The fourth round of the 2015 Formula 1 season takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
It is the 11th running of the event and follows an intriguing Chinese Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton taking his second victory of the season.
However, the F1 paddock had very little time to reflect on the race in Shanghai, with focus quickly switching to this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its debut on the F1 calendar, the Bahrain Grand Prix was held at night and under floodlights in 2014. It proved to be arguably the most dramatic races of the season, with Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg fighting wheel-to-wheel for the win.
From the very start as the sun set, to the chequered flag under dark skies, the Mercedes duo battled for first place. Hamilton just managed to hold off his team-mate despite being on the harder Pirelli tyre compound, while there were some spectacular scraps for the final podium and in the midfield.
Whilst there will be some respite from the sun in Bahrain, temperatures will remain hot and humid. It can also be extremely windy at the track, which also caused dust and sand to be blown onto the circuit, creating tricky conditions. Friday’s practice sessions will be run in very low grip levels, but the addition of GP2 cars racing over the weekend – the first round of the 2015 season – will help clean up the surface.
We are now starting to see the competitive order more clearly, although that will likely change when the major upgrades arrive at the next round in Spain. Mercedes remains the team to beat, with Ferrari quite close behind. In China both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were able to keep with Hamilton and Rosberg.
Williams appears to be third fastest, with Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Lotus and Sauber in the midfield fight. Force India and McLaren look a little further back, although the latter made decent progress in China. Manor then props up the field, several seconds off the pace of the next fastest car, but the team continued to make steps forward.
A lap of the 3.363 mile Bahrain International Circuit begins on the track’s longest straight, with the pit lane to the right. It is where the first DRS zone will be positioned. The first corner is a tight right-hand hairpin and is undoubtedly the best overtaking spot on the rather conventional layout.
The second corner is a medium-speed left, with the flat-out Turn 3 following. This right-hander leads onto another long straight, which is then followed by the slow Turn 4 hairpin – another good overtaking opportunity, which has a wide corner entry and exit to encourage different lines to be taken.
The second sector starts with the sweeping left-right-left section of Turns 5, 6 and 7 – similar to the Maggots/Becketts/Chapel section at Silverstone. Precision is very important here to carry speed onto the short, downhill straight that leads to the Turn 8 hairpin, which is a slow right-hander.
A short burst uphill is followed by the tricky ninth and 10th corners, with a fast right-hander requiring drivers to start braking, steering and downshifting through the gears for the slow Turn 10, a tight left-hand hairpin. Traction here is vital for a good run onto the next straight, which is where the second DRS zone will be.
The 11th corner on the track is a medium-speed, sweeping left-hander. It leads on to the faster right of Turn 12, with this fast section being a particular favourite with the drivers. Sector two comes to an end just prior to the braking zone for Turn 13, a medium-speed right that is followed by a 750 metre long back straight.
The lap ends with another slow right-hander, which includes a tricky braking zone that is easy to get wrong. The kink of Turn 15 is barely registered by the drivers. The track is quite forgiving with large tarmac run-off areas and few gravel traps. The pit lane entry is to the right and can sometimes cause confusion as drivers sweep across the circuit from the racing line.
The Bahrain International Circuit surface is made from granite imported from Wales and is quite abrasive. Pirelli will bring the medium and the soft tyre compounds to the race, like in Australia and China. The layout is stop/start in nature, which places more longitudinal stress on the tyres than it does lateral, meaning a car with good traction is incredibly important.
Gear ratios also play a big part in a completing a quick lap time due to the long straights and grippy surface. The heavy braking zones also punish the brakes. Due to its desert location, grip levels are low at the start of the weekend, but quickly improve. However, the sand and dust can also have an impact on the mechanical elements of the cars.
Fernando Alonso is the most successful driver at the race, having won the Bahrain Grand Prix three times. However, it looked very, very unlikely that he will add to his tally. Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel have both triumphed twice, while Hamilton’s stunning 2014 win was his first at the track.
