Violence in Bahrain22,000 paying spectators attended the opening day of Formula One action in Bahrain on Friday.
The figure is 6,000 spectators higher than the previous record for a Friday at the Sakhir circuit, set last year.
Circuit officials said more than
30,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday's Grand Prix.
Circuit boss Martin Whitaker said: "Normally Friday is very quiet but I think the change in the weekend (format) has made a big difference."
Ferrari and McLaren set the pace at Sakhir on Friday, but violence in Bahrain was making the evening news headlines on the tiny Arab island.
Police clashed with political protesters in the nearby capital Manama, who had timed their demonstrations to coincide with the Grand Prix.
The clashes quickly spread to the mostly Shiite suburbs, where stones and Molotov cocktails were hurled at police, who fired back with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Bahrain is roughly the size of New York City, and the wail of ambulances could apparently be heard at the circuit.
Source GMM
