F1 touches down in Bahrain for controversial race

Apr.16 (GMM) After so much talk about F1's controversial return to Bahrain, the sport's travelling circus has now begun to arrive in the island Kingdom.

Bruno Senna, Williams

Photo by: xpb.cc

Already during Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, some members of the teams as well as tyre supplier Pirelli were across the world busily setting up at Sakhir, upon which the eyes of the world will descend this week.

Then on Monday, drivers Bruno Senna and Sergio Perez, and reserves Sebastien Buemi and Jerome d'Ambrosio, were reportedly among the first F1 personalities to touch down in Bahrain, as was Press Association reporter Ian Parkes.

Another early arrival was The Times' Kevin Eason, who said he was greeted off the plane by a "welcome party and car to hotel".

"All seems quiet on the streets," he Tweeted. "The people here are genuinely nice."

Circuit boss Zayed Alzayani is not expecting trouble.

"We've been in Formula One for seven years and we will be in it for much longer than that," he said.

"Will this year be exactly like it was in the past years? No," he admitted.

"Things are not 100 per cent, but they are not as bad as people make them out to be."