Bahrain Officials Seeking Race Date Decision

Officials from Bahrain's planned entry onto the Formula One calendar in 2004 are in Barcelona this weekend for talks with Bernie Ecclestone to finalise a date for their Grand Prix.

The officials, led by the His Excellency Sheikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Kalifa, the chairman of Bahrain Racing Circuit Company, took a close look at facilities at the Circuit de Catalunya. As they continue turning a strip of their kingdom's desert into a state-of-the-art Formula One facility in time for their maiden race they called for a date at either end of the 2004 calendar.

"We'd prefer a date early in the season or, even much better, would be in October," said Sheikh Fawaz. "Of course, early on there would be the excitement of a new season and at the end again because the Championship will be at an important stage.

"But this is not the reason behind our thinking. It is down to logistics and also the heat. In both those periods, it will not be so hot as in, say August. You do not want to come to Bahrain in August - it is too hot."

More than $300 million (USD) are being spent on building the circuit and also bringing Bahrain's transport facilities, including airports, roads and rail networks and hotel accommodation up to scratch.

The Sheikh, who is also Bahrain's President, General Organisation of Youth and Sports, and his accomplice, His Excellency Fahmi Al Jowder, the kingdom's Minister of Works, said construction of the circuit had not been delayed by war with Iraq.

Nor do they have any major concerns of the race - Bahrain, like Iraq, is a Muslim nation - becoming a target for terrorist activity against the western world. They also said that the killer virus SARS, which has been rife in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, was not a concern for visitors to Bahrain.

"First of all, the war in Iraq was over two hours away by aeroplane," said Sheikh Fawaz. "We, like the rest of the world, watched what happened there. It has not affected us. Of course there was a worry, as there was around the world, of what the consequences might be if events escalated, but it is over now. In fact we are ahead of schedule for completion by next March."

Al Jowder added: "The Middle East and Europe are perhaps the only regions in the world to be clear of SARS. As a precaution, we have banned passengers from the areas that have been affected."

Both men also explained that the outline trace of the track is now visible, while construction of the circuit's two main grandstands and its pitlane and race control buildings were well under way. A workforce of 1,400 is now involved in getting the project ready on time, with the venue now 19.9 percent complete compared to the forecasted percentage of 16.8 percent.

Around 70 percent of all blasting work is also complete and 11,000 cubic metres of concrete - 35 percent of building works - has been casted. The man in charge is circuit designer German Herman Tilke, who was responsible for the new-look Hockenheim and Nurburgring circuits as well as China's track, which will also host a Grand Prix for the first time in 2004.

Bahrain's track will be 5.475-km long, with Formula One lap times expected to be 1:33.63 and it will include six track lay-outs, including a drag strip and testing oval. The most unique feature, to keep in line with Bahrain authenticity, is a deserted camel farm that will remain untouched, said Sheikh Fawaz.

"Here in Barcelona, this circuit used to be farming land they've kept the old farmhouse," he said. "Our camel farm is no longer used but we will find a use for it."