BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT (BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT)
When you pass the doors of Sakhir, you can't believe your eyes. There, lost in Bahrain's dunes and djebels, a glass and steel monument overlooks the horizon. A spaceship abandoned in the desert? No, the control tower of one of the most impressive car circuits in the world. Bahrain's international circuit extends its 140,000 m ² of asphalt in the middle of desert areas. On the road that leads there, you're amazed at not crossing a chimney. When someone goes over the road, we wonder if it was Sebastian Vettel driving. As a straight line approaches, it is difficult to support all its strengths on the accelerator. No doubt, we are in the Kingdom of Formula 1.
As in all the Gulf countries, the car reigns in absolute control. For one thing, and as it does too hot to walk, Bahrain takes the wheel. So it is not surprising that car sports are one of the favorite hobbies of the inhabitants of the archipelago. Crown Prince Salman ben Hamad ben Issa Al Khalifa is himself an absolute admirer of these fossils. He therefore striven to make Bahrain the first country in the Middle East to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
In 2004, Salman realized his dream. On the starting line, which shines under the desert sun, Michael Schumacher is in pole position. Under his expert hands, Ferrari's mechanical rugisi grates. Top Start! We are on April 4, 2004, the first F 1 race in an Arab country begins. 57 laps of a race close to end. At the 7 th round, Kimi Räikkönen and his mclaren-Mercedes are forced to abandon. At 42 nd round, the other Ferrari runner, Rubens Barrichello goes beyond German and finds himself 1 st. But in the obligation to leave victory to his illustrious teammate, the Brazilian erases as planned at 44 th round. Second, it will prevent Jenson Button's Honda from interfering with Michael Schumacher in the last rounds. At the finish line, the biggest motor driver in the 1990 s and 2000 s lifted the fist: He just won the 73 rd victory of his career. Bahrain's first GP was a resounding success for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
A pharaonic site and a unique opportunity to shine Bahrain around the world, this project has been a battle of every moment. It all started on the edge of Concorde. Prince Salman is with Sir Jackie Stewart, a former F 1 pilot. In discussing, Salman Al Khalifa has the idea of building the Sakhir circuit that will make the Kingdom known to the world. It was only in 2002 that the government, convinced of the project, decided to formally make it a "national priority". The site starts in October. In total, 70,000 m ² of concrete, 8,500 tons of steel and, since 2015, 495 electric towers mark the course. Since 2015, the race has been taking place at night at 6:00 p. m. As the GP takes place in April, it is far too hot for the effort required to conduct such gear. A pilot could lose 2 to 3 kilos in a race.
And the heat was not the only challenge that the shipyard knew. The German architect Hermann Tilke was well aware that constructing a full desert circuit presents difficulties. The first: the sand, which risks licking the runway and swirling. That would make her dangerously slippery! A solution was found, applying all along the drawing a sufficiently powerful adhesive to prevent sand from infiltrating the runway. Finally, in March 2004, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa opened the circuit, which cost $ 150 million, and the first F 1 race in the country could take place in time! Since then, the circuit has become a regular of the F 1 championship. Only the events of 2011 prompted the authorities to cancel the test, which was normally held in 2012.
But Sakhir is not just Formula 1. Other competitions are regularly held: endurance tests, karting, dragsters and even bike are organized.
Visiting the circuit remains an outstanding experience. Apart from the official shop, the obligatory entrance point of the journey, many facilities can visit the tower of control, from where you will have an unparalleled view not only on the track but also on the entire desert surrounding it. Then you will see the scenes, the press rooms, the control room and its screen wall, the control box of the race director and, of course, the stands of the different teams. And, if you like the speed, you can try the sport driving by driving a rental car (opening dates to visit on the website). Of course, it is not F 1, but experience remains unequaled.