Feb 20, 2006, 23:51 GMT
Manama - As the countdown to the March 12 F1 season opener race continues, Michael Schumacher fever is gripping Bahrain.
Activity at the world's only desert track in Sakhir, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), is already in full swing with less than three weeks to go before it hosts the season opener for the first time in its three year history.
The Honda, Ferrari and Toro Rosso (Red Bull) teams arrived February 13 at BIC for testing ahead of the season opener race. Honda and Toro Rosso held four days of testing, but the Ferrari team planned to continue through Tuesday for a total of nine days straight.
BIC held an open track day Thursday when spectators could watch the teams test. More than a 1,000 people filled the seats to watch the Ferrari star in action. Schumacher, a seven-time F1 world champion, has taken Bahrain by storm - race fans and the public alike.
Schumacher has mainly avoided the media on and off the track, but on Friday he and his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa engaged the Bahraini president of the General Organization of Youth and Sports, Sheikh Fawaz Al Khalifa, in a friendly soccer match that ended 7-5 in favour of the Schumacher team.
Schumacher appearances have grabbed media attention, and local businesses are already trying to cash in on the Schumacher mania.
The newly established Management Directions International (MDI) announced on Monday that it would be launching Michael Schumacher perfumes and a line of cosmetics in the Gulf on March 7, just two days ahead of the BIC official start of F1 programmes on March 10.
Schumacher launched the first of his fragrances in Europe in 2002, but the planned launch in Bahrain would be the first time that companies try to cash in on his name recognition in the Gulf.
MDI managing partner Essa Sayyar said the company already sold 100 packages of his perfume even before they arrive.
According to MDI managing partner Mina Lee said the company planned to sell the perfumes at a starting price of 25 Bahrain dollars.
Fans, who are mesmerized by the living legend racing in their backyard, are keeping close tabs also on news from the circuit where Schumacher and Massa are due to finish testing on Tuesday.
Schumacher, who continues to have trouble with his Ferrari 248 F1 on the track, said the season would be a tough one with strong challenges from the other teams, but he expressed confidence that his team will perform well.
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