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MOTOR RACING’s elite drivers will be seeing the Bahrain International Circuit in a new light during the first-ever Formula One day-night race to be staged in Bahrain.
Experts believe the new lighting system introduced for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2014 will make the entire race track more visually stunning, adding a fantastic new spectacle for race fans that has never before been seen during the Formula One weekend.
Track bosses are confident the decision to mark the landmark 10th anniversary of the Formula One family roaring into action at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’ and the major investment in the lighting will pay-off in more ways than one.
“This is the first year the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be held at night and we are certain it’s going to be a wonderful occasion and a never-before-experienced thrill for everyone in attendance and even for those watching on television,” a source close to the event told GulfWeekly when this newspaper exclusively revealed the plans.
“The lights are just spectacular around the track. They brighten it up so well and it’s an overall different feeling of excitement seeing racing being held under the floodlights.
“Moving forward, the new permanent lighting system has really opened the doors to so many possibilities.
“Aside from the Grand Prix, it can accommodate a variety of other track configurations, so we can hold everything from local races such as the BIC 2,000cc Challenge at night to some of the bigger, global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“Even with our very own experiences and activities at BIC, there can be much more done now with the new lighting system. An example is having an Open Track event during the night, something that has never been done before but I’m sure appeals to many drivers.”
The entire project has been managed by the Ministry of Works. The main contractor was Cebarco,and the specialist lighting sub-contractor, Musco Lighting, from the US.
Tilke and Partners, who originally designed the circuit, have acted as consultants and the quantity surveyors were Hisham Jaffar.
The luminaires being used are ones that can provide the required lighting levels for today’s high definition (HD) TV broadcasting. There are about 4,500 of them around the circuit, fixed onto 495 lighting poles ranging in height from 10m to 45m.
