BAHRAIN’S Formula One race is a local affair with spectators largely made up of residents.
However, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa said it was hard to pinpoint exact figures because majority of the tickets were bought in Bahrain, especially by Saudis.
“It’s hard to know where our ticket sales come from, whether it’s GCC, Saudi or Bahrainis because a large percentage of Saudis buy their tickets when they’re in Bahrain,” he said.
“The only way we can know is if they buy online and include their country, so I’d say about five per cent (purchase tickets) that way.
“However, a big percentage is Bahrain residents for sure – we’ve always said it’s a local race.
“I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it’s not the foreigners that are making up the vast majority of the figures.
“That’s something that we would like to increase, but the majority is Bahrain-based, at a guess 65 or 70pc.”
He also spoke of the possibility of increasing the track’s capacity in the future which at the moment is at 34,000.
“We have a capacity of 34,000 and perhaps there’s a chance to increase that in the future if it’s necessary,” he said.
“When it comes to tickets, I don’t think we’ll ever split up the entertainment from the race because at the end of the day it’s within the track (and we pair it together).
“We offer this price for everything you get – the concerts, race fever, and you put everything in the price of that ticket.
“We try to package it to show people what they’re getting.
“The problem is everyone books late – this week it all picks up, which is crazy because there was a 20 per cent discount that they could have benefited from.
“Right after the race, there’s a 30 per cent discount [for next year’s race] and people know that it’s being done every year – so why not buy your ticket then and save your money?”
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