Bahrain Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Sakhir, Bahrain
Track Length: 3.36 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 15
Laps: 57
First race: 2004
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1:30.252
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:33.185
2014 fastest lap: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:37.020
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC
 |
| © Williams Martini Racing |
However, the F1 paddock had very little time to reflect on the race in Shanghai, with focus quickly switching to this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its debut on the F1 calendar, the Bahrain Grand Prix was held at night and under floodlights in 2014. It proved to be arguably the most dramatic races of the season, with Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg fighting wheel-to-wheel for the win.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
From the very start as the sun set, to the chequered flag under dark skies, the Mercedes duo battled for first place. Hamilton just managed to hold off his team-mate despite being on the harder Pirelli tyre compound, while there were some spectacular scraps for the final podium and in the midfield.
Whilst there will be some respite from the sun in Bahrain, temperatures will remain hot and humid. It can also be extremely windy at the track, which also caused dust and sand to be blown onto the circuit, creating tricky conditions. Friday’s practice sessions will be run in very low grip levels, but the addition of GP2 cars racing over the weekend – the first round of the 2015 season – will help clean up the surface.
We are now starting to see the competitive order more clearly, although that will likely change when the major upgrades arrive at the next round in Spain. Mercedes remains the team to beat, with Ferrari quite close behind. In China both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were able to keep with Hamilton and Rosberg.
Williams appears to be third fastest, with Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Lotus and Sauber in the midfield fight. Force India and McLaren look a little further back, although the latter made decent progress in China. Manor then props up the field, several seconds off the pace of the next fastest car, but the team continued to make steps forward.
 |
| © Williams Martini Racing |
A lap of the 3.363 mile Bahrain International Circuit begins on the track’s longest straight, with the pit lane to the right. It is where the first DRS zone will be positioned. The first corner is a tight right-hand hairpin and is undoubtedly the best overtaking spot on the rather conventional layout.
The second corner is a medium-speed left, with the flat-out Turn 3 following. This right-hander leads onto another long straight, which is then followed by the slow Turn 4 hairpin – another good overtaking opportunity, which has a wide corner entry and exit to encourage different lines to be taken.
The second sector starts with the sweeping left-right-left section of Turns 5, 6 and 7 – similar to the Maggots/Becketts/Chapel section at Silverstone. Precision is very important here to carry speed onto the short, downhill straight that leads to the Turn 8 hairpin, which is a slow right-hander.
A short burst uphill is followed by the tricky ninth and 10th corners, with a fast right-hander requiring drivers to start braking, steering and downshifting through the gears for the slow Turn 10, a tight left-hand hairpin. Traction here is vital for a good run onto the next straight, which is where the second DRS zone will be.
 |
| © Red Bull Racing |
The 11th corner on the track is a medium-speed, sweeping left-hander. It leads on to the faster right of Turn 12, with this fast section being a particular favourite with the drivers. Sector two comes to an end just prior to the braking zone for Turn 13, a medium-speed right that is followed by a 750 metre long back straight.
The lap ends with another slow right-hander, which includes a tricky braking zone that is easy to get wrong. The kink of Turn 15 is barely registered by the drivers. The track is quite forgiving with large tarmac run-off areas and few gravel traps. The pit lane entry is to the right and can sometimes cause confusion as drivers sweep across the circuit from the racing line.
The Bahrain International Circuit surface is made from granite imported from Wales and is quite abrasive. Pirelli will bring the medium and the soft tyre compounds to the race, like in Australia and China. The layout is stop/start in nature, which places more longitudinal stress on the tyres than it does lateral, meaning a car with good traction is incredibly important.
Gear ratios also play a big part in a completing a quick lap time due to the long straights and grippy surface. The heavy braking zones also punish the brakes. Due to its desert location, grip levels are low at the start of the weekend, but quickly improve. However, the sand and dust can also have an impact on the mechanical elements of the cars.
Fernando Alonso is the most successful driver at the race, having won the Bahrain Grand Prix three times. However, it looked very, very unlikely that he will add to his tally. Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel have both triumphed twice, while Hamilton’s stunning 2014 win was his first at the track.
 |
| © Formula 1 |
Bahrain Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Sakhir, Bahrain
Track Length: 3.36 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 15
Laps: 57
First race: 2004
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1:30.252
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:33.185
2014 fastest lap: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:37.020
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC
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