New timings throughout F 1 weekend at BIC

Manama, Mar. 27. (BNA) -- The 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be the Kingdom’s first-ever Formula One night race. Scheduled for a 6pm start, the 57-lap event will be a spectacle like never before seen at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. This year’s race weekend, taking place April 4-5-6, celebrates BIC’s landmark 10th anniversary. It will be yet another memorable occasion happening at "The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East". In keeping with the Bahrain Grand Prix’s later start time, the overall timetable on all three days of the race weekend has been moved by a few hours. BIC’s doors will officially open to the public at 11am from Friday through Sunday of the race weekend. This has changed from the original time of 9am from previous years. The circuit will then begin closing its doors by 11pm. Racing will also get underway at a later start time than usual. Formula One will be supported by the GP2 Series and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East out on the tarmac. On the Friday of the Grand Prix weekend, the first action out on track will begin at 12noon with a GP2 practice. On Saturday, the Porsche GT3 Cup will be the first to start their engines at 11.55am, while on Sunday, the GP2 sprint race will get things going at 2.15pm. Throughout the circuit’s opening hours, the full programme of off-track entertainment activities can be enjoyed by all race-goers. They include the Main Stage acts, roaming performers, an extreme High Rope Course activity, an F1 Game Zone and plenty of exciting children’s entertainment. The off-track entertainment will then 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, while 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. The complete official timetable for all three days of this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix weekend will be released by BIC in the coming days. 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, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates.