Can someone please do the sticky thing with this.
Longest season in Formula 1 history starts in Bahrain
OK we are back. It only seemed like the season had been finished for a few weeks and it seemed very soon we were all getting into the launches of the new cars.
Would you believe this year is the 20th Bahrain GP. I know, it doent feel like that long ago. Actually its 21 GPs held here if you throw in the Sakhir GP{ on the slightly different track in Covid times.
Plus of course the new gossip and whose allegedly been doing silly things a teenager at school might do. And on top of all the who did Horner show what to and is he fit for purpose as a boss we had the Silly Season kick off before the season did. So Lewis will be in red. This time next year. This is this year and already the world seems to be talking about next year. Give me a break. That all took a bit of a back seat to the stuff about him in the corner. Mr Horner. We can all order in extra popcorn, open a bottle of wine and catch up on what the Court of Public Opinion decides he has or hasnt done. I just wish it would all go away. Either he has done the crime or he hasnt. The longer all this pontificting and pondering goes on the more the internet will burn and judge. Its got to the stage where everyone is tapping their nose with special information they got from someone who granmother knows etc etc on Facegram or something and I just dont care. Ford are pissed off, F1 is pissed off, half (the Euro half) of Red Bull seems to be asking for a bit of plank walking and sword falling. The other half outwardly at least, seems to be for him staying. Maybe its a culture thing.
All I know is I cant believe how stupid people get get and do things online they think they can get away with because they theink they are special and their poo doesnt stink.
And then we had real racing things to talk about..... testing was on us and we all wondered who was going to spring us with the biggest surprise. Yes we know it is only the prologue and the season is long. But after the first day being all about Max, it was odd to see Ferrari top the time sheets for the rest of testing.. Are they going to win the Championship. I think we already know the answer to that question. Testing Schmesting. Something to follow but it gives clues not facts. Engine modes, programmes, weight, fuel loads, long stints, race sims, soft tyres, hard tyres, super sticky tyres they wont even get to use, how many bags of sand etc etc.. So how do we pick the bones out of that and say team X are the business.
Before I start talking up the testing numbers, let me just say testing does always relate to the season..... Last year Sergio Perez was the pick of the crop, and fastest by nearly 0.4. And he was over a second faster than Max.
Oh and testing was all over in 3 days this year. They dont need the tracks to ratify what the simulator says it seems.
Whatever, the Prologue to the longest system ever was done and dusted. But what did we learn.
Red Bull might not have been the quickest. But they looked good. (Yes Foxtel and F1 combined to let us actually watch it on TV this year) Testing is a bit boring on TV to be honest. It did look good at time though.
But yes Red Bull looked the fastest even if the clocks said Ferrari were. No doubt all the strange rakes and additional sensors the cars were all adorned with will have those behind the scenes will be analysing gigabytes or probably terabytes of data looking for some answers and direction to head.
The raw data told us nothing. Looking at that Ferrari Mercedes and Sauber were quicker than Red Bull, and Sergio was faster than Max.
But look again and Red Bull was fastest of all those that used race weekend tyres, the C3.
Obviously the raw data is worthless given the variables mentioned.
Just adjusting those numbers for tyres and we get something more realistic. Ferrari are still at the top though
A quick look shows this.
Times by team — corrected for tyres
1. Ferrari (Carlos Sainz): 1m 30.441s*^
2. Red Bull Racing (Max Verstappen): +0.154s^
3. Mercedes (George Russell): +0.154s
4. McLaren (Oscar Piastri): +0.589s
5. Aston Martin (Fernando Alonso): +0.718s^
6. Sauber (Zhou Guanyu): +0.726s
7. RB (Yuki Tsunoda): +0.854s
8. Williams (Alex Albon): +1.063s
9. Haas (Nico Hülkenberg): +1.245s^
10. Alpine (Esteban Ocon): +1.620s*
*Best time set on day 2.
^Best time set in the afternoon.
Then look at other real world variables..... brings a few things back down to earth.
Sainz’s lap appears to be an outlier. The grid barely got within 0.4 seconds of it on Friday. It could suggest that either the track was slower on the final day or Ferrari was pushing unusually hard on Thursday. It could even suggest a combination of both.
