F1 stars to meet fans in autograph session at F1 weekend

Manama, Mar. 30. (BNA) -- Formula One’s biggest stars will be interacting with fans at an autograph session on the Saturday (April 5) evening of the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. The three-day extravaganza of motorsport and entertainment will be taking place April 4-5-6 at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, and the autograph session will be a part of the special line-up of events happening all weekend long at the F1 Village vending area. The autograph session will be held in front of the Paddock Club entrance between 8pm and 9pm. Fans interested in meeting their racing heroes will be required to gather by 7.30pm at the F1 Village vending area in front of BIC’s Welcome Centre, next to the dhow. They will then be taken to the autograph session’s location by a team of BIC staff on foot. Fans are advised to make it to the meeting point as early as possible, as large crowds and long queues are expected. All of Formula One’s top stars will be at the autograph signing, including Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg of Mercedes, Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen for McLaren, and Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas of Williams. Also set to be meeting their fans are Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez of Force India, Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber, Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso, Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson of Caterham, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi of Marussia and Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado of Lotus. The autograph sessions will be just one of a wide array of activities for the fans to enjoy off of the race track. The others include main stage acts, roaming performers, an extreme activity, an F1 Game Zone and a pair of children’s entertainment tents – all of which will make up a jam-packed F1 Village vending area at BIC. The main stage acts will feature popular UK-based street dance crews Boadicea and Peridot, solo musician The Petebox, and MC Gil and DJ Tony, who will be keeping up the levels of excitement amongst the race-goers. The roaming acts will include Spark! LED drummers, Cornalusa, The Dapper Chaps, Sideshow Steveie, Art Prometheus and many more. Spark! Is a highly adaptable site-specific performance which combines high-impact drumming, dynamic choreography and beautiful lighting design whilst creating exciting audience participation. Cornalusa is a Portuguese ensemble that is composed of four musicians: two musicians play the gaita mirandesa, a Portuguese bagpipe, and the rhythmic and harmonic side of the band is completed by a string instrument, the bouzouki and a two-tone drum, the davul. Cornalusa combines the ancient melodies with harmonies and rhythms of "our own day and age". Sideshow Stevie puts on a variety show of daring acts, The Dapper Chaps are two multi-skilled stilt-walkers and circus performers, while Art Prometheus, walkabout clowns and several other performers will be roaming around the F1 Village throughout all three days. The extreme activity is a High-Rope Course. Those looking for a physical challenge will love this obstacle course in the sky. Meanwhile, the F1 Game Zone will take you right into the heart of F1 racing with photo opportunities on a podium or in a replica Formula One car. There will also be a pit-stop challenge to try and simulation racing against others, along with plenty of other exciting activities. Finally, the children’s entertainment will see two exclusive tents – the first catered to popular TV character Shaun the Sheep and the other featuring an under-the-sea theme. Both will have plenty of fun shows, games and so much more for young kids. The off-track entertainment will be highlighted by three major concerts featuring top regional and international artists. They include superstar DJ and producer Avicii, legendary rock band The Scorpions, and Saudi Arabian pop star Rabeh Saqer. Avicii and The Scorpions will be playing back-to-back concerts on the Saturday night (April 5) of the Grand Prix weekend, the same night as the autograph sessions. Saqer will be taking to the stage on the Friday night. Only race-goers with a three-day ticket will be able to attend the concerts free of charge. Tickets are selling quickly for this year’s Grand Prix and those wishing to attend are advised to purchase theirs as soon as possible. Tickets range from BD150 for all three days at the Main Grandstand to BD60 for three days at the University and Victory Grandstands. Three-day tickets for the Batelco Grandstand are BD120 apiece while tickets for the Turn One Grandstand are BD100. Those with Main Grandstand tickets will have a chance to win valuable electronic prizes as part of BIC’s "10 EVERY 10" raffle promotion on April 5 and 6. Ten winners will emerge every 10 minutes during the one-hour qualifying session and also throughout the Grand Prix. A total of 260 winners in all will be identified by their seat numbers, and they will be presented their prizes by a team of BIC staff. Tickets to the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased at the BIC stands in Bahrain City Centre or Seef Mall; online at www.bahraingp.com or on the official BIC page on Facebook; or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000. Special discounts on tickets are available for children, senior citizens and those with special needs. Children aged three to 12 years old can get tickets at 50 per cent off, while school students aged 13 to 17 can get a 25 per cent reduction. Further, senior citizens aged 60 and above and those with special needs can both purchase a ticket with a 25 per cent discount. For more information on the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, visit www.bahraingp.com or call +973-17-450000. Also follow BIC’s official accounts on Facebook (facebook.com/OfficialBahrainInternationalCircuit), Twitter (@BAH_Int_Circuit), Instagram (instagram.com/bah_int_circuit) and YouTube (youtube.com/bahrainbic) for regular updates.