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Bahrain bans champagne at first Formula One race
With bonus security fears...Drivers have been banned from the traditional podium celebration of spraying champagne at Sundayâs inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix. The race is the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East. Alcohol and scantily-clad "pit girls" would not be appreciated in the Islamic country, said Bahrainâs deputy speaker Adel al-Moawada. "Shaking the champagne and spreading it on people, this is something I donât think people will accept," he said. "The organisers know how to run this event without contradicting the culture of the place they are in." Race organisers have created a special non-alcoholic drink for the podium celebrations, a mix of locally grown fruit - pomegranate and trinj - combined with rosewater. The build-up to the Grand Prix has been overshadowed by security fears, with the British Foreign Office warning about a global terrorist threat to western and UK targets. "We are particularly concerned about potential threats to places where westerners might gather," it said in a statement. Six of the 10 F1 teams are based in Britain. Bahrainâs Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has promised security will be extremely tight, with aerial patrols and police surveillance stepped up this week around the country. Bahrainâs Interior Ministry said it has a robust security plan to deal with anything from "low-level vandalism to national disasters and international terrorism". Posted by: Seafarious 2004-03-31 |
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