Monday April 5th, 2004
Speeding Champion
World Champion Michael Schumacher drove into trouble ahead of the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix when he was fined $3,750 (USD) for speeding in the pitlane. The Ferrari star was caught doing 74.3km/h - well above the designated pitlane speed limit - during Saturday's second practice session at the new Bahrain International Circuit. But Schumacher's performance was 'bettered' by Italian newcomer Gianmaria Bruni, who drove his Minardi car through the pits at 83.5km/h during Friday practice and was slapped with a whopping $12,000 fine. Jordan test driver Timo Glock was also at it on Friday, but he was only clocked at 62.2km/h and fined $750.
Montoya Loses a Ferrari
Locals and international visitors alike were given a real incentive to come and watch the Bahrain Grand Prix when the race organisers offered the chance for them to drive home in a Ferrari Modena 360. Any person purchasing a three-day ticket or even one just for race day had a ticket thrown into the raffle and the lucky winner was drawn out on Sunday. But with bumper crowds packing into the new circuit there were thousands of unlucky losers - and one such man was Williams-BMW driver Juan Pablo Montoya. "Who won the Ferrari?" Montoya shouted to a pal in the paddock after the race. When he was told, he disappointedly replied: "I didn't win? But I bought three tickets..."
Crowding In
Strangely, race organisers chose not to release accurate attendance figures for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix - but instead estimated the crowds to have bulged to 40,000 on race day. That means the race did not sell out as the circuit has a capacity for 45,000 people. The organisers claimed 10,000 people had attended Friday's practice sessions and 15,000 turned up for Saturday's practice and qualifying. The crowds were a cosmopolitan mix of Europeans and locals and a spokeswoman was quoted by local paper Gulf Daily News as saying: "There have been women in abayas and men in thobes along with people in shorts and T-shirts. It's fantastic. People can't believe this is Bahrain!"
Returning Wilson
The name J Wilson appeared on the official timing screens this weekend but it was not former Minardi and Jaguar racer Justin back for another crack at Formula One - it was another Wilson by the name of John, racing in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix championship. The international series sees old Formula One cars run by rich fans running around circuits in Europe with Monza and Magny Cours the other two current Grand Prix tracks on its eight-race calendar. It made an appearance on the Grand Prix support card this weekend as it kicked off in spectacular fashion when a Courage-sponsored Lotus crashed heavily in practice and displayed the safety advancements that Formula One has made since those days when its nose disintegrated on impact to leave an exposed cockpit. The retro race - and Ferrari's subsequent dominance of the 2004 race - will have left Williams bosses with retro flashbacks as cars from their past claimed a one-two finish with Swiss driver Fredy Kumschick, in an FW07, finishing ahead of Briton Richard Eyre's FW08.
Published at 14:13:39 GMT
(03-11-2005): 