The real world thinks it more like this is the order to expect.
1. Red Bull Racing: 1m 30.595s
2. Ferrari: +0.226s
3. McLaren: +0.380s
4. Mercedes: +0.571s
5. RB: +0.734s
6. Aston Martin: +0.852s
7. Alpine: +1.042s
8. Sauber: +1.051s
9. Williams: +1.123s
10. Haas: +1.323s
Look at long run race pace and the boffins tell us this is each teams race pace..... all of a sudden Ferrari are slower than Mercedes....
1. Red Bull Racing
2. Mercedes: +0.22 per cent (+12s)
3. Ferrari: +0.25 per cent (+14s)
4. McLaren: +0.47 per cent (+25s)
5. Aston Martin: +0.69 per cent (+37s)
6. RB: +0.81 per cent (+44s)
7. Sauber: +1.20 per cent (+65s)
8. Alpine: +1.21 per cent (+65s)
9. Williams: +1.25 per cent (+68s)
.
10. Haas: +1.49 per cent (+80s)
And the above order, despite being based on F1 telemetry, isn’t certain.
All the collected data will be analysed back at the factory and converted into new car configurations for next week’s grand prix. We dont even really know who delivered the best they could give. Im not sure Max did. As I mentioned elsewhere he seemingly kept screwing up Sector 3 after going purple in S1 & 2. Slow enough not to be fastest. Max doesnt do that. Sandbags and bluff and all that.
Max openly said that the last day he wasnt interested in lap time. He wanted to get the feel of the car and get more understanding.
He followed that with “To be honest I think it all looks quite positive. I’m quite happy with the car, how it was behaving.”
Upgrades mean that the 10 cars in action in testing last week effectively are now museum pieces and won’t appear again this season.
Those teams not from Austria need to have plaenty up their sleeve. And hope Red Bull dont.
Plus Bahrain is just one particular track in a record-long 24-race calendar.
But at the end of the day we all realistically know Red Bull are the benchmark.
I have said enough about what might happen. Just think, after this weekend its only 23 more to go!
THE TIMETABLE
Formula 1 returns to Bahrain for the first round of the 2024 season, from Thursday February 29 to Saturday March 2.
The usual grand prix weekend schedule has been brought forward by one day – as will be the case the following weekend in Saudi Arabia too – with two free practice sessions on Thursday, FP3 and qualifying on Friday, then the grand prix itself on Saturday.
This move has been made by Formula 1 to accommodate the start of Ramadan on the second Sunday of March.
THURSDAY 29 FEB
Practice 1
14:30 - 15:30
THURSDAY 29 FEB
Practice 2
18:00 - 19:00
FRIDAY 01 MARCH
Practice 3
15:30 - 16:30
FRIIDAY 01 MARCH
Qualifying
19:00 - 20:00
SATURDAY02 MARCH
Race
18:00
Anyway, the track.
YEAH.... THE TRACK
Bahrain entered Formula One in 2004 when it was the first F1 Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East, and has been ever-present since albeit with a cancellation in 2011.
The race takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, around 30km south of the capital, Manama. Since 2014 the race has taken place during the early evening in Bahrain under floodlights, the second Grand Prix on the calendar to do so after Singapore.
Bahrain International Circuit (also known as “Sakhir”) was designed by Hermann Tilke and built in just 16 months at an estimated cost of $150m USD. The tarmac of the track is made from imported graywacke aggregate from Shropshire, England.
The circuit has a variety of layouts for different events. Formula 1 has raced on three variations of the circuit, with all but one Bahrain Grand Prix taking place on the Grand Prix Circuit layout of the track. For 2010, organisers decided to use the ‘endurance’ layout of the circuit to celebrate Formula 1’s diamond anniversary. The lengthened track was met with negative reaction from the drivers and was never used again in F1. In 2020, the Sakhir Grand Prix was held on the shorter, and faster, Outer Circuit.
