Spectacular F1 gulf air Bahrain GP weekend begins

The moment the entire Kingdom has been waiting for is finally here as the curtain rises today on the 2013 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.The region’s biggest sporting weekend kicks off at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), "the Home of Motorsport in the Middle East," and tens of thousands of fans from around the region will descend on the Sakhir track to watch their favourite teams battle for glory.This year’s Bahrain Grand Prix is the fourth round of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar and is arguably the most-anticipated round of this year’s calendar so far.Thousands of fans enjoyed a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the 11 F1 teams’ garages during the Pit Lane Walk yesterday. The event, which was open exclusively to three-day ticket holders, gave fans a chance to view the zones where the Pit Lane crew tune their vehicles for each GP fixture.Meanwhile, an autograph session that takes place at the Vending Area’s F1 Zone on Saturday will give fans a chance to meet their favourite F1 stars, get their autographs taken and snap up a few photographs as well.Infiniti Red Bull’s Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber will sign autographs for 15 minutes starting from 4.40pm while Vodafone McLaren Mercedes stars Jenson Button and Sergio Perez will be available from 5pm to 5.15pm. Lotus F1 Team drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean will also sign autographs from 5pm to 5.15pm.Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, Scuderia Torro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, Caterham F1 Team’s Charles Pic and Giedo Van der Garde, and Sahara Force India F1 Team’s Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil will all attend from 5pm to 5.20pm.Former world champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes AMG Petronas teammate Nico Rosberg will sign autographs from 5.10pm to 5.30pm, while Williams F1 Team stars Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas will attend from 5.15pm to 5.30pm. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez of the Sauber F1 team will then be available from 5.35pm to 5.55pm.In addition to the feast of F1 action today, plenty of excitement awaits fans with exciting fixtures in both the GP2 Series and the Formula Middle East divisions. The 26 competitors in the GP2 Series are all looking to set the pace at today’s practice and qualifying sessions ahead of Saturday’s 32-lap race. Formula Middle East action scheduled for today includes a practice session, ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session and first race.A raft of entertainment awaits visitors to BIC over the three-day weekend.Concerts by Grammy Award winning musician Ne-Yo and chart-topping electronica DJ Calvin Harris on Sunday, are the headline acts for the weekend’s entertainment line-up.Prominent entertainers will bring the exuberance of their country’s traditional dances under the spotlight when they perform at BIC’s F1 Village Main Stage, behind the Main Grandstand. These include the Calpulli Mexican Dance Group, and India’s Bhangra Empire dance team. Other main stage performers include acts from France, Kenya, Switzerland, Japan and China.An array of talented musicians, dancers, and novelty comedy artistes feature as sideline performers that will offer entertainment at various times on each day.A Jungle Kids Tent will house colourful entertainers that have delighted fans of all ages from around the world. These include South Africa’s Marimba Band, England’s Jungle Jim, the Jungle Theater Show and the African Maska stilt walkers. Other attractions include Kenya’s Black Angels, the Mangoma African Band, Pop the Balloon Man, the Cherry Faces face painters, the Camel Explorers and the African Comedy Show. Meanwhile, the Rainforest Maze Adventure promises a path to loads of fun.Tickets to the Bahrain GP are moving fast. Get yours today to experience the region’s biggest and most exciting sporting event.Tickets are available and can be bought for all three days of the race weekend or for Race Day alone. All three-day ticket holders get access to the Pit Lane Walk, entry to supporting races, access to the F1 Village and entry to the Ne-Yo and Calvin Harris performances on Sunday.Tickets can be purchased for the various grandstands strategically located around BIC, including the Main Grandstand, the Turn One Grandstand, the University Grandstand, the Batelco Grandstand, and the Victory Grandstand.A Friday roaming ticket can also be purchased for those looking to experience all the vantage points of the track, while tickets can also be bought for the Gulf Air Club lounge where you can watch the race in a luxury tent.Tickets are sold at the BIC stands in Bahrain City Centre and Seef Mall, at the BIC Welcome Centre located at the circuit entrance, at the BIC tent beside the Sakhir Service Station, and at all Batelco branches around Bahrain. They can also be bought online at www.bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000.The timetable of events for today is as follows:FRIDAY09:20 FORMULA ONE MEDICAL INSPECTION09:30-09:45 FORMULA ONE TRACK INSPECTION AND TRACK TEST10:00-11:30 FORMULA ONE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION12:00-12:30 GP2 PRACTICE SESSION12:35-13:50 FORMULA ONE PADDOCK CLUB PIT LANE WALK13:30-13:40 FORMULA ONE TRACK INSPECTION14:00-15:30 FORMULA ONE SECOND PRACTICE SESSION16:00-16:30 GP2 QUALIFYING SESSION16:00-17:00 FORMULA ONE PRESS CONFERENCE – PRESS ROOM17:00-FORMULA ONE DRIVERS MEETING17:00-17:30 FORMULA MIDDLE EAST PRACTICE SESSION18:00-18:30 FORMULA ONE MARSHAL PIT LANE WALK