The path of Sakhir, in Bahrain, has become the trailblazer of every season. After years in which Montmelo she was the master in testing the new ones F1, the Middle Eastern track has established itself as a unique subject for the shakedown of the cars, a dynamic favored by the spending capacity of the promoter. Liberty Media, also for logistical reasons, has placed the Bahraini event as the first round of the championship, a tradition that will also be renewed in 2024.
Work on the circuit began in December 2002. The project was entrusted to Hermann Tilke who was able to work on a blank canvas depicting the sandy area of the state capital, Manama. It is a technical track of 5.4 km.
The first F1 Grand Prix was held in 2004. The race was dominated by Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher getting the better of Rubens Barrichello. Sakhir is a track that offers decent amounts of overtaking. The wind is a tough and constant challenge as it tends to dirty the asphalt and "stress" the setups due to lateral gusts which are often unpredictable. Furthermore, the large thermal fluctuations determined by sessions that are held first in sunlight and then under the cover of darkness are another factor that generates problems in defining the correct set-up which is usually put under stress in Turn 10, a left-handed bend narrow and downhill. Another key point is the complex formed by turns 11 and 12 which are a test call considering the high lateral accelerations.
Bahrain International Circuit: numbers and useful information
Address:
Bahrain International Circuit
PO Box 26381
Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain
Number of laps in the race: 57
Circuit length: 5,412 kilometers
Race distance: 308,238 kilometers
Lap record
In competition: 1:31.447 Pedro de la Rosa (2005)
Qualifying: Fernando Alonso 1'29”848 at an average of 216.846 km/h in 2005.
Over the distance: Fernando Alonso 57 laps in 1h29'18”531 at an average of 207.082 km/h in 2005.
Bahrain GP 2024, the complete F1 program and related events
NB. The times below are local. In Italy the sessions start two hours before
THURSDAY 29 FEBRUARY | Local time | |
---|---|---|
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East | First Free Practice Session | 09:45 – 10:30 |
FIA Formula 3 | Free practice session | 10:55 – 11:40 |
FIA Formula 2 | Free practice session | 12:05 – 12:50 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk | 13:00 – 14:00 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Track Tour | 13:00 – 14:00 |
FIA | Presentation of the F1 car | 13:00 – 14:00 |
FORMULA 1 | FIRST FREE PRACTICE SESSION | 14:30 – 15:30 |
FIA Formula 3 | Qualifying session | 16:00 – 16:30 |
Formula 1 | Team press conference | 16:00 – 17:00 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Track Tour | 16:45 – 17:35 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk | 16:45 – 17:35 |
FIA Formula 3 | Press conference | 17:15 – 17:45 |
FORMULA 1 | SECOND FREE PRACTICE SESSION | 18:00 – 19:00 |
FIA Formula 2 | Qualifying session | 19:30 – 20:00 |
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East | Second Free Practice Session | 20:25 – 21:10 |
FIA Formula 2 | Press conference | 21:30 – 22:00 |
FRIDAY 1 MARCH | ||
---|---|---|
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East | Qualifying session | 12:05 – 12:35 |
FIA Formula 3 | Sprint race (19 laps or 40 minutes +1 lap) | 13:15 – 14:00 |
Formula 1 | Team pit stop training | 14:15 – 14:45 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk | 14:15 – 15:00 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Track Tour | 14:15 – 15:00 |
FIA Formula 3 | Press conference | 14:20 – 14:50 |
FORMULA 1 | THIRD FREE PRACTICE SESSION | 15:30 – 16:30 |
FIA Formula 2 | Sprint race (23 laps or 45 minutes +1 lap) | 17:15 – 18:05 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk | 18:10 – 18:40 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Track Tour | 18:10 – 18:40 |
FIA Formula 2 | Press conference | 18:25 – 18:55 |
FORMULA 1 | QUALIFICATION SESSION | 19:00 – 20:00 |
Formula 1 | Press conference | 20:00 – 21:00 |
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East | First race (11 laps or 25 minutes) | 20:45 – 21:15 |
F1 experiences | F1 Experiences Champions Club Grid Walk and trophy photo | 21:20 – 22:20 |
SATURDAY 2 MARCH | ||
---|---|---|
FIA Formula 3 | Feature Race (22 laps or 45 minutes + 1 lap) | 12:10 – 13:00 |
FIA Formula 2 | Feature Race (32 laps or 60 minutes + 1 lap) | 13:40 – 14:45 |
FIA Formula 2 | Press conference | 15:05 – 15:35 |
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East | Second race (11 laps or 25 minutes) | 15:10 – 15:40 |
Paddock Club | Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk | 15:55 – 16:55 |
Formula 1 | Parade of pilots | 16:00 – 16:30 |
Formula 1 | National anthem | 17:46 – 17:48 |
Air display | Gulf Air Fly Past | 17:48 – 17:49 |
FORMULA 1 | GRAND PRIX (57 LAPS OR 120 MINUTES) | 18:00 – 20:00 |
Photo credits: F1