BAHRAIN’S International Circuit will be on the F1 calendar until at least 2036 after being handed a mammoth FIFTEEN year contract extension.
The venue for the first race of the 2022 season will continue to be a feature on the calendar thanks to a lengthy extension from F1 bosses.
A fifteen year deal is a mighty reward for the Middle Eastern nation.
In return chiefs at the Bahrain international circuit have pledged to ensure all energy used at the Grand Prix in March comes from sustainable sources.
The circuit in Sakhir has hosted at least one race every year since 2004 – other than a one-year gap in 2011.
And in the Covid-interrupted 2020 campaign it was the venue for two GP’s to help ensure the season could go ahead.
Pre-season testing for the this year’s championship will take place in Bahrain, as it did twelve months ago.
Speaking on the announcement, Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive of the circuit, said: “After 18 years of F1 racing, we are proud to have played a part in F1’s rich history and we are now looking forward to continuing to build on that heritage well into the future.
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“The growth and interest in motorsport in Bahrain and the Middle East has significant momentum, with a new generation of fans embracing our great sport and we look forward to continuing that progress.”
Meanwhile F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali gushed: “Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to welcome Formula 1 and it has a very special place in our sport.
“And I personally want to thank HRH Prince Salman and his team for their dedication and hard work throughout our partnership and look forward to the many years of racing ahead of us.”
Lewis Hamilton won the last edition of the Bahrain GP in last year’s season opener – finishing ahead of eventual championship winner Max Verstappen.
