Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) continued to welcome Formula One’s star drivers into the kingdom yesterday.
Valtteri Bottas of Williams, Daniil Kvyat of Red Bull Racing, and Manor teammates Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto were among those spotted at Bahrain International Airport arriving ahead of this weekend’s 2016 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
The drivers, as well as other Formula 1 officials and team members, were received upon reaching Bahrain by BIC’s Meet and Greet staff.
BIC hosts the racing and entertainment spectacle from Friday to Sunday, with an extra day of fan events tomorrow.
On-track action is scheduled to get underway on Friday with a pair of hour-and-a-half practice sessions. The first is scheduled to flag off at 2pm while the next will be held under floodlights from 6pm. A third hour-long practice will be held on Saturday from 3pm, leading up to qualifying at 6pm.
The 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. It is scheduled for a 6pm start and it will be yet another dramatic climax to a fantastic Formula 1 weekend in Sakhir.
This year’s Bahrain Grand Prix marks the second of a record 21 rounds in the 2016 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. It is the 12th edition of Formula 1’s only desert event, and the third year since the kingdom’s race was switched to a night-time spectacle.
Meanwhile, Williams, Force India and Toro Rosso will be looking to secure positive results in Bahrain following a solid start to the season in Australia just over a week ago.
All three are considered to be right behind the favourites in the Formula 1 pecking order, and good performances Down Under have given them a boost as they head to the top flight’s only desert event.
Williams’ Felipe Massa enjoyed the best finish amongst the teams’ six drivers. He was classified fifth, but was not too far ahead of teammate Bottas, who was eighth.
Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg finished between them in seventh position, while both Toro Rosso drivers Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen managed to squeeze into the top 10 and come away with the race’s final points haul.
Hulkenberg’s Force India partner Sergio Perez was classified 13th.
Now looking towards his next challenge, an upbeat Massa had plenty of good things to say about the Bahrain race.
“Bahrain is definitely a place I really enjoy racing,” he said. “I’ve won twice there and I’ve had many other good results.”
&uuid=(email))