ALKHOBAR, 2 March 2006 — Citizens and expatriates in the Eastern Province are expected to throng the Red Bull show today of Formula One car, which will be driven along the Corniche here by international F-1 Dutch driver Robert Doornbos.
“This car, which participated in last year’s F-1 event, will be mainly used for Thursday’s show and will not be heading to Bahrain for an upcoming event in mid-March,” Robert Doornbos told Arab News in an interview. A new car being prepared and tested in Spain will head for Bahrain, the venue for the 2006 season’s first F-1 round.
Doornbos, 23, who arrived here from Amsterdam yesterday morning, and a few of his Red Bull colleagues including Account Manager Dominik Mitsch, an Australian, and Majdi Taleb of Al-Quraishi Marketing Co. Ltd., were overseeing the preparations for the “grand event.” The car, which has become a cynosure of all eyes, was recently given a face-lift and its wet tires changed to dry tires. “We don’t need wet tires here as the weather is excellent and there is no sign of rain,” Doornbos said. “Alkhobar weather is great, but for me it’s hot,” he remarked.
Doornbos will drive the Red Bull F1 car one kilometer toward the north on the Corniche and make a return trip in a similar fashion to show his driving skills. “How many times I’ll make such rounds will depend on how big the crowd of spectators is going to be and their demand,” he added.
“It’s a nice feeling to come to Saudi Arabia,” Doornbos said, adding that he was part of the Red Bull team that took part in the Bahrain F-1 Grand Prix last year. Doornbos will be the third driver of the Red Bull Racing Team to compete in Bahrain, the first two members being David Coulthard, a 34-year-old Scottish, and Christian Klein, a 23-year-old Australian.