Grippy asphalt & sticky sand
The track surface at Bahrain International Circuit is made from a special aggregate that was shipped from a quarry in England at great expense and offers very high levels of grip. Keeping sand off the grippy surface is more of a challenge for a circuit surrounded by desert in an area where sandstorms are common. To minimize the amount of sand blowing on to the circuit, the organizers spray a sticky adhesive substance onto the surrounding desert before the race weekend. The track is also regularly swept between sessions.
A full circuit in Bahrain is just under 5.5km with 15 turns to navigate. The primary overtaking opportunity comes after the home straight into the tight first turn, named in honour of 2004 winner Michael Schumacher.
The late-night race allows for some stunning views when the sun goes down and is easily one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all the tracks.
As driver’s head over the start finish line and head towards turn 1, they will be doing in excess of 330kmph. They have to then hammer the break peddle to slow down enough to make it round the tight corner, creating up to 5G in force.
Track evolution is somewhat limited, with temperature being the biggest influence: two of the three free practice sessions take place in the heat of the day, making it harder to get a representative read on race data. Another factor often affecting the cars is wind, as it can blow sand onto the track and also make the balance unpredictable. Thermal degradation will be significant and can have a decisive impact on race performance, while wear is generally limited.
it offers a number of different overtaking opportunities, particularly in Turns 1, 4, and 11.
Last year they altered the DRS zones. Detection points were the same but the activation points were stretched out making the DRS zones shorter.
First Grand Prix
2004
Number of Laps
57
Circuit Length
5.412km
Race Distance
308.238 km
Lap Record
1:31.447 Pedro de la Rosa (2005)
Over 70 gearchanges per lap
Sakhir
When was the track built?
Ground was broken for the Bahrain International Circuit in December 2002. Like the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the developers had a blank, sandy canvas to work with, and with that fashioned the technical, 5.4km track designed by Hermann Tilke.
When was its first Grand Prix?
It was 2004 when the drivers first lined up under an unusually cloudy sky for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was dominated (like many in 2004) by the two Ferraris, with Michael Schumacher winning out from Rubens Barrichello, while the crowds were also treated to a fantastic dog-fight between the Jaguar of Mark Webber and the Renault of Fernando Alonso.
What’s the circuit like?
You can usually expect great racing and decent amounts of overtaking in Bahrain, while the drivers have to contend with wind, racing under floodlights and the difficulty of finding a decent set-up with the wide temperature fluctuations between sessions. The track’s most challenging point is the tight, downhill, off-camber Turn 10 left-hander, while the fast run through Turn 12 is another highlight, allowing the racers to really feel their cars coming alive.
BRAKES.
Its hard on brakes..... The Bahrain race is one of the more demanding circuits on the brakes, being similar to Montreal as one of the most severe tests of the year. With three big stops from over 320kph into first or second gear corners, the car needs good stability to avoid locking tyres during the race. The frequency of braking is also significant, especially between Turns 4 and 13, where the brakes are constantly running at high temperatures without the chance to cool down.
The drivers use the brakes for approximately 14s per lap, which equates to 450 times during the race, exerting a total force on the pedal of around 48 tonnes or 490Kg per minute
There are 8 braking points, 4 of which are classified as critical and 3 are average in terms of brake difficulty
The most challenging braking zone is Turn 1 where the drivers hit a top speed of 326km/h. They then brake for 2.26s along 61m, decelerating to 82km/h. This causes the drivers to experience 5.1g of deceleration, which is the same amount of g-force experienced by astronauts as they return to Earth
On a scale of 1 to 10, the Bahrain Grand Prix scores a severity of 9 in terms of braking demand. Only Montreal, Mexico City, Abu Dhabi and Singapore rank higher
TYRES
This year, the same as last and the three hardes compunds will be used..... C1 the White Hard, C2 the Yellow Mediums, and C3 the Red Softs.
(Yes I edited the deliberate mistake. A typo had it read C4. C4 is what some used in testing but C3 is the softest available here in Bahrain for the race weekend.
Tyre degradation, with all the resulting different race strategies, also creates interesting performance differentials.
Last year, a two-stopper using the C1 and the C3 was the favoured strategy, with the C2 used by only one team (McLaren).
What happened last year? Guess what..... Max won.
