Bahrain is eager to welcome back F1 in 2012
After being canceled at the beginning of 2011, the Bahrain Grand Prix will indeed have its place in the 2012 calendar, much to the satisfaction of its organizers.
The Bahrain event was supposed to open the 2011 Formula 1 season on March 13. However, this event was put on hold due to the anti-government protests that were shaking the Kingdom during this period of the Arab Spring.
Despite multiple attempts to reschedule Bahrain in the 2011 championship, no agreement was reached. According to the provisional 2012 calendar, the paddock will nevertheless return to the Sakhir International Circuit, where the Grand Prix has been held since April 4, 2004. Initially scheduled for October (in place of the Indian GP) to allow the government time to find solutions to the disagreements, the race will finally take place on April 22, 2012. The Indian organizers, in turn, requested a date swap with Bahrain to avoid the scorching temperatures in New Delhi in April.
First Middle Eastern country to have hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix, Bahrain wanted to assist the FOM in establishing the final calendar: « The Bahrain International Circuit has always been ready to find the best agreements and serve the motorsport world, particularly Formula 1. That is why we are in favor of a date change with India », Bahraini officials stated in a recent press release. Therefore, the race will indeed take place on April 22, 2012.
The organizers of the Grand Prix have expressed their eagerness to see drivers, teams, and fans back on their grounds very soon: « It is with great anticipation that we await the return of the paddock and spectators to Manama for 2012 »,” they concluded.
