Twenty years of motorsport excellence and achievement have made the sector a cornerstone of the kingdom’s global reputation and diplomatic relations, helping to fly Bahrain’s flag high as well as touching the hearts and minds of people of all walks of life.
During his visit to the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, spoke to reporters and highlighted the 20 years of success that F1 has witnessed at the circuit in Sakhir.
“It is always my favourite weekend of the year and it’s been fabulous to celebrate 20 years of achievement, 20 years of success – we always love to welcome the race fans and personnel who are here, and I have nothing but thanks for everybody who does such a great job during this weekend,” HRH Prince Salman told reporters.
HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister expressed his pride in Team Bahrain’s successes and accomplishments in the world of motorsport, particularly in F1.
He commended the efforts of the organisers, volunteers and official authorities at the BIC for their contributions to the success of F1 over the past 20 years, which is a testament to the unwavering dedication of Team Bahrain.
HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minster received a book from the BIC chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa on the 20th anniversary of Bahrain hosting the Formula 1 World championship.
During a tour around the paddock area, the GDN caught up with British ambassador Alastair Long, who highlighted the positive economic impact that both the UK and Bahrain have felt from F1 growing over the last two decades.
He revealed that there were approximately 11,000 tourists from the UK in Bahrain for the F1 race and noted that Bahrain had established itself as an important part of the F1 Grand Prix calendar.
“If you go around the UK, people know about Bahrain because of the Formula One grand prix as much as anything else and it has been contributing to the economic well-being of this kingdom,” he added.
“In addition, lots of jobs have been created, and lots of the industries are profiting from food and beverage suppliers to hoteliers.
“For the UK, F1 is massive too, since seven of the 10 teams on the grid are based in the UK and contribute more than £10 billion to the economy annually.”
Over the years, in addition to fans from around the world, the Bahrain Grand Prix has attracted hordes of celebrities who enjoy the kingdom’s hospitality, both within the sporting world and beyond.
It’s still to be worked out which nation’s nationals topped the visitor number charts this year but certainly the Dutch and Spanish race fans competed for being the noisiest, many observers suggested.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
More reports on 16-17 and 30-32
&uuid=(email))