AP PHOTOS: Formula One fans flock to Bahrain race

AP PHOTOS: Formula One fans flock to Bahrain for the first race of the season in Mideast

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F1 fans arrive to watch the first practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An F1 fan reacts after taking a selfie with Formula One drivers at an automated photo booth during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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Bahraini women take a selfie as they sit on a couch at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans try out race simulators at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans take part in a pit stop contest at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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A young boy runs through a water-sprinkling tunnel to beat the heat at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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A family poses for a photo on a fan podium at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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People peer through fence openings during the second practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An F1 fan looks at her henna tattoo as Bahraini artists look on, at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans show off their henna tattoos made by Bahraini artists at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans relax on a hammock at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans pose for photos in front of a life-size camel model at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An F1 fan tries on a traditional local dress at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An F1 fan relaxes in the shade of an umbrella at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans react after trying on traditional local dresses at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix Village at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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Local catering staff in traditional dress walk through the paddock area during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans watch the replay of the race on a giant screen at the end of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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A race marshal prays next to the course during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An F1 fan holds a placard during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix presentation ceremony at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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F1 fans attend a concert after the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

By ALTAF QADRI

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Roaring engines again filled the air for the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, the first F1 race of the season in the Middle East.

The race, now in its 21st year, made history as the first Formula One race in the Middle East in 2004. Today, it marks the first of the season in the Mideast, which this year will also see races in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Locals, foreign workers and international visitors flocked to the race, in Sakhir outside of Bahrain’s capital, Manama, as the first signs of the region’s intense summer heat was felt. Some tried their luck in racing simulators, while henna artists offered their temporary tattooing to those unfamiliar with the Mideast tradition.

The rulers of Bahrain, a small island kingdom in the Persian Gulf just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, have long taken an interest in racing — particularly Bahrain’s Crown Prince Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, who encouraged the kingdom’s investments in McLaren through its Mumtalakat Holding Co. sovereign wealth fund.

However, the race has drawn scrutiny to Bahrain in the past, particularly after the kingdom crushed its 2011 Arab Spring protests with the help of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The past weekend’s race and the preparations around it saw no major disruptions, though police temporarily detained one activist in the lead up over his posts on social media.

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As a photographer now based in Dubai after years in India, it can be difficult to shoot candid photos in the region given security concerns and other restrictions journalists face in the Middle East.

But at the race, people were more open to my camera — even excited to be photographed. That made the experience not only refreshing, but deeply human.