2013 Bahrain GP preview: Everything you need to know about this weekend's race!

Having served up a fascinating battle in 2012 between Sebastian Vettel and both Lotuses, the Formula 1 circus arrives in Bahrain for round four of the Championship.

SKY SPORTS F1's SCHEDULE
Wednesday April 17
8:00pm - Classic Races - 2008 Bahrain GP.
10:15pm - Classic Races - 2009 Bahrain GP. Thursday April 18
1pm - Drivers' Press Conference - Live!
6:15pm - Gear up for Bahrain.
8:00pm - Classic Races - 2010 Bahrain GP.
10:15pm - 2012 Bahrain GP (Highlights). Friday April 19
7:45am - Bahrain GP Practice One - Live!
9:55am - GP2 Practice - Live!
11:45am - Bahrain GP Practice Two - Live!
1:55pm - GP2 Qualifying - Live!
3pm - Team Principals' Press Conference
4pm - The F1 Show - Live!
11:10pm - Classic Races - 2006 Bahrain GP. Saturday April 20
8:45am - Bahrain GP Practice Three - Live!
11am - Bahrain GP Qualifying - Live!
1:40pm - GP2 Feature Race - Live!
3:05pm - Classic Races - 2007 Bahrain GP.
5:20pm - Bahrain GP Qualifying Replay.
8pm - Ted's Qualifying Notebook. Sunday April 21
6:30am - Classic Races - 2009 Bahrain GP.
8:45am - GP2 Sprint Race - Live!
11:30am - The 2013 Bahrain GP - Live!
5:55pm - GP2 Sprint Race Replay.
7pm - Bahrain GP Highlights.
8:30pm - Ted's Race Notebook.
8:45pm - Classic Races - 2010 Bahrain GP. SKY F1'S BAHRAIN HIGHLIGHTS
In Friday's live airing of The F1 Show from 4pm we'll have an interview with Caterham comeback kid Heikki Kovalainen after what will be his first day back in the cockpit for nearly six months while another popular double act back in tandem, albeit after a rather shorter time apart, David Croft and Anthony Davidson will be at the SkyPad to review all the Practice track action. Saturday's Qualifying show will feature a debate on F1's current tyre saga as Martin Brundle chats to Pirelli chief Paul Hembery and McLaren's Sam Michael, while Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo joins Johnny Herbert for the track guide. Both our live Qualifying and Race Day shows will feature separate installments of a not-to-be-missed behind-the-scenes feature with Lotus after we were given incredible assess to the team and their personnel over the Chinese GP. Sunday's show also features Anthony Davidson showing Johnny and Simon Lazenby how it's done around a lap of Sakhir in the Mercedes simulator at Brackley and a post-qualifying Brundle interview with Lewis Hamilton as the former champion looks to take the next step towards a first race victory for his new team. FORM GUIDE
With Ferrari showing good race pace in China, the signs look good for the Scuderia in Bahrain. Between them, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have won five of the eight grands prix to date, although two of Alonso's wins came in a Renault, whilst Ferrari themselves have picked up the Constructors' trophy on four occasions. 2012 result: 1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus); 3. Romain Grosjean (Lotus); 4. Mark Webber (Red Bull); 5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes); 6. Paul Di Resta (Force India); 7. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari); 8. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren); 9. Felipe Massa (Ferrari); 10. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes). Last five winners: 2012: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2010: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari); 2009: Jenson Button (Brawn); 2008: Felipe Massa (Ferrari); 2007: Felipe Massa (Ferrari). TYRE ALLOCATION
A week on from a race dominated by tyre degradation, Pirelli are taking the two hardest compounds in their range to Bahrain this weekend - the white-marked medium compound, which will serve as the option tyre, and the orange-marked hard compound, which will be the prime tyre. Thus, both compounds are a step harder than they were in 2012, with Pirelli having made a late change to the option compound. The main demands placed on the tyres this weekend will come from traction and braking, whilst the circuit itself will be dirty, given its limited use throughout the year, coupled with sand blowing in from the desert. However, unlike in China, the GP2 Series are on the support card, meaning they will help clean up the circuit and lay down more Pirelli rubber. These factors coupled with high ambient temperatures mean Pirelli feel "Bahrain is one of the most demanding tracks of the year in terms of longitudinal energy going into the tyres: especially under braking in turns one and 14, and traction in turn 10." SAKHIR ODDS
For the fourth straight race weekend in 2013, World Champion Sebastian Vettel starts as Sky Bet's clear favourite for both pole position (11/8) and race victory (23/10) in Bahrain, with Chinese GP winner, Fernando Alonso, second favourite (5/2.) Having challenged for victory in 2012, Kimi Raikkonen is 7/2, to go one better in this year. Here are some further selected Sky Bet odds for the weekend:
Pole position - Lewis Hamilton (100/30).
Race Winner - Romain Grosjean (50/1).
Winning team - McLaren (18/1).
First Retirement - Pastor Maldonado (10/1).
Number of first-lap retirements - Exactly Two (8/1).
Race Winning Margin - Six seconds or more (5/6).