Bahrain will build a $79 million racetrack with the aim of hosting a Formula One Grand Prix, the Gulf Daily News reported Thursday.
"Obviously, we would dearly love to be the region's host for Formula One," Bahrain's top sporting official Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammad Al Khalifa said, cited by the paper.
"We are studying the possibility of hosting a Formula One race here. It will be difficult, but we are keen on the idea and are working to achieve it," he said.
"This track will go ahead regardless, and enable us to serve local enthusiasts as well as the lucrative regional and international car racing markets."
German consultancy Tilke has designed the 30 million dinar ($79 million) venue, which will have three circuits, a drag track and a main grandstand capable of holding 16,000 spectators.
The 5.2km circuit will have an estimated lap time for a Formula One car of 1 minute 35 seconds, and an average speed of 196 kilometres per hour (122.5 miles per hour) – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
