7 TidBits from the Bahrain Grand Prix Formula One Race You May Have Missed

The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the F1 Grand Prix today. Photo credit: @BAH_Int_Circuit

The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the F1 Grand Prix today. Photo credit: @BAH_Int_Circuit

Bahrain hosted the Grand Prix Formula One race today. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg won the race, followed by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in second place and Lewis Hamilton, also Mercedes, in third.

Here are seven tidbits shared by F1 champions on the Bahrain race.

Gold Cutlery for F1 Drivers:

According to race champion Nico Rosberg, he had to rummage through his breakfast in gold cutlery. He even shared the photograph with his 1.2 million followers on Twitter. To his credit, he did remember those less fortunate.

Golf cutlery for F1 drivers in Bahrain. Photo credit: @nico_rosberg

Golf cutlery for F1 drivers in Bahrain. Photo credit: @nico_rosberg

Lewis Hamilton the Arab Sheikh:

Lewis Hamilton dressed up in Arab garb as he made his entry into the circuit and loved it. He brags to his 3.6 million followers on Twitter that wearing the long flowing white robe made and Arab head gear made him feel “royal”:

Skydiving in Bahrain is Fun:

Still with Hamilton, he went indoor skydiving in Bahrain and tweeted the experience, which he described as “so much fun”:

Alonso had a Cake Car:

Spaniard Fernando Alonso couldn't get into the racing car because he did not pass his medical. But he did get a car cake, which he shared with his 2.4m followers on Twitter:

Spectacular Scenery of the Desert:

French driver Romain Grosjean shares a photograph he says is of Bahrain from the sky and describes the dusty blob of desert as a “wonderful view”:

Rain Vs Sandstorm:

And what's a desert without a good sandstorm? Luckily, there was a bit of rain on the first day of the qualifying runs, and no sandstorm. Max Verstappen's met report is not accurate and his worst nightmare didn't come true — but he did finish in sixth place in the race.

Off Track:

Away from the action on the track, muted protests continued in the restive country, where a popular Arab Spring-like uprising in February 2011 was faced by a severe government crackdown.

Many, including Amnesty International, feel the race whitewashes severe human rights abuses which continue to this day. In a statement, it said:

This weekend Bahrain hosts the Formula One Grand Prix, a glamorous event putting the country in the international spotlight. Away from the racing circuit Amnesty International has continued to documented a range of appalling human rights violations.

“Behind the fast cars and the victory laps lies a government that is tightening its chokehold on any remnant of dissent in the country by stepping up arrests, intimidation and harassment of political opposition, critics and activists. The alarming erosion of human rights in Bahrain in recent years means that anyone who dares to criticize the authorities or call for reform risks severe punishment,” said James Lynch, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

2 comments

Join the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.