But over the last few years, the track has become a year-round destination with Drag and Drift Nights, Fitness on Track, karting races, and a whole slew of other experiences, many of which I haven’t yet had the opportunity to experience, thanks to a packed schedule.
So when a motorsport-loving friend decided to visit Bahrain at a time when there was no Formula action on track, we decided to experience the track in a different light, taking advantage of one of multiple BIC bundles.
For our motorsporting adventure, we decided on the BIC Day Experience, priced at BD25 per person and available everyday between 10am and 4pm.
In addition to a BIC Tour, the bundle also includes a round of karting as well as a 4x4 Passenger Ride.
Since the days are still a bit warm, we arrived at the track around 3pm, and met our tour guide and senior lead instructor of the 4x4 Experience Ebrahim Nusaif at the BIC Merchandise shop.
After signing our souls away (just kidding, they were waiver forms to ensure we didn’t go too berserk), we got into his Ford Bronco, and off we went on a tour of the massive facility and the 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix circuit.
This was the part of the adventure I thought I would find dull, since I assumed I was already quite familiar with the different buildings, but Ebrahim was full of facts that even I didn’t know about, as well as behind-the-scenes stories of some of his adventures.
Our tour’s first stop was the famous Sakhir Tower, where we got a 360-degree view of the entire circuit – and got to be envious of those very select few who could watch the F1 race from here.
Every corner was visible and although the TV cameras do a fantastic job of capturing the action during the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, I can only imagine being able to see the action live from this vantage point.
As we headed down, Ebrahim told us about the different layouts that have been tried out at the track for different races over the years, in addition to the Grand Prix layout, like the 2.554km Oasis or Inner track, the 3.543km Outer track, the 3.823km Paddock Circuit and the 6.299km Endurance Circuit, which was the layout most recently used during the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020.
Our next stop was the BIC Media Centre – a familiar sight for me – where as many as 500 journalists meet every year for the Bahrain Grand Prix, and then the Race Control Tower.
Although I have conducted a few interviews in the tower over the years, this was my first time seeing the Race Control Room, from where the Race Director and marshals monitor all the action.
As he told us stories about how marshals train to respond to any emergency on track, Ebrahim also showed us the advanced cameras equipped around the track – giving me a perspective on what goes into motorsport about which I was, honestly and perhaps a bit embarrassingly, quite unaware.
Up next, we got back into the Ford Bronco and Ebrahim whisked us off to the off-road experience that the BIC has constructed on the outskirts of the facility.
And although I have experienced this before, Ebrahim’s deep knowledge about the Bronco really stood out, as we explored different terrain like sand, rock, hill, and water landscapes, through natural and man-made obstacles.
For an off-road novice like myself, the first-of-its-kind facility in the Middle East helped me understand those strange-looking buttons I have seen in 4x4 cars, including locking differential, off-road terrain usage, all-wheel drive, hill descent control and engine braking. Not to mention, it really made me appreciate the importance of strapping in those pesky seat belts!
Of course, the star show of the evening was yet to come, and after bidding goodbye to Ebrahim, we headed to the Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC) to get behind the wheel of one of the 13hp karts – quite similar to those in which stars like Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton began their careers.
But before we could get onto the 1.414km track, we suited up and got an orientation with the rules and safety regulations.
Now, I have karted a couple of times, and watched countless races over the years, but there’s something very different and special about actually taking these karts around the track. Not only were we quite close to the ground, where we could feel every bump, the thing that always astonishes me is that the track is not all flat, and no matter how easy professionals make the turns look, each one requires a unique strategy.
I won’t pretend like either of us discovered some long-latent racing skills around the track’s 14 turns – in fact, we managed to keep the back-ranks quite warm between the two of us – I will say, it was still so much fun, and even managed to avoid a close crash, adding another bit of excitement to the evening.
My favourite part was that the team hooked GoPros onto our helmets and we could rewatch our race later.
Overall, the full day experience was nothing short of phenomenal and best of all, I think I have unlocked a new love for karting, so I, for one, am definitely heading back there for another chance to set a lap record!
Visit bahraingp.com for more details and to book your own experience.
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