Middle East F1 venues form agreement

Teams from the Middle East’s two Formula One motor racing circuits met today to formalize a joint working agreement. A delegation from the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), lead by its Chairman Zayed R. Alzayani, was hosted at the Yas Marina Circuit by a delegation lead by the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM), Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

The agreement reached today will see the two organizations work together to identify and harness opportunities stemming from the presence of two of the world’s leading motor racing circuits being present in the region.

With the two tracks hosting rounds of the FIA Formula One World Championship in the region in 2009 and beyond, both ADMM and BIC foresee opportunities to harness resulting administrative, sporting and business synergies. The 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar includes 17 races with the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April 26th and the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scheduled for November 1st. Speaking during the meeting of the two organizations, Alzayani and Al Mubarak outlined the opportunities that exist for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE as the region embarks on a new era for motorsport and its development in the Gulf. Both BIC and ADMM have long term agreements – that run to the end of the next decade – with the FIA Formula One World Championship. These contracts are seen as a foundation for Grand Prix racing and the development of motorsport in general.

They build on the awareness and heritage that the Bahrain International Circuit has established in the past five years.