F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 set for exciting first day of racing on Friday at BIC

BIC gates to open to fans from 9am onwards and close at 11pm
Massive crowd of fans attend F1 Pit Lane Walk this evening
F1 Drivers and Teams Fan Forum to begin on Friday at BIC’s vending area main stage
R3HAB set for spectacular Friday night concert

Engines will roar and sparks will fly as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 flags off on Friday (11 April) with the first on-track action at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, in Sakhir.

The highly anticipated race weekend is here and the Kingdom’s motorsport fans are all geared up for three incredible days of racing thrills and colourful off-track entertainment for the whole family.

BIC’s gates are scheduled to open to race-goers on Friday at 9am and will close at 11pm.

The first of three full days of racing will be headlined by the first two practice sessions of F1, each to be held over an hour’s duration. The opening session is scheduled for a 2.30pm start in daytime conditions, and then it will be followed by the second at 6pm at night, under lights.

There will also be racing in the weekend’s stellar support programme, featuring the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and the Bahrain-based Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME).

All three series will be holding practice sessions Friday, while both F2 and F3 will also be staging its qualifying sessions in the afternoon.

Friday’s programme at BIC will feature all kinds of other attractions for those attending, ranging from entertainment for the whole family, to an F1 drivers and teams fan forum and a concert in the evening.

This year’s F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix marks the fourth round of the 2025 FIA F1 World Championship. It is celebrating the 75th anniversary of both F1 and Bahrain’s national carrier and grand prix title sponsor Gulf Air.

The 57-lap main event on Sunday (Editor’s note: 13 April) will be the first night race of the season. Taking place under BIC’s bright, state-of-the-art floodlights, it will be showcasing to the world that “The Desert Never Sleeps”.

The wide array of off-track entertainment has been lined up by BIC for the race weekend. These include globally renowned act Circus Cortex, made up of a team of acrobats who are experts in disciplines including parkour, tightrope, pole, BMX, unicycle, hoop, dance, and much more.

The fan-favourite Ferris Wheel is back to offer an exciting carnival ride for all those attending. There will also be a Kids Race Fest featuring popular cartoon characters; and many more spectacular shows as well as an army of roaming acts who will be engaging with fans all throughout the weekend.

The Kingdom’s F1 spectacle is expected to be another record-breaking event for Bahrain and BIC. All grandstand tickets to the race weekend have already completely sold out, including seats at the Main, Turn 1, Beyon, University, and Victory grandstands.

Fans who have missed out on these seats can still get tickets to BIC’s last remaining hospitality option, The Dome by F1 Experiences, but there is only very limited availability. This is a unique way to enjoy the F1 weekend, with plenty of exclusive offerings throughout the three days.

BIC’s other hospitality options, including the Paddock Club, Corporate Lounges, and Champions Club, are all also completely sold out, so fans interested in being a part of the F1 spectacle must act fast to secure their passes to The Dome by F1 Experiences. This option features a dedicated grandstand located along the Main Straight with comfortable, seat-back style seating. Fans can enjoy exceptional views of the Podium and pit entry, and also see the cars as they navigate the final turn before accelerating down the track. The package also includes complimentary lunch dishes, lite bites, refreshments and live performances by DJs, roaming entertainers and more between track sessions.

For more information on The Dome by F1 Experiences or to make a booking, call +973-17451086.

BIC welcomes large crowd for F1 Pit Lane Walk

Prior to the start of the racing programme on Friday, BIC welcomed thousands of fans this evening for the F1 Pit Lane Walk.

This exclusive experience gave those who participated a chance to get an up-close-and-personal look at the top flight’s teams in their respective garages, busy preparing for Friday’s start of racing.
Some fans were even able to spot their favourite drivers working with their engineers and mechanics.

F1 Drivers and Teams Fan Forum to begin on Friday

Friday’s programme off the track is set to include an F1 drivers’ and teams’ fan forum. The sport’s most popular figures will be appearing on the main stage of BIC’s vending area.

Race-goers will be able to enjoy live interview sessions with F1’s biggest stars.

Those interested in being a part of this year’s event are advised to arrive at the main stage early to get the best views of the drivers and officials.

First appearing on Friday from 12.40pm to 12.50pm are the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. Williams’ Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz will then take to the stage from 12.50pm to 1pm, and then McLaren’s constructors’ world title-winning tandem of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will get in the spotlight from 1pm to 1.10pm.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, along with Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, will then appear from 1.10pm to 1.20pm. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer will then be on stage from 4.30pm to 4.40pm, and then Mercedes’ popular Team Principal Toto Wolff will be sharing his insights from 4.4pm to 4.50pm. Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will wrap up the fan forums’ Friday schedule from 5.25pm to 5.35pm.

On Saturday, Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman will be first on stage from 1.05pm to 1.15pm. Ferrari superstars Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will then draw the crowds from 1.45pm to 1.55pm. From 2pm to 2.10pm, Mercedes tandem George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will take to the stage, after which the duo of drivers’ world champion Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull Racing will appear for the fans along with Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan of Alpine.

An F2 showcase will then complete the fan forum programme on Saturday evening from 8pm to 8.30pm.

R3HAB set for spectacular Friday night concert

The first of the weekend’s concert series will be taking place at 8.30pm on Friday featuring multi-platinum DJ and producer Fadil El Ghoul, better known as R3HAB.

R3HAB has been trailblazing his way through dance music for the past 15 years. His work has collected over 12 billion streams to date, including more than 1.1 billion in 2024 alone.

R3HAB continues to evolve and diversify his sound by working with artists around the world, pushing the boundaries of dance music as he collaborates across genres and languages.

R3HAB is only the first of three international music superstars who will be taking to the stage at BIC this weekend. The others are Peggy Gou, who will be performing live on Saturday, and Axwell, who will be leading the post-race celebrations on Sunday night following the grand prix.