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Top international drivers will be adding to the 2013 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix race fever battling for podium spots in the GP2 Series and Formula Middle East (FME) competitions at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
Motoring fans are in for a thrill with the Sakhir circuit hosting practice sessions, qualifying rounds and races for both championships on April 19, 20 and 21.
The GP2 Series, which began in 2005, has produced more than 50 young talents including Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Timo Glock and Nico Hülkenberg who have all tested their mettle in the group before making the move to motorsport’s top tier.
The 2013 season could potentially feature more of the same, with 26 drivers putting their skills to the test as they attempt to break into motor racing’s elite division.
Round 2 of the 2013 series will be staged in the kingdom, following its opening round at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit last month. The championship also acted as the support races for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The opening round in Sepang saw Stefano Coletti of Rapax take top honours at the 22-lap sprint race, finishing ahead of Carlin’s Felipe Nasr and Arden International’s Mitch Evans. Fabio Leimer of Racing Engineering, meanwhile, claimed first spot in the 31-lap feature race, beating out ART Grand Prix team’s James Calado and Coletti.
Coletti currently has 36 points to his credit, and the Monaco national leads the drivers’ championship heading into Bahrain. Leimer trails him in second place with 25 points while Nasr is third with 24. The teams’ championship standings see Rapax leading with 42 points, with Racing Engineering in second place with 35 and Carlin with 32.
Now racers will look to make their mark at the Bahrain GP2, which is the second of 11 rounds this season. The feature race will take place on Saturday and the sprint on Sunday ahead of the F1 race.
The other support race is a brand new single-seater championship, an initiative led by the BIC in partnership with Motorsport Asia. It will prepare the grid of identical Mygale-built FB02 single-seat racing cars for potential Formula 1 stars of the future.
This competition will showcase a valuable new opportunity for aspiring talent in the region prior to its first full season, which will begin in November.
In addition to providing the best possible calendar and machinery for young racers looking to progress towards a career in professional motor sport, FME organisers have also launched a full racing academy for competitors.
Motorsport Asia chief executive David Sonenscher said: “The Grand Prix weekend will promote Formula Middle East in the best way possible to the biggest motorsport audience.
“From there on we will continue with the academy until the series begins in November.
“This is the level of our commitment to the future of the local Bahraini drivers so that we are able to inject capable young drivers into the international scene. We are establishing this championship with a clearly defined goal of providing an opportunity for Bahraini and other regional drivers to develop their careers in motorsport.”
Participants will be driving an FB02 car which has been running successfully since 2003, firstly as Formula BMW and since 2010 in Asia as the JK Racing Asia Series.
BIC chief executive officer Shaikh Salman bins Isa Al Khalifa added: “As we see so often in karting, we have strong local talent in Bahrain that we must nurture with a series like Formula Middle East.
“This series will be the opportunity for them to shine, which is now backed up with the academy which gives us the opportunity to work on developing a wide range of skills and knowledge to put them on an equal footing with young racers from Europe and around the world.”
