F1: FIA Positive On Sepang Preparations, BMF Lauds Malaysian Personnel

By Noor Bakhtiar Ahmad

SEPANG, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has given a positive assessment of preparations for this weekend’s Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF) General Manager Abdulaziz Al Thawadi said FIA F1 Race Director Rui Marques met the organisers on Monday as final preparations continued for the Oct 2-4 race.

“He was happy with the preparations,” Al Thawadi told Bernama here on Tuesday.

Al Thawadi said the Malaysian side had worked hard, with only about 60 days to prepare for the event.

“They’re trying their best, although they have, like, 60 days. It’s a lot of pressure on them, but they try very hard to get things ready and to make this happen, which is actually happening now.

“If you go to the track, 60 days ago it wouldn’t look like this,” he said.

Al Thawadi also praised the support received in Malaysia, saying local personnel had been very helpful throughout the race preparations.

“The people here are very helpful. What we like is they reminded us of our culture. The smile, you know, the greetings. They are very helpful,” he said.

He said Sepang also offered a degree of familiarity for Bahrain’s organisers, despite the Grand Prix being staged away from its traditional home in Sakhir.

Both the Sepang International Circuit and Bahrain International Circuit were designed by German circuit designer Hermann Tilke.

“There are places when you walk in Sepang, you can see, oh, this looks like Bahrain, looks like Bahrain.

“So the layout, some technical things, you will see it’s the same as Bahrain,” Al Thawadi said.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled to take place in Sakhir last April but was cancelled amid the conflict in West Asia.

-- BERNAMA