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Bahrain GP’s shift to a Saturday race was a success. Could it become permanent?
The Bahrain Grand Prix CEO, Sheikh Salman bin Isa al-Khalifa, has mentioned the potential for a permanent shift to Saturday races following the success of the season-opening event this year. Due to Ramadan starting on March 10, the F1 calendar had to be adjusted, resulting in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix being held from Thursday to Saturday this week. This change forced the Bahrain event to move to Friday and Saturday to ensure proper logistics between races. Notably, this was the first time in history that qualifying and the grand prix took place over a Friday and Saturday in Bahrain and the Middle East. Sheikh Salman noted positive impacts on ticket sales and international attendance due to the altered race schedule. While Sheikh Salman acknowledges the benefits of weekend races for local fans, he also considers the global implications and logistics involved in making such a change. Moving forward, discussions will be held with Formula 1 to evaluate the possibility of permanently scheduling races on Saturdays.