Max Verstappen cruised to victory over team mate Sergio Perez – while Fernando Alonso finished third as Charles Leclerc retired from the race.
Everyone bar hard-shod Kevin Magnussen (P15) began the race on soft tyres and Verstappen had a solid getaway, but team mate Perez fell back and lost second place to Leclerc – while Carlos Sainz couldn’t quite pry P3 off the Red Bull. The reigning champion stretched his legs in the lead and eventually won by more than 10 seconds. Perez completed the one-two with both Red Bull drivers on similar soft-soft-hard strategies.
Aston Martin’s hopes of crashing the podium fight seemed to have come crashing down on Lap 1 when Lance Stroll made a lunge on team mate Alonso into Turn 4 and hit the rear-right of his car, allowing both Mercedes ahead.
Ferrari’s hopes of the podium did however come crashing down on Lap 41, when Leclerc retired with an engine issue. That was just after Alonso produced an absolutely brilliant move to take P5 off Lewis Hamilton, down the inside of Turn 10. Alonso went on the warpath and on Lap 45 he passed Sainz after a stunning battle through Sector 2, to seal his first podium since Qatar 2021.
2023 Race Highlights.
Click watch on youtube to view,
POS NO DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME/RETIRED PTS
1 1 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 57 1:33:56.736 25
2 11 Sergio Perez RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 57 +11.987s 18
3 14 Fernando Alonso ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 57 +38.637s 15
4 55 Carlos Sainz FERRARI 57 +48.052s 12
5 44 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 57 +50.977s 10
6 18 Lance Stroll ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 57 +54.502s 8
7 63 George Russell MERCEDES 57 +55.873s 6
8 77 Valtteri Bottas ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 57 +72.647s 4
9 10 Pierre Gasly ALPINE RENAULT 57 +73.753s 2
10 23 Alexander Albon WILLIAMS MERCEDES 57 +89.774s 1
11 22 Yuki Tsunoda ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 57 +90.870s 0
12 2 Logan Sargeant WILLIAMS MERCEDES 56 +1 lap 0
13 20 Kevin Magnussen HAAS FERRARI 56 +1 lap 0
14 21 Nyck De Vries ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 56 +1 lap 0
15 27 Nico Hulkenberg HAAS FERRARI 56 +1 lap 0
16 24 Zhou Guanyu ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 56 +1 lap 0
17 4 Lando Norris MCLAREN MERCEDES 55 +2 laps 0
NC 31 Esteban Ocon ALPINE RENAULT 41 DNF 0
NC 16 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 39 DNF 0
NC 81 Oscar Piastri MCLAREN MERCEDES 13 DNF 0
Note - Hulkenberg received a 15-second time penalty for multiple track limit violations.
HISTORY
The driver to have triumphed most often is Lewis Hamilton with five wins, followed by Sebastian Vettel on four and Fernando Alonso on three.
Nando is the only driver this weekend to have also taken part in the very first race at Sakhir, back in 2004.
Last year, Max Verstappen took his first Bahrain Grand Prix win, putting an end to a victory drought for Red Bull in Bahrain that had lasted for 10 years. Ferrari is the most successful team with seven wins at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Memorable moments at the Bahrain Grand Prix
2006: Raikkonen's recovery drive
Kimi Raikkonen was eliminated in Q1 in Bahrain in 2006 after a suspension failure. Starting at the very back of the field in 22nd, McLaren placed the Finn on a one-stop strategy. With a mix of strategy and his fine overtaking skills, Raikkonen finished in third place behind Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, who had an epic battle for the lead throughout the Grand Prix.
It was Alonso who came out on top, barging past Schumacher after his second pit-stop. Notably, the race was also the first appearance for future World Champion Nico Rosberg. He set the fastest lap of the race, becoming the youngest driver to do so at the time.
2008: Kubica and Sauber's only pole
Robert Kubica took the only pole position of his career at Sakhir in 2008. He also became the first Polish driver to start a Grand Prix from the front of the grid, as well as marking Sauber’s only pole position so far in Formula 1. Kubica lapped just 0.027s faster than Felipe Massa, which remained the smallest margin pole was taken by in Bahrain until 2017. Kubica was unable to convert pole into victory, finishing the race in third as Massa took the win.
