The countdown to the Formula One racing season opener is getting nearer. Australia will be hosting the first round of this year’s world championship on March 16. The championship will run through 18 events in 17 countries before the end of the season in Brazil on November 2.

Reigning champions Ferrari go into 2008 as pre-season favourites after a dominant display throughout pre-season testing. They have set the pace both in Bahrain and Spain, where the majority of teams carry out their pre-season programmes, ahead of their main rivals McLaren-Mercedes and a pitched battle between Williams, Renault, BMW, Honda, Toyota and Red Bull to get on terms with the top two.

As the world’s biggest annual sporting series, Formula One attracts a global audience of more than 550 million viewers and takes place on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. This year two new venues will join the Formula One calendar: Valencia in Spain will host the European Grand Prix while Singapore will become the host of the first ever F1 floodlit night race.

'Reigning champions Ferrari go into 2008 as pre-season favourites after a dominant display throughout pre-season testing'


A new name appears this year in Force India, who bought the Spyker team at the end of last season. Backed by Indian industrial magnate Vijay Mallya and with experienced race winner Giancarlo Fisichella in the No. 1 driver position, there are high hopes for the colourful new team.

Bahrain will host the third round of this year’s championship on April 4 to 6, a Grand Prix that will indisputably be the region’s most celebrated sporting and social occasion. This year's race at the Bahrain International circuit marks the fifth time that the World Championship has visited the Middle East since the circuit was built in 2004. The landmark occasion promises to be the biggest and best Grand Prix yet under its headline ‘our race’.

BIC Chief Executive Officer, Martin Whitaker, said: “People have come to expect an unforgettable experience at the Grand Prix and come away from the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix feeling that it is ‘their race’. There is so much more on offer for the fans each year in terms of entertainment, both on the racetrack and in the public areas, compared to many of the world’s other major sporting events, and this year we believe that we are going to see another unforgettable event.”

Preparations are already well underway following six days of testing at the BIC, where both Ferrari and Toyota put their all-new challengers through their paces. Ferrari in particular grabbed the headlines with their new car in the hands of reigning champion, Kimi Räikkönen.

Last year’s Bahrain GP was the first ever sell-out event, drawing 90,000 people across the three days. As a result a new grandstand is being built directly opposite the pit lane exit, increasing capacity for another blockbuster event.