The 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship will get underway immediately underneath the synthetic lights of the Bahrain International Circuit. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó picks out some key areas to keep watch over in the season-opening Sakhir race.
Following the profitable Official Pre Season Test in Bahrain, the 20-car subject is prepared and keen to kick off the second season of Formula One’s new period. The three-day testing and yesterday’s qualifying confirmed that defending Drivers’ and Constructors’ champions Red Bull have carried over their double title-winning type whereas there’s a group of three outfits behind the Milton Keynes-based squad with Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin separated by shut to nothing in the present pecking order.
Sakhir’s 5.412km circuit demonstrated its challenges in pre-season testing, providing a formidable mixture of warmth, wind and sand for the drivers to deal with, in addition to a extremely abrasive monitor floor. The Manama monitor is an ideal location to kick off the season that sees the arrival of many novelties.
A fixture on the calendar – Today’s Bahrain Grand Prix will probably be the nineteenth Formula One race in Manama. The occasion was first held in 2004 and has solely missed the calendar in 2011 when native protests made it unattainable for the organisers to stage the occasion.
Season-opening race – This will probably be the fifth event that the Bahrain International Circuit will host the season-opening race. It beforehand hosted the first race of the season in 2006, 2010, 2021 and 2022.
The kings of Bahrain – Lewis Hamilton is the most profitable driver at the Bahrain Grand Prix with 5 victories to his identify. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is the second most profitable driver in Manama, having gained the Sakhir race with Red Bull in 2012 and 2013 and with Ferrari in 2017 and 2018.
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are the solely repeat winners in Bahrain. The Spaniard gained in 2005 and 2006 with Renault in his two title-winning years and in 2010 in his debut season with Ferrari. The Brazilian gained two occasions – in 2007 and 2008 each occasions with Ferrari.
Three rookie drivers – Today’s Bahrain Grand Prix will see Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries and Oscar Piastri make their debut at the pinnacle of motorsport. In reality, de Vries has already accomplished a race, having stepped in for Alexander Albon at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. Former FIA F2 champion Piastri joins McLaren, changing fellow countryman Daniel Ricciardo and turning into the fifteenth Australian to race in F1. Sargeant, who is about to grow to be to first American to race in F1 since Alexander Rossi’s departure in 2015, joins Albon at Williams.
Tyre allocation – At the Bahrain Grand Prix, C1 will probably be the P Zero White exhausting, C2 will probably be the P Zero Yellow medium and C3 will probably be the P Zero Red delicate. The groups may have at their disposal two units of exhausting tyres, three units of mediums, and eights units of delicate per automotive, in addition to the common allocation of Cinturato intermediate and full moist tyres.
Everything you want to know about the tyres ahead of this week’s #BahrainGP 🇧🇭🤓
Read extra 👉 https://t.co/7wuz4Pvjjo#F1 #Fit4F1 pic.twitter.com/3JCh1Ds1hm
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) February 27, 2023
Return to the motion– The Bahrain Grand Prix will mark the full-season return of Nico Hulkenberg. The 35-year-old German joins the American Haas F1 Team, 4 years after he contested an entire season with Renault in 2019. Since then, he has raced two occasions for Racing Point and two time with Aston Martin.
Three layouts – 15 of the 18 Bahrain Grands Prix had been held on the 5.412km Grand Prix structure with the 2010 race representing the solely exception. That yr, the subject raced on the 6.299km Endurance structure, however drivers most popular the GP circuit, so the race then reverted to that structure for the following years. The pandemic-affected 2020 season noticed drivers check out the 11-turn 3.543km Outer Circuit structure at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
Traction – Traction out of the slower corners is normally the key consideration on the 5.412km monitor. Drivers will want to full a complete of 57 laps immediately to cowl the total race distance of 308.38km. There is an offset of 246m between the begin and the end line.
Usual pit lane pace restrict – Drivers will want to adhere to a pace restrict of 80kph in the pitlane when finishing their pit stops.
No modifications – Other than routine upkeep there aren’t any modifications of word since final yr’s Sakhir Grand Prix.
Three DRS zones – Today’s Sakhir race will characteristic three DRS zones. The first has a detection level 50m earlier than Turn 1, with activation level 23m after Turn 3. The second zone has a detection level 10m earlier than Turn 9 and activation 50m after Turn 10, and the third zone has a detection level 110m earlier than Turn 4, with activation 170m after Turn 15.
The Italians – Ferrari are the most profitable constructor in Bahrain, having gained the race in Sakhir on seven events. Mercedes holds the second place on this record with six wins, adopted by Renault and Red Bull with two victories apiece. Brawn GP is the solely different staff to have been victorious in Bahrain.
First events – Robert Kubica, Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc all took their first Formula One pole place at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Monegasque achieved this feat in 2019 when he additionally set the quickest lap of the race which was additionally his maiden quickest lap in a Formula One race. The then 21-year-old was on the right track to take his first F1 victory in a dominant style, however an engine drawback handed the victory to Lewis Hamilton. For Romain Grosjean, the Sakhir race is a particular one as the Frenchman scored his maiden F1 podium in Sakhir, ending third in 2012 with Lotus.
The first row – Starting from the first row has proved essential, however not important in the 18 races in Bahrain. The race has been gained from pole place on eight events, with 4 additional victories from P2. Three different races have been gained from P3 and the remaining two from P4.
The previous report – The official lap report which is the all-time quickest race lap nonetheless belongs to Pedro de la Rosa. The Spaniard clocked in a time of 1m31.447 together with his McLaren in 2005 when he substituted the injured Juan Pablo Montoya.
High degradation – Tyre degradation will probably be a key issue when it comes to deciding the technique. Last season, all the drivers bar one stopped 3 times (quite than the anticipated two-stopper) due to a late-race security automotive. The winner Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) carried out his first two stints on the delicate, earlier than swapping to the medium. Pirelli thinks that the finest method for immediately’s Sakhir race will probably be a two-stop technique.
One or two stops for the #BahrainGP?
Two. Definitely two. Sakhir has one of the most abrasive surfaces on the #F1 calendar.
So the query is – which compounds to use and when? #Fit4F1 pic.twitter.com/Hj1DFq5aL4
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 5, 2023
