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GULFWEEKLY’S campaign to bring Formula One back to Bahrain has gone ‘viral’ on the internet with millions of motoring fans now aware of the kingdom’s desire to stage a race this season.
Thousands of supporters have signed our petition and a special book set up by a team of 25 dedicated Bahraini motor sport enthusiasts.
Details of our Gulf Air Grand Prix 2011 Campaign has been highlighted in international F1 websites such as flagworld.com, F1zone.net, gpnow.com, inautonews.com, paddocktalk.com and a host of others including the India Times.
Professional racer Ali Dadi, 27, and one of the campaign coordinators, said: “The goal is to unite the people of Bahrain through motor sport and bring back F1.
“Once a week myself and a group of racing fans would get together to talk about cars and watch different sporting events. We were all very upset when F1 was postponed which is why we decided to help do something about it.
“The concept was inspired by the ‘Loyalty Books’ that are being distributed around Bahrain for citizens to show their support and love of their kingdom and its leaders.
“Our objective was to gather as many signatures as possible. This will really benefit the kingdom as a whole and all we care about right now is promoting Bahrain.
“We are made up of motor sport fans, entrepreneurs, students, bankers, lawyers, racers, families and just ordinary people. All of us are volunteering our free time to gather as many signatures and support as we can. Some people are even donating funds to make the stickers and pins that say ‘Bring Back F1’. We want our voices to be heard.”
Racer Dadi continued: “GulfWeekly was the first media publication to push for such an initiative and create a campaign to bring back F1. This was a big plus for us to have supporters such as the newspaper on our side.
“We’d like to thank GulfWeekly for also being one of the first to visit our book signings and covering our events.” The F1 book, first unveiled during the Bahrain International Circuit’s recent National Race Day, was moved to Bahrain City Centre mall last weekend. Earlier this week another book signing was set up at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Campaigner Mohammed Al Jawder, 24, a law graduate from the Royal University, said: “We are moving the book around Bahrain and placing it in hot spots with the most crowds.
“I love the enthusiasm of the people of Bahrain. We have had many come out for our book signings. In fact at the moment we have more than 12,000 signatures and a second book is on standby as we are almost done with the first book.
“When F1 comes to Bahrain everyone is happy and everyone benefits from it. International websites have posted lots of stories about Bahrain and Formula One and some have been negative ... but they aren’t here so how can they judge whether the kingdom is OK or not to host the race?
“Bahrain is back in business so please
bring back our race.”
At the end of this month the book will be handed over to the Bahrain Motor Federation and the organisers hope it will be forwarded to the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile.
GulfWeekly’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2011 Campaign editions and messages of support will be hand delivered to F1 supremo Bernie Ecklestone’s Formula One management offices in London by Editor Stan Szecowka who travelled to England yesterday.
Mr Ecclestone is considering moving the inaugural Indian Grand Prix to the end of the season to make room for Bahrain. The race was originally set to open the season but was postponed following unrest.
One option is to move India from its October 30 date to December 4 or 11, a week or two after the current final race in Brazil, and put Bahrain on India’s date. “We are having a look at it. Everything is possible,” he said. “I’m not sure at the moment what I’m going to do. Everything’s up in the air. I haven’t decided.”
F1’s governing body the FIA is to rule on whether Bahrain should return to the calendar on June 3.
