Bahrain F1 Grand Prix

Bahrain F1 Grand Prix Tour Hotel

Bahrain – Track and Stands

BAHRAIN INFO

Visiting the race is a mix of two very contrasting experiences. On the one hand, there is Bahrain’s bustling capital Manama, situated in the north east corner of the island. The name translates literally to mean ‘sleeping place’, but don’t be misled: it’s a hub of bright lights, bars and exotic souqs. On the other hand, there’s the Sakhir Circuit. The track is first-rate, with some of the best facilities in the world, but it’s situated in the middle of the desert. As the wind picks up each evening and the early sunset takes hold, the place has a magical ‘Arabian Nights’ feel to it.
 
Transport
Bahrain International Airport is well connected, both inside the Middle East and around the world. The airport is situated on an island to the north of Manama and is joined to the city by two large bridges.
Gulf Air, the national carrier – and title sponsor of the race – is partly state-owned, so they offer very competitive fares to the region. Bus, taxi and hire car are your choices for getting around Bahrain. Airport buses operate to and from all the main hotels, as do circuit shuttles. Sakhir is a 40-minute drive south of Manama. Useful tips Given the extreme temperatures (over 35 degrees Celsius during the summer) in the middle of the day, you will likely appreciate the shade of a grandstand. The main stands are located on the start-finish straight and are divided into three price tiers. A general admission ticket is still a good way to see all the circuit, but remember to take a sun hat and to drink plenty of water.
 
The place to go out is Manama, a very happening city and one that is growing rapidly. There is something for everyone: authentic Bahraini cuisine, clubs and souqs, as well as western-style discos and shopping malls.
 
The beautiful Al-Faith Mosque is a ‘must-see’ in Manama and, if you fancy a drive to the south of the island, go in search of the Tree of Life. It’s a loan tree in the middle of the desert that is kept alive by an underwater spring.

Race History

The Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir has been the venue for the Bahrain Grand Prix since the event’s inception in 2004. On all but two occasions the race has been held in April, the exceptions being the 2006 and 2010 events which were both season openers. Last year’s race was the first to be held under floodlights.
 
The race has been run on the current 5.4-kilometre Grand Prix circuit layout on all but one occasion. In 2010 the 6.2-kilometre ‘endurance’ circuit layout was used, but it proved unpopular with teams and drivers.
 
Michael Schumacher dominated the inaugural race in 2004, taking pole position, victory and fastest lap. It was the first of a record four wins at the circuit for Ferrari, Felipe Massa (2007 and 2008) and Fernando Alonso (2010) claiming the Scuderia’s other victories. Renault (2), Red Bull (2), Brawn and Mercedes (both 1) have also triumphed at the desert venue, but McLaren have never won in Sakhir. Sochi is the only other track on the current calendar at which the Woking team have not been victorious.
 
The class of 2010, as Bahrain played host to the season opener
Fernando Alonso is statistically the most successful driver in Bahrain Grand Prix history, having claimed a record three wins. Of the current grid, Felipe Massa (2), Sebastian Vettel (2), Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton (both 1) have also recorded wins in Sakhir, but Kimi Raikkonen has never stood on the top step, despite achieving a record six podium finishes at the venue.
 
Several of the current grid have recorded ‘firsts’ in Bahrain – Nico Rosberg scored his first fastest lap at the circuit (in his first ever F1 race) in 2006, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton achieved their first front-row starts at Sakhir in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and Romain Grosjean collected his maiden F1 podium on Bahraini soil in 2012.
 
Pedro de la Rosa holds the lap record in Bahrain – a 1m 31.447s effort recorded in 2005 while the Spaniard was deputising for the injured Juan Pablo Montoya.
 
In 10 previous races in Bahrain, no one has won by more than 20 seconds. The biggest winning margin came in 2010 when Alonso came home 16.099 seconds ahead of Ferrari team mate Massa. The smallest winning margin came in last year’s race when Hamilton beat Rosberg across the line by just 1.085 seconds.
 
Jenson Button scored a podium in the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004, and has started every race in Sakhir since
 
Pole position isn’t everything in Bahrain, the race having been won from P1 on the grid just four times out of ten. However, no one has won the race from lower than fourth on the grid.
 
The biggest margin between pole position and second on the grid in Bahrain Grand Prix history occurred in 2005 when Alonso beat Michael Schumacher to pole by 0.455 seconds.
 
Of all the rookies on the 2015 grid, only Felipe Nasr has raced at Bahrain before (in GP2 in 2012, 2013 and 2014). The Brazilian was second at Sakhir in 2013.
 
McLaren’s Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso and Williams’ Felipe Massa are the only drivers to have started every Bahrain Grand Prix since its inception in 2004. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen has started all but one, with just the 2010 race missing from his resume.
 
Only two drivers have led more than 100 laps in Sakhir – Sebastian Vettel (146) and Felipe Massa (102). Alonso and Hamilton are next up on 96 and 58 laps led respectively.