Sakhir crowds on the up
A crowd of 17,000 watched Friday`s first Formula One practice sessions of the year at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.
Circuit manager Martin Whitaker had not seen the figure, but - by estimation - he reckoned it was the biggest Friday crowd at the desert venue since it joined the calendar in `04. He added that Sunday could be a total sell-out.

“(And) the media presence is bigger than any other race I have seen, which is encouraging,” Whitaker said.


With Melbourne set to host the Commonwealth Games, 2006 is the first time Bahrain has staged the season opener.

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