Bahrain raises curtain-raiser
Bahrain organisers have promised to do Formula One proud after the Gulf state was confirmed as the first stop on a 19-race 2006 calendar.
Governing body the FIA published their draft 2006 calendar today after a meeting of their world motorsport council in Rome.
The first grand prix comes at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, with Australia losing its season-opening slot due to a clash with the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Malaysia follows a week later before the trip to Melbourne on April 2.
Bahrain is preparing for just its third grand prix but the track general manager Martin Whitaker is confident he can put on a show worthy of the world’s most popular annual sporting event.
He said: “I’m really pleased for Bahrain, I think this is a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate quite how far the circuit has progressed and developed since our first grand prix back in 2004.
“The eyes of the world will be upon us on March 12.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for us to showcase our organisational and technical abilities on the world’s most prestigious motorsport stage.
“We are confident the buzz that is already growing for the race will make this the most successful to date.”
Britain’s round at Silverstone is moved from its traditional July slot to a June 11 date, which clashes with the first Sunday of football’s World Cup.
Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips confessed he was saddened to lose the traditional July date but accepted the pressures of World Cup year forced compromise.
He said: “Next year’s football World Cup in Germany has always been at the back of our minds during the planning process for the 2006 British Grand Prix. We were hoping to keep our traditional date in July, but we are also realistic.
“Time differences and TV schedules around the World Cup were always going to be taken into consideration, so we’re not entirely surprised that a number of circuits have had to change dates.
“Getting the circuit ready for a British Grand Prix on June 11 will not be a problem. The football World Cup has not just crept up on us – we had prepared for a possible change of date.”
The traditional schedule has been shaken up to put back the North American races in Montreal and Indianapolis, meaning they occur as the World Cup is reaching a climax.
However, that spares European races from a potentially-damaging clash with World Cup quarter and semi-finals. As a consequence, the French Grand Prix will take place later than usual on July 16.
Today’s calendar confirmed Mexico, who had a deal with Bernie Ecclestone, have failed to build a suitable circuit in Cancun whilst ending speculation over a 20th race, at Fuji in Japan.
After Shanghai hosted the final race of this season, the 2006 calendar ends at Interlagos in Brazil on October 22. However, that date is listed “subject to contract approval”.
As well as confirming the 2006 calendar, the FIA’s world motorsport council also ratified plans to change the qualifying system for next year.
Under the new system, two 15-minute sessions will see the five slowest cars eliminated after each before a 20-minute shoot-out to determine the top 10. The return of tyre changes was confirmed.
