why testing in Bahrain ?

It's raining pretty much everwhere in western europe. Actually, it was worse the past weekend.

And that's why they're going to Bahrain instead of Estoril. Well, one reason, at least.

One day some Arab prince will probably build an indoor F1 test track anyway.

They are going to.be there in 4 weeks anyway so why would they object? Set up a base, shed jet lag, test on the circuit that hosts the first race. Get the ops team down south for Melbourne and the following race. Sounds ok to me...

Two words - Phillip Island

...and no one reply to that saying it wouldn't be a good track to test at. It probably wouldn't - but it would be MEGA

You are, of course, correct and I was being more than a little disingenuous. Money, sponsors and TV rights dictate the modern F1 circus.

But it would be great to see testing coincide with a revived Tasman Series; run pre season testing as a non points scoring series of meetings down south through Jan / Feb and early March. They do it in soccer (pre season 'friendlies') so why not in F1?

Posts have been removed, this is a very delicate subject and I ask with the utmost respect to those in the region please take the political debate about Bahrain and the region to the appropriate discussion taking place in Paddock Club and do not use this forum as a soapbox. Racing comments is a motorsport forum so one again I ask that the discussion be primarily about motorsport.

Two words - Phillip Island

 

 

 

 

 

...and no one reply to that saying it wouldn't be a good track to test at. It probably wouldn't - but it would be MEGA

Phillip Island is a FIA Grade 3 circuit so not even 1-T...

and lacks the three hundred mile wide tarmac runoff areas and billion dollar VIP lounges mandated by the FIA for the non street circuits...

and Australia don't offer huge loads of extra cash to the series as the Arab countries do...

Edited by SonnyViceR, 16 February 2014 - 12:44.

I wasn't thinking much bout financial aspect of it, is it confirmed Bahrain pays for teams accommodation expenses?


Other than being far away it's a perfect testing place - representative track design, predictable weather and lots and lots of run off areas everywhere so drivers really need to work hard to end up in a wall, so teams don't waste precious track time for repairs in case something goes wrong.

However, I'm also a bit baffled that testing still takes place there in current political climate. GP is another story, but one (me, at least) teams would reconsider the need of going there and book another track for testing. I wonder if it was being discussed behind the scenes.

Posts have been removed, this is a very delicate subject and I ask with the utmost respect to those in the region please take the political debate about Bahrain and the region to the appropriate discussion taking place in Paddock Club and do not use this forum as a soapbox. Racing comments is a motorsport forum so one again I ask that the discussion be primarily about motorsport.

I'm sure that moderating this topic is a pain in the ass but over the past few years it has been the consensus of the board that it is not possible to separate sporting from political issues re F1 and Bahrain... for some fairly obvious reasons....and so (relatively) free discussion was allowed.

Are you changing this policy this year... and, if so, why? 

IMHO,if F1 insists on handling the political hot potato of Bahrain then let its owners feel the full force of the sport's fans' backlash ... including in the publicly visible pages of this message board.... 

Who cares where they test during the winter anyway, it's the races that count. Such a fuss about this, somebody please close this thread.

Can't remember any fuss when they tested here back in 2008.

Edited by DutchQuicksilver, 16 February 2014 - 14:57.

Who cares where they test during the winter anyway, it's the races that count. Such a fuss about this, somebody please close this thread.

 

Can't remember any fuss when they tested here back in 2008.

A flight to Barcelona would be like 100 Euros from Central Europe and it is easy and safe to get to the Circuit and access is/was cheap. A flight to Bahrain would cost like 1000 Euro and Acces would be like... with a taxi to the circuit under unclear circumstance??? 

There were like 10 thousands attending the tests. How many fans will go to the Circuit now?

Edited by SealTheDiffuser, 16 February 2014 - 15:06.

A flight to Barcelona would be like 100 Euros from Central Europe and it is easy and safe to get to the Circuit and access is/was cheap. A flight to Bahrain would cost like 1000 Euro and Acces would be like... with a taxi through civil unrest??? 

So? Again, it's just winter testing, who cares. They never go fully flat anyway. Save your money for a race weekend.

So? Again, it's just winter testing, who cares. They never go fully flat anyway. Save your money for a race weekend.

I don't attend races. And not for monetary reasons. If you don't care for Winter testing....I m sorry!

Edited by SealTheDiffuser, 16 February 2014 - 15:05.

Well I prefer a race in Melbourne without half of the grid retiring due to reliability issues. So better to have a lot of dry mileage in Bahrain to get the cars reliable, than interruption all the time due to wet weather in Europe.

Edited by DutchQuicksilver, 16 February 2014 - 15:06.

