Bahrain wants to host private tests before the start of the season

Officials of the Bahrain circuit hope to host private tests before the competition begins on March 14th on the same circuit.

With the tightening of private testing rules, teams preferred to test only in Europe at the start of the season. Thus, out of the four scheduled testing sessions, only three circuits have been selected, all located in Spain. For the officials of the Bahrain circuit in Sakhir, this choice is a mistake. The weather is expected to prevent a large part of the testing.

In previous years, Toyota and Ferrari regularly went to Bahrain to test their single-seater in ‘real’ temperature conditions or similar to those encountered during the season. Martin Whitaker is optimistic about the subject and believes that in 2010 several teams will be present.

« We are currently in talks with some teams to encourage them to come and test on the Bahrain track. I am sure they will be very happy to go there. » Comments Whitaker to the daily Golf Daily News.

« Testing outside of Europe is difficult today due to the cost reduction required by the FIA. But if some teams wanted to come with the permission of their competitors, we would be delighted to welcome them. For now, it’s too early; many are not ready for the tests, but we are confident that one or two teams will make the trip before the start of the season. »

Whitaker highlights an uncontrollable argument in Europe: weather conditions. Bahrain can thus boast of being operational over a longer timeframe and without weather restrictions: « On average, over the 38 testing days that have been offered since the circuit’s construction, only two days were canceled due to bad weather. Furthermore, work can start here from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm while maintaining stable weather conditions. »

« This is not the case in Europe where often trials start at 11am and are restricted by rainy weather… » continues Whitaker. « But we know that, on the other hand, the journey is long and expensive. »

According to a Ferrari spokesperson, the team might arrive on site a week before the inaugural Grand Prix to acclimate the car. Other teams might follow suit.