Saturday GP unlikely for Bahrain – boss

(GMM) The boss of the formula one circuit in Bahrain has played down local hopes that the country's annual grand prix might in future be raced on a Saturday.

F1 races are traditionally held on Sundays, which in the island country in the Persian Gulf is actually a normal working and school day.

Moreover, the provisional date of the 2009 race at the Sakhir circuit – April 19 – is the first day of the summer school term, moving one local school principal to delay the start of the term until Monday so that his pupils and staff can attend the race.

"We consider that F1 should, in future years, consider a Saturday date for race days in Muslim countries and hope that some consideration might be given to this by the worldwide F1 body," St Christopher's School principal Ed Goodwin is quoted as saying by Gulf Weekly.

But Martin Whitaker, chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, doubts the plan is a realistic one.

"The FIA and formula one have for many years worked towards continuity in qualifying and race day timings.

"Moving the race to a Saturday would cause many, many problems for the organizers of the championship — not least in global television schedules," he said.