The Bahrain International Circuit is home to many different styles of racing and therefore hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Just about anything from drag racing to Formula One has graced this circuit. The track has already gone down in history for being the first location in the Middle East to host the Australian V8 Supercar races and the Grand Prix Formula One event.
Formula One
The first Formula One race in the Middle East is the Bahrain Grand Prix. The first race day for this event was on April 4, 2004. Before receiving this opportunity Bahrain had to fight off intense competition from Egypt, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, who were all hoping to have the honour of being the first Middle Eastern country to host the event. The initial Bahrain Grand Prix was given the “Best Organised Grand Prix” award by the FIA. This race continues to be one of Bahrain’s best sellers.
Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series
The first V8 Championship race to be held n the Middle East was the Desert 400 which was held at the Bahrain International Circuit beginning in 2006. For the first three years this race was run on the Paddock track, but in 2010, it was run on the Grand Prix layout. In the early years the race was typically run around November, but in 2010 was moved to February to join up with the YAS V8 400. The intense, close driving style of this race brings fans from all over to watch.
GP2 Series
The GP2 has visited the Bahrain International Circuit in 2005 and 2007. This series began in 2005 after the Formula 3000 series was discontinued. It is considered to be open wheel racing and tends to be a stepping stone to Formula One as it was designed to make racing more affordable for teams and attract lower level racers. Therefore, many teams see it as a perfect training ground to prepare for Formula One racing.
Drag Racing
The Bahrain International Circuit is quite famous for its drag racing strip. It hosts an annual International Drag Festival and brings in cars from the FIA European Drag Championship. They have FIA approval to run everything up to Top Fuel. Additionally, the Bahrain National Drag Racing Championship has been hosted five times. The house is always packed for this event.
Other Racing
The Bahrain International Circuit is always happy to host new forms of racing. In addition to the racing series’ they run every year, they have also played host to many one time events. The Chevrolet Lumina Series has been held at the BIC, as well as the Speedcar Series, Thunder Arabia, and Radical. They have also played host to the FIA GT Championship in the past. At one point they held a one-off Bahrain Superprix which involved Formula Three cars. Additionally, the first ever Formula BMW World Final was at the BIC.
With its excellent track design and layout, the Bahrain International Circuit can literally host any type of racing. It is already the talk of all the Middle East as the place to visit for the best motorsport experiences. In the future, the circuit owners hope to see even more races visit, but are very pleased with their current level of success.