Been enjoying Sky Sports F1's Classic Races series ahead of every grand prix weekend in the 2013 season?
4. The 2006 Bahrain GP
While this year's Sakhir race may take the spoils as the most thrilling seen in Bahrain, the 2006 event witnessed the most compelling head-to-head battle for victory - and between two of the sport's greatest ever drivers to boot, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. What would turn into an intense battle for the 2006 crown would go down all the way to the wire in Brazil but Bahrain was where it all started that year as the two title protagonists engaged in a race-long desert duel.
After Schumacher confirmed that Ferrari were back in business following their struggles of the previous season by heading an all-scarlet frontrow from new team-mate Felipe Massa, the German led from reigning title winner Alonso through the first two stints of the race. However, in a role reversal of the kind of trick the Ferrari man routinely pulled on rivals to devastating effect over the previous decade, Alonso stayed out longer at the second round of stops and
just about re-emerged ahead of Schumacher into the lead.
The season-opener was also memorable for Massa blotting his copybook with a spectacular spin right in front of Alonso's Renault down the main straight (pictured above) and Nico Rosberg announcing his arrival in F1 with a debut fastest race lap for Williams.
