FEBRUARY 19, 2004

Jani laps Manama

Sauber test driver Neel Jani was in action today on the streets of Manama in Bahrain, promoting the forthcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. The Swiss driver was at the wheel of a Sauber C22. The demonstration runs took place on the King Faisal Highway, which runs along the seashore at the northern end of the city. Jani reported that the road was very slippery but still managed to reach speeds of around 185mph. The locals are hoping that such events will help them to increase ticket sales for the event. At the moment only 40,000 tickets have been sold and it is difficult to attract more visitors as finding hotel accommodation is now virtually impossible. The only way to push up the crowd therefore is to bring in locals who can afford the tickets. Bahrain has plans to build more hotels in the years ahead but at the moment the country boasts only 12,500 rooms.