Lights out in Bahrain
Bahrain F1 Test & GP by Sam
First F1 race of 2024? Combined with the pre-season testing? No pressure then!
The Bahrain Test & Race is a big, challenging task to master, and I certainly felt the need to perfect it as much as possible. However, the secret to our line of work is that no matter how perfect your plan, you must not get attached, because by 10am it’ll be out the window.
The two events back-to-back mean that you have teams who stay out for the full duration, people that come and go and come back again, then you have the latecomers. It’s non-stop from start to finish and being adaptable is absolutely key.
Travelling and working on location is always fun when you get along so well with the people you’re out there with, and I couldn’t be more thankful to the support from the hire companies as well as our two new team members while we took on the circus of F1. Together, we serviced over 30 customers across 500 rentals, in a two-week period. There were bumps in the road with flat tyres, lost keys, dead batteries, car park dilemmas, specialised vehicle requests and the blustering winds that engulf the island on the daily. But there’s always a silver lining, with top of the range prestige vehicles, royal crown badging, catching up after the winter break, and paddle boarding with clients (a personal favourite).
I arrived in Bahrain on the 11th February ready to settle in for the next 21 days on the island; and while I absolutely loved the people I met, their kindness and generosity, there isn’t that much to do in Bahrain… there’s the circuit, the fort, the mosque, and the shopping. I think there are some lovely beaches on the other side of the island, but those ones in particular are for residents only, so I sadly didn’t get to squeeze in any sunbathing between meeting and greeting. I did however make great friends with staff at the BIC who became a great partner to work with over the event and they all shared their favourite wining and dining spots. Juffair, where I was staying, was considered the 18-30 party zone of Bahrain, and right they were! I was physically pained when two glasses of wine set me back £75 though, so maybe next time I’ll stick to lemonade.
I think coordinating the Bahrain Test & GP is a right of passage, an initiation if you will, and I’m pretty proud of myself for the overall success of the event!
✅ Record numbers
✅ Excellent feedback from customers
✅ Friends made
✅ Good times shared!
