F1 stars begin to arrive ahead of historic Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at BIC

Manama, Mar. 31. (BNA) -- Formula One’s top guns have begun arriving in the Kingdom as preparations are now in full swing ahead of this weekend’s Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Prix at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. The three-day festival of motor racing and entertainment takes place Friday to Sunday at "The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East", which will be celebrating its landmark 10th anniversary. The special occasion will be marked by Bahrain’s first ever Formula One night race. Scheduled to flag off at 6pm on Sunday evening, the Grand Prix will be the third round of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship. Following the completion of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the top flight’s drivers and team personnel have started to reach the kingdom ahead of the start of the highly anticipated event. More than 500 tonnes of equipment for all 11 Formula One teams will also be making its way to Bahrain from Kuala Lumpur in just 48 hours. McLaren’s ace rookie Kevin Magnussen was amongst the first of the Formula One drivers who touched down in Bahrain today. Also arriving were the Toro Rosso pairing of Jean-Eric Verge and Daniil Kvyat, while Sergio Perez of Force India and Pastor Maldonado of Lotus reached later in the day. Two-time Bahrain Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa of Williams was also scheduled to arrive on a night flight. More of Formula One’s stars are expected to arrive tomorrow (Tuesday) and over the rest of the coming days. Meanwhile, officials from the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Management are also already in Bahrain. Many went straight to work at BIC where things are beginning to take shape within the Formula One Paddock, which the teams and drivers will call home while in Sakhir over the next week. Excitement ahead of the Grand Prix weekend has reached fever pitch as fans are looking forward to another spectacular occasion at BIC. Tickets are selling quickly for the event and those wishing to attend are advised to purchase theirs as soon as possible. Tickets to the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased at the BIC stands in Bahrain City Centre or Seef Mall; online at www.bahraingp.com or on the official BIC page on Facebook; or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000. Tickets range from BD150 for all three days at the Main Grandstand to BD60 for three days at the University and Victory Grandstands. Three-day tickets for the Batelco Grandstand are BD120 apiece while tickets for the Turn One Grandstand are BD100. Those with Main Grandstand tickets will have a chance to win valuable electronic prizes as part of BIC’s "10 EVERY 10" raffle promotion on April 5 and 6. Ten winners will emerge every 10 minutes during the one-hour qualifying session and also throughout the Grand Prix. A total of 260 winners in all will be identified by their seat numbers, and they will be presented their prizes by a team of BIC staff. Special discounts on tickets are available for children, senior citizens and those with special needs. Children aged three to 12 years old can get tickets at 50 per cent off, while school students aged 13 to 17 can get a 25 per cent reduction. Further, senior citizens aged 60 and above and those with special needs can both purchase a ticket with a 25 per cent discount. The complete official timetable for all three days of this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix weekend will be released by BIC in the coming days. For more information on the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, visit www.bahraingp.com or call +973-17-450000. Also follow BIC’s official accounts on Facebook (facebook.com/OfficialBahrainInternationalCircuit), Twitter (@BAH_Int_Circuit), Instagram (instagram.com/bah_int_circuit) and YouTube (youtube.com/bahrainbic) for regular updates.