Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) is all set to host one of the biggest events on its annual calendar: the FIA WEC Six Hours of Bahrain. The endurance racing spectacle makes a grand return to Sakhir on November 20 and 21 as the eighth and final round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship (WEC).
This year’s 6 Hours of Bahrain will be the fourth edition of the prestigious race in the desert, and the second time that BIC will be staging the hugely exciting season finale.
BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa announced today an exciting programme of top-class events that awaits fans both leading up to and during the event. Shaikh Salman was speaking at a Press conference held at the BIC premises, together with WEC CEO Gerard Neveu and popular Porsche LMP1 team driver Brendon Hartley.
“The FIA WEC Six Hours of Bahrain is one of the major highlights on our BIC calendar each year,” said Shaikh Salman. “We take pride in being the sole destination for the WEC in the entire Middle East.
“I would like to thank Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President Pierre Fillon and WEC CEO Gerard Neveu for their trust in us to once again host the season-ending event. The relationship between BIC and the WEC continues to grow from strength to strength, and we look forward to hosting a monumental event in just a few weeks’ time that both BIC and the WEC can be proud of.”
WEC CEO Gerard Neveu commented: “We would like to thank Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and everyone at Bahrain International Circuit for the warm welcome given to the World Endurance Championship and for their continued support of the 6 Hours of Bahrain, now in its fourth year.
“Racing into the night gives the event a special atmosphere, and the entire paddock very much enjoys visiting Bahrain. As this year’s event will be the season finale, we know there will be even more pressure on competitors to succeed, with championship titles in the balance, and there will therefore be more excitement and tension for spectators to enjoy.
“We have more cars on the grid in 2015 than ever before, and the high quality of our teams and drivers has provided world class entertainment from Europe to the Americas, to Asia and now to the Middle East. The partnership between the ACO and the FIA has raised endurance racing to new levels of exposure and popularity, and the inclusion of world class facilities such as those at BIC on our calendar remains vital.
“Bahrain continues to provide the perfect stage for the most prestigious, most competitive and best sport car race to be held in the Middle East region. This year we will also have the GP2 and GP3 series racing alongside us providing a unique and great weekend of entertainment for fans from Bahrain and beyond. We look forward to coming back to Bahrain in November, and to seeing you all at BIC.”
The 6 Hours of Bahrain is scheduled to flag off in the daylight at 3pm and it will end under floodlights at 9pm.
The 6 Hours of Bahrain will not only be featuring the very best of Le Mans-style racing at BIC, but will also include a massive support programme that would be the envy of any motor racing event in the world.
Set to light up the Sakhir track alongside the WEC will be four internationally and regionally renowned championships. These are the GP2 Series and, for the first time ever in Bahrain, the GP3 Series. Then there’s the BIC-bred Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and the India-based MRF Challenge.
“Never before have we had such a programme packed with racing from five highly competitive series,” said Shaikh Salman. “GP2 and GP3 alone are international championships that can act as stand-alone events. Having them race over the same weekend as the WEC truly makes for an extraordinary combination of first-class motorsport and this can rarely be seen anywhere else in the world."
Quotes from Bahrain International Circuit
Photos: Courtesy of Bahrain International Circuit. SAKHIR, BAHRAIN, THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2015, PRESS CONFERENCE AHEAD OF 6 HOURS OF BAHRAIN. From left to right: Brendon Hartley of Porsche Team, BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, WEC CEO Gerard Neveu.
