-of-the-art floodlights from 6pm onwards.

All 10 F1 teams will be putting their contenders through their paces in order to get them ready for Saturday’s all-important Qualifying session, which will determine the grid for Sunday’s main event: the 57-lap, floodlit Bahrain Grand Prix. A third practice on Saturday will precede Qualifying.

F1 is set to be joined on track this weekend by the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the FIA Formula 3 Championship and the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East. F2 and F3 are both holding their season-opening rounds in Bahrain, while the Porsche Sprint Challenge will be staging the penultimate meeting of its 2022/2023 campaign.

All three support series will also take to the tarmac Friday for practices and qualifying. The Porsche Sprint Challenge ME will be the first out on track at 9.45am for its first practice. It will hold a second session later on at night from 8.25pm.

F3 gets their 2023 season underway with practice at 10.55am, and then the field returns for qualifying at 4pm. F2 will hold their practice at 12.05pm, while qualifying will take place at 7.30pm under completely different weather and track conditions.

There will also be loads to enjoy off the track on Friday at BIC’s vending area, located right behind the Main Grandstand. A wide array of colourful family entertainment will be on hand for everyone’s amusement.

These include roaming acts and musicians from all across the globe, kids’ attractions including stage shows of classical tales, a giant Ferris Wheel, The Beast inflatable obstacle course, a spooky Haunted House, and an F1 Fanzone with all kinds of F1-related activities including Esports.

Set to highlight Friday’s entertainment programme is the first concert of the weekend featuring Grammy-nominated artists DJ Snake.