Ferrari Star joins ITHMAAR GROUP YALLA BAHRAIN! 2008
Felipe Massa to Meet Fans at ITHMAAR Group Yalla Bahrain! ‘F1 Racing with a
Star’
Manama 3rd February 2008: Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa kicks off the ITHMAAR
GROUP Yalla Bahrain! calendar of festive and cultural events with an exclusive
autograph session, F1 Racing with a Star, at Seef Mall this Friday, February
8th.
The autograph session has become the traditional starting point for the
two-month festival that leads up to the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. At the
first ever Yalla Bahrain! autograph session in 2006 Honda’s British ace Jenson
Button met more than 1500 people and last year Christian Klien met a similar
number of fans.
Talking ahead of the autograph session next week Ahmed Abdul Rahim, Managing
Director, Ithmaar Bank, said: “The autograph session is very important for the
F1 fans in Bahrain so to have such a fantastic driver as Massa is really
exciting. The Ithmaar banking group is looking forward to the event and is proud
to help bring F1 so close to the fans.”
Massa said: “I’ve heard that the autograph sessions are always really popular in
Bahrain so I can’t wait to get out and meet the F1 fans. I really enjoy coming
to the Middle East and have always gone well here. There are a lot of Ferrari
fans here so I always receive huge support; it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The arrival of Felipe Massa brings the Bahraini fans favourite team – Ferrari –
and the winner of the 2007 F1 Grand Prix to the ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain!
party. Not only will the Brazilian star be signing autographs but he will also
set a target lap time around the Bahrain International Circuit on a computer
simulator that fans can try to match.
Massa has made an impressive climb through motor sport, beginning in karting
when he was just 8 years old and progressing to win the Formula Chevrolet series
at home in Brazil before moving to Europe, where he won both the Italian and
European Formula Renault championships – beating Kimi Räikkönen to the European
crown. From there Massa moved to the Formula 3000 Euroseries, taking six of the
eight races and launching himself into Formula One with the Sauber team for 2002
and beginning his association with Ferrari as test driver in 2003.
He has enjoyed a successful career at Ferrari to date. Throughout his Ferrari
career Massa has enjoyed the benefit of seven-time world champion Michael
Schumacher’s input towards refining his natural skills. The pair enjoyed a
hugely successful 2006 season together when Massa took his first Grand Prix win
at home in Sao Paulo. In 2007 he won the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix among his four
victories last year, and has developed a strong relationship with the Kingdom.
Ithmaar banking group’s flagship companies are Ithmaar Bank, Shamil Bank,
Solidarity, First Leasing Bank, Ithmaar Development Company, Faisal Private Bank
(Switzerland) & Faysal Bank Limited (Pakistan)
