Bahrain International Circuit in profile
Last Updated: 24/05/23 1:14pm
Bahrain joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2004, and used to be a fairly tedious race with drivers, cars and Ted Kravitz in the pit lane all getting hot and bothered.
The change in perception is largely thanks to the stunning success of the Sakhir circuit's first night race in 2014 when Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg duelled to spectacular effect in one of the best races in years.
Track length - 5.412km
Number of laps - 57
Back in 2004, when the sport's expansion into the Middle East and Asia was in its infancy, the Sakhir International Circuit represented the model for future F1 race tracks.
Located on the outskirts of island kingdom's capital city of Manama, the high-tech Sakhir facility is still very much situated in the middle of the desert. That inevitably means it is one of the dustiest tracks anywhere on the calendar, despite the organisers' best attempts to - would you believe - spray-glue the sand.
The 3.9-mile circuit's stop-start nature places a premium on the brakes with four straights around the lap punctured by slow hairpins. This also contributes to the stunning wheel to wheel racing.
Following accusations that the layout wasn't exciting enough, and in response to the grid's expansion from 18 to 24 cars, a twisty infield loop was added for 2010, when Bahrain was given the honour of hosting the season-opener for the second time in its history.
However, not helped by a particularly processional race, the extension to the lap failed to find much support and the new look was quickly shelved.
