Bahrain International Circuit is nestled in Sakhir, in the southern half of the island kingdom.
It’s desert terrain, which presents a problem for F1 and the other motorsports series — mostly on race weekends, when air and track temperatures rapidly drop come the night, impacting the balance of the car and tires.
Sakhir’s circuit was the first Middle Eastern track on F1’s schedule. Built on a former camel farm, the track designed by German engineer Hermann Tilke is similar to most modern-day tracks with long straights — but Bahrain also features fairly tight corners, usually promoting plenty of heavy braking.
While the track map may seem straightforward, there is plenty of room for error because of a critical factor: the sand.
Although organizers sweep the grippy track regularly and even spray an adhesive on the surrounding desert to minimize sand moving about, they can’t totally eliminate the threat.
Key circuit facts include:
- Circuit length: 5.41 km (3.36 miles)
- Lap record: 1:31.447 (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005)
- First GP: 2004
There’s loads more to read on the Sakhir track with Madeline Coleman’s circuit breakdown, which you can enjoy with the link below.
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Bahrain GP track breakdown: F1 speeds into the sands of Sakhir
