Following the phenomenally successful inaugural Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the third round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, Bahrain International Circuit has now started to prepare for a variety of other motor sport activities at the state of the art circuit. The first of these events will be an exhibition race weekend in November featuring the type of cars that contest the FIA GT Championship from a number of countries around the world. The event of November 24 - 26th will give international GT drivers the first opportunity to race on the Middle East's only Grand Prix circuit.

The Bahrain GT Festival will bring in more then 70 cars of different brands and models, both current and historic from around the world, to present an impressive line-up giving spectators a new racing experience. The Festival underlines the standard of motor sport that will be seen at the circuit in future and will give regional fans a taste of what to expect next year when Bahrain becomes one of the official rounds in the FIA GT Championship in 2005.

The Bahrain GT Festival will be held from November 24th to 26th bringing together cars from GT series all over the world. The impressive line-up of cars includes examples such as the Ferrari 550 Maranello, a variety of Porches, Chrysler Viper GTR-S, Lamborghini Diablo GTR, Holden Monaro, Lotus Sport Elise and Morgan Aero 8, to name a few.

The Festival will include a series of races that will be fantastic for endurance racing fans. A programme of other supporting events will be announced at a later date but promises to be entertaining for the entire family and will include local races such as the Mini Cooper Challenge.

By hosting the third round of the FIA Formula One World Championship in April of this year, the Kingdom has made its mark as a leading motor sporting platform in the Gulf. Staging the Festival as a precursor to a fully fledged FIA GT round in 2005 will add strength to the portfolio of events that will be run at the circuit.

Martin Whitaker, General Manager, Bahrain International Circuit said, 'Our vision is to make the Bahrain International Circuit the home for motor sport in the Middle East. Formula One created a massive interest not just for Bahrain but for the region as a whole. The new events such as GT will give racing fans throughout the region the opportunity to experience the very best that motor sport has to offer. It will also underline Bahrain's geographical importance as a venue for motor sport throughout the year.'

This is part of a longer term agreement with the circuit of Bahrain," Stephane Ratel, SRO commented. "The circuit will welcome the FIA GT Championship in 2005, as part of an end-of-season double-header in the Gulf region, along with Dubai."

Concerning the planned GT Festival, Ratel continued, "We consider this to be a fantastic opportunity for national GT teams to discover one of the latest and most exciting circuits in the world. We are very confident of being able to put together an excellent grid for the event.

"We are very excited about hosting the GT Festival and expect it to be another memorable day for motor sporting fans. Formula One brought in first time spectators that left the circuit life long fans. This is the second "international" event the Circuit brings to the Kingdom and we are confident that it will be as entertaining as other races. As part of our commitment to race fans we will be staging another world class event in December, making it three major sporting events since the opening of the Circuit," Martin added.