A guide to the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit

The Bahrain International Circuit broke new ground as the home of Formula 1’s first foray into the Middle East and thanks to a combination of its position on the calendar and its tendency to produce good races, it has solidified its place on the schedule.

A track situated in the middle of a desert in Asia’s third smallest country hardly sounds like a recipe for a racing mecca, but the track has steadily grown in popularity and importance.

F1 bumped Bahrain up the schedule to become the season-opener in 2021, boosting anticipation levels for the race, and the circuit’s involvement in the sport has now spread to hosting pre-season testing the week before the first race of the year.

Having recently signed an extension to continue hosting F1 until 2036, Bahrain is going nowhere, and that’s no bad thing when it comes to F1 keeping good racing venues.

Bahrain has played host to several ‘duels in the desert’ with the width of the track giving drivers plenty of overtaking opportunities, while an abrasive surface, the climate and it being a night race all add to the drama of racing at a circuit with a well-earned reputation.

Bahrain International Circuit stats

Opened	2004
First F1 race	2004
Lap length	5.412km (3.36 mi)
F1 lap record	1:31.447 - Pedro de la Rosa (2005)
Number of corners	15
DRS Zones	3

Where is Bahrain International Circuit?

With 92 per cent of Bahrain classified as desert, it’s perhaps not a surprise to find the Bahrain International Circuit in the Sakhir desert region of the country.

The track is 30km south-west of the Bahrain capital Manama and was formerly the site of a camel farm.

Key corners at Bahrain International Circuit

Turn 10

The most challenging part of the circuit, drivers emerge from the Turn 8 hairpin and carry plenty of speed through the Turn 9 kink before applying the brakes heavily into the downhill, off-camber Turn 10.

Drivers have frequently been victim to locking their front left tyre, which consequentially loses lap time and leaves a flat spot of worn rubber which affects tyre performance.

Turn 11

Emerging from Turn 10, drivers pelt along the DRS-assisted straight into the left-handed Turn 11.

It's a fast corner, but one that can be made difficult when the northerly wind picks up. Carrying enough speed through Turn 11 is vital as drivers prepare their line through Turn 12 into Turn 13.

Turn 1

Turn 1 has seen an abundance of iconic overtaking moves through the years, not least Lewis Hamilton's triple overtake at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix.

A prime overtaking spot, drivers must be confident on the brakes as they slow from over 330 km/h to just over 60 km/h. A great corner exit is imperative as drivers look for a wide angle to attack Turn 2 and 3.

Interesting Facts about Bahrain International Circuit

• Bahrain gets around 70 millimetres of rain each year with April one of the drier months. It's one of the key reasons why the venue now hosts testing due to its consistently hot and dry conditions.
• Renowned track designer Hermann Tilke was asked in 1999 to come up with a multi-track facility by Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who had made it a national objective to build a world-class motorsport facility.
• Construction is estimated to have cost $150million and saw no expense spared as they shipped in the track surface from Shropshire in the UK.
• Lewis Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver in the history of the Bahrain International Circuit, winning five times at the desert track.
• The 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix was the hottest recorded F1 race with an air temperature of 42.5°C.

How to Buy Tickets for the Bahrain Grand Prix

Tickets for the Bahrain Grand Prix can be purchased through the official Formula 1 website, authorised ticket vendors, or at the Bahrain International Circuit's official website.

Prices and availability vary based on seating preferences and the different event packages that are also available.