Bahrain reportedly paying for the privilege of hosting the debut of 2022 F1 cars

The promoters of the Bahrain Grand Prix are reportedly paying F1 a hefty fee for the “privilege” of hosting the 2022 cars for the first time at the Sakhir International Circuit. According to a report by Motorsport Italia, Bahrain is reportedly vying to “premiere” the new era of F1.

Unlike previous seasons, the pre-season testing this year will be split between two circuits — Barcelona-Catalunya and Sakhir. The “pre-shakedown” at Barcelona, however, will be held entirely behind closed doors, while the “official” testing will be held at Sakhir, and will be broadcast live on TV.

Earlier this month, teams were reportedly asked to launch their new cars in “provisional liveries” ahead of pre-season testing, while reserving the official liveries until the Bahrain test. The new report suggests this was done at the Bahrain promoter’s behest.

Teams have reportedly pushed back on provisional liveries, citing the costs of painting the cars twice and amidst the tight cost cap. Furthermore, some teams have reportedly refused the dual livery request due to tight deadlines ahead of the season.

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F1 controversially pushing for races in more countries around the world amid accusations of “sport-washing”

Bahrain’s desire to “premiere” the 2022 season comes as no surprise given the number of countries in the Middle East jockeying for a spot at hosting one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world.

Many countries, especially ones with questionable records in terms of human rights, have been accused of using sporting events to “sport-wash” their reputation among the international community.

In recent years, F1 has come under increasing fire for courting repressive regimes in search of revenue. Last year alone, the sport hosted races in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey — all with a history of disregarding human rights.

Meanwhile, Bahrain — a relatively small, but rich country in the Middle East — has been recently outshined by its neighbors, despite being on the F1 calendar for a long while. With the addition of Saudi Arabia to the regular calendar, and with Abu Dhabi hosting the season finale, Bahrain has been trying to become the de-facto testing circuit replacing Barcelona-Catalunya.

There’s much excitement surrounding the new era of the sport, which has been touted to improve racing. So it makes sense for Bahrain to host not just the 2022 season opener, but of the new era, once again outshining its rivals in the Middle East.