A flight to Barcelona would be like 100 Euros from Central Europe and it is easy and safe to get to the Circuit and access is/was cheap. A flight to Bahrain would cost like 1000 Euro and Acces would be like... with a taxi through civil unrest??? 

 

There were like 10 thousands attending the tests. How many fans will go to the Circuit now?

This .... I happen to enjoy going to the last test before the start of the season.... but there is no way I am going to Bahrain, just for a test.

I'm sure that moderating this topic is a pain in the ass but over the past few years it has been the consensus of the board that it is not possible to separate sporting from political issues re F1 and Bahrain... for some fairly obvious reasons....and so (relatively) free discussion was allowed.

 

Are you changing this policy this year... and, if so, why? 

 

IMHO,if F1 insists on handling the political hot potato of Bahrain then let its owners feel the full force of the sport's fans' backlash ... including in the publicly visible pages of this message board.... 

Previously we have had Grands Prix cancelled/postponed because of the unrest so we have allowed leeway in the discussion because there has been a direct result for motorsport in Bahrain because of the violence and political situation, at this stage there is no effect on motor racing in Bahrain because of the protests and violence commemorating the political events in Bahrain. Similarly we have asked that discussion of the political situation in Russia be taken to an appropriate forum and not be discussed in the Russian GP thread.

I am not stopping anybody from discussing the politics of Bahrain or the Middle East, I am merely asking that it please be taken to an appropriate place and leave this forum for what it is "Racing Comments".

Please contact me or any of the moderating team by private message should any further clarification be required.

A flight to Barcelona would be like 100 Euros from Central Europe and it is easy and safe to get to the Circuit and access is/was cheap. A flight to Bahrain would cost like 1000 Euro and Acces would be like... with a taxi to the circuit under unclear circumstance??? 

 

There were like 10 thousands attending the tests. How many fans will go to the Circuit now?

They're going there for testing, not to give a handful of fans a cheap opportunity to watch some F1. 

They're going there for testing, not to give a handful of fans a cheap opportunity to watch some F1. 

oh man! you sound like a person who enjoys getting ripped off.

testing in Barcelona also was a great advertising opportunity and fans got rebate on their tickets with the $ they paid for the testing ticket...

now testing is there after the Spanish GP...

but as I also said in this thread, the weather is a good argument for Bahrain.

Edited by SealTheDiffuser, 16 February 2014 - 15:35.

oh man! you sound like a person who enjoys getting ripped off.

 

testing in Barcelona also was a great advertising opportunity and fans got rebate on their tickets with the $ they paid for the testing ticket...

now testing is there after the Spanish GP...

I think you may not have understood what i was trying to say, so i try to rephrase: Preseason testing is not an event for the fans. It is not done for advertising. It is the only chance for the teams to test their cars before the actual racing begins. So it's only naturally that anything regarding fans ranks pretty low on their priority list here. 

Edited by dau, 16 February 2014 - 15:41.

i think some people taking F1 people as too naive..if there is no 'park'(benefit) in going there,they won't simply go...fans are of least concerns here...

 

 

A flight to Bahrain would cost like 1000 Euro and Acces would be like... with a taxi to the circuit under unclear circumstance??? 

I can see your point with the flight but F1 is not just for central Europeans.  This opens up affordable f1 to the ppl that live/work in this part of the world.  Access is 5bd, just over 7 quid. Cab to the circuit? unclear circumstances?  You make it seem like your trying to get a cab through downtown Kabul, Damascus or Aleppo!

As I said before you will only get trouble if you go around actively courting it.

 Im looking forward to spending Friday at the circuit as its been a couple of years now since I saw live f1 as I had to miss our trip to Spa last year. Does anyone know where the best viewing place is around the circuit?

Weather.

Safest chance to ensure that it will be dry and they will get maximum amount of testing?

Has there ever been a wet race?  Think they have more concerns with sandstorms.  I don't even know if money has anything to do with it this time, but just the safety of knowing that they'll get full running.  Even Barcelona rains this time of year sometimes?

Dry and warm, the best chance to simulate the proper seasons conditions?  It makes a lot of sense because they really are desperate for data and mileage.

oh man! you sound like a person who enjoys getting ripped off.

 

testing in Barcelona also was a great advertising opportunity and fans got rebate on their tickets with the $ they paid for the testing ticket...

now testing is there after the Spanish GP...

 

but as I also said in this thread, the weather is a good argument for Bahrain.

It was? Advertising what?

It was? Advertising what?

Given the referenced rebate, one would assume the actual Spanish Grand Prix.

I imagine that if engines are going to fail due to overhearing, you want to test in hot weather before the engine freeze.

And of course if they test in hot weather the engine will not freeze at all.

Thanks guys - lots of both interesting points and entertaining comments.

I have been "illiminated" !!

i think you quite expected the discussion would turn out this way....so don't play innocent..