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Bahrain reverts to old track lay-out

NEWS STORY
16/08/2010

Organizers of the Bahrain Grand Prix have revealed that from next year the Sakhir track will revert to its original layout.

This year's season opener was held on a revised layout (right) which produced arguably one of the most boring races in living memory. Dubbed Bore-rain the race came as a massive anti-climax after months of anticipation and in the eyes of many cast a shadow over the early part of the season.

Now, organizers have revealed that for 2011 the event will revert to the original track layout (below left), though they fail to recognize this year's race for the non-event that it was, certainly in the the eyes of most fans, the media and many of those actually participating.

"Following the huge success of the 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix as the inaugural round for the Formula 1 World Championship's 60th anniversary season, Bahrain International Circuit has today announced that it will be returning to its original track layout in preparation for next year's season," reads the announcement on the circuit's official website. "The use of the extended "endurance track" was part of the celebrations which marked the diamond jubilee of the oldest and most prestigious racing series. It provided a unique opportunity to see the participating teams and drivers of the 24 strong grid navigate several new challenges and turns, marking the 7th Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix as one of the most spectacular races yet seen at the Sakhir track. The 2011 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will therefore feature the original track layout, which has been used since Bahrain International Circuit's inaugural race in 2004 when the circuit was awarded the prestigious Best Organised Grand Prix Trophy."

Confirming the decision to revert to the 'old' layout, Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain International Circuit, continued the hyperbole.

"Since its inception in 2004, Bahrain International Circuit has continually set new standards in the world of international motorsport," he said. "Known globally as the "Friendly Race" it has been a favourite on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar for the past seven seasons. As the inaugural round of the Formula 1 World Championship's 60th anniversary season, it was important for us to celebrate this momentous occasion by doing something very unique and different.

"One of the major tasks we undertook to mark this milestone was implementing changes to our FIA approved track layout, giving the participating teams of the 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix a completely new challenge. It was an enormous task given the time frame we had to implement it, but one that demonstrated Bahrain's characteristics as a race promoter prepared to continually make changes designed to heighten the awareness and increase the levels of presentation associated with the sport of Formula One. Both the Grand Prix and the 60th Anniversary celebrations, with 18 of the surviving 20 Formula One World Champions along with the cars that took them to their titles, will be remembered for a long time as a result."

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