Bahrain Residents Asked to Open Homes for F1 Fans

Organisers of next year's Bahrain Grand Prix have asked for local residents to come forward and offer their houses as accommodation to cope with the influx of race fans at the event.

The race, which will be held in April, will be the first Grand Prix to be run in the Middle East and has already developed significant interest from Formula One fans around the region. It is estimated that around 40,000 beds will be required to accommodate the influx of people associated with the race.

The circuit is on course for completion and organisers who are keen to offer visitors the chance to experience the country's unique culture said: "We are looking for people to rent out rooms or apartments for bed and breakfast.

"This happens at a lot of other Grands Prix, such as Australia and Europe. It is a new concept for a lot of people in Bahrain so we want to see what kind of feedback we get. We want to know how many beds people have, whether they have en-suite rooms and if they have any preference on guests - such as nationality or sex. So far we have had a positive response and people are wanting to know what it is about."

The event, the third race of the season, will be the first of two new races on next year's Formula One calendar with Shanghai hosting the Chinese Grand Prix in September as the third last race of the year.