Bahrain to contribute to Baku Formula 1 race
By Nigar Orujova
Bahrain announced that it would contribute to organizing the Formula One race in Baku after a senior team representing the Bahrain Motorsport Federation and the Bahrain Marshals Club has made its first visit to Baku, the host city for the Formula One Grand Prix of Europe next summer.
Baku City Circuit, the official promoter of the race, recently signed an agreement with the Bahrain Motorsport Federation, making them an integral part of the organizing team of the inaugural Formula One race in Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan Automobile Federation will support this partnership and will take a role in regulating on-track operations.
The cooperation will include training on F1-related operations, including race control, the organization of fire, rescue and medical on-track services, as well as recruitment and selection of marshals, who are responsible for ensuring the safety of drivers.
Senior race officials from Bahrain have already reviewed and scrutinized the street circuit alongside BCC and AAF specialists, analyzing each section of the track to identify the best points of operation for the marshals.
Motorsport marshals will be equipped with a number of standard flags, all used to communicate vital messages to the drivers as they race around the track.
A team of senior marshals from the Bahrain International Circuit, a prominent organizer of Formula One races in the Middle East since 2004, will also be involved at Grand Prix of Europe in Baku.
“The Grand Prix of Europe is designed to be the most unique event ever held in Azerbaijan in many respects. It will be the fastest F1 street circuit on the calendar and will deliver a spectacular event to a global audience of around 500-million people,” commented Arif Rahimov, Chief Executive Officer of the Baku City Circuit.
“The insights gained by our team from the Bahraini experts will be invaluable in the further months of planning and preparations that lie ahead for Baku City Circuit. The Bahrain Motorsport Federation has set a world-class standard for sporting operations and organizational excellence, and our team fully intends to meet that standard.”
Baku City Circuit will be the second longest F1 track on the calendar, with a length slightly over six kilometers. The specially constructed street track will see F1 cars race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city – Icheri Sheher – as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea vista.
Baku City Circuit is the official promoter of the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe in Azerbaijan, and is the title of the host venue of the race.
It has a number of challenges, including an extremely narrow uphill section along the old town walls that will require pinpoint accuracy, and includes an acceleration section of almost 2.2 kilometers along the seaside promenade, which will see the cars running flat out at very high speeds – something that will create an incredible show for race fans.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
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