2009 was all about Brawn and Jenson Button double diffused his way to a win. Toyota locks out front row, Button wins from fourth place
2010: Alonso's first Ferrari win
The 2010 F1 season began in Bahrain amidst plenty of intrigue with new teams, new driver line-ups and the return of Michael Schumacher after a three-year absence. While Sebastian Vettel set the pace in qualifying, spark plug issues on his Red Bull slowed him down and Fernando Alonso was able to capitalize, taking victory on his first appearance with Ferrari. That was the year they ran on the 'Endurance' longer track layout
The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix marked only the sixth time a driver had won on their Ferrari debut. It was an afternoon to remember for the whole team too, as Felipe Massa finished as runner-up on his first appearance since his accident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
2012 – NEARLY NO RACE
The 2012 Grand Prix was nearly a race that never took place. The year previously it was announced that the Grand Prix would be cancelled because of protests within the country. In 2012, it was called that it should also be cancelled due to the countries failure to adhere to basic human rights. The decision at the time was highlighted as “controversial” by many news and sports outlets.
The race was eventually won by that of Sebastian Vettel, although the whole race weekend was overshadowed by the protests, albeit small, from outside the stadium.
2014 – ALL OF THE LIGHTS
To celebrate 10 years of the Bahrain Grand Prix (albeit, its 9th running) the Bahrain added in numerous floodlights on the track and the race was run as the first night race in the country and the first on the F1 calendar. The $17m USD investment, which saw the installation of 495 lighting poles and 4500 light fittings, immediately paid off as the first night race featured a memorable wheel-to-wheel “duel in the desert” between the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix is seen as the starting point of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s bitter rivalry as Mercedes team-mates. The race, which was the 900th F1 Grand Prix, saw Rosberg start from pole. Hamilton got the better start however, and led the opening stages. The pair scrapped for position before the first pit-stops with Hamilton ultimately remaining ahead and thus being given the privilege of the first stop.
The Safety Car was called out later, after Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber rolled as the result of a collision with Pastor Maldonado. The Safety Car period prompted a thrilling conclusion to the race as Rosberg, still behind Hamilton, was now on the faster tyre compound. There was little the German could do though, and after more wheel-to-wheel battles Hamilton won the race.
2015 Hamilton won again ,
2016 It was Rosberg's turn
2017 and 2018 was all about Vettel winning both years for Ferrari . His win in 2018 was in his 200th race.
2019: Leclerc's unlucky evening
Charles Leclerc moved to Ferrari for his second season in Formula 1 and impressed by taking pole position on only his second outing with Ferrari at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite losing the lead to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the opening stages, the Monegasque driver was soon back at the front of the field and looked unchallenged for victory as the event reached its closing stages.
However, luck was not on Leclerc’s side. He was denied his maiden win by engine issues. He was overtaken by both Mercedes drivers, before a late race Safety Car meant he was able to salvage a maiden podium finish from a disappointing evening under the floodlights.
2020: Grosjean's miraculous escape
Romain Grosjean was lucky to escape a terrifying crash on the opening lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Making contact with Daniil Kvyat through the opening corners, Grosjean’s Haas left the circuit at close to 200km/h before crashing into the barriers. Going through the barriers, the car split in two and set alight in the 67G impact. Grosjean was saved by the halo device and was able to remove himself from the burning car.
Already confirmed to be leaving Haas at the end of the season, this was Grosjean’s last appearance in Formula 1. He suffered burns and was discharged from hospital three days after the race. He began his IndyCar career in the following year.
2020: Perez's maiden win
Two races were contested at Bahrain International Circuit in 2020, with the one-off Sakhir Grand Prix following one week on from the Bahrain Grand Prix. The event was held on the shorter ‘Outer Loop’ layout of the track.
George Russell replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, with the reigning champion having tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the race. Russell impressed all weekend, narrowly missing out on pole and overtaking team-mate Valtteri Bottas at Turn 1. Russell led most of the race but pit stop issues put him out of contention for victory.
Instead victory went to Sergio Perez – which seemed unlikely at the end of Lap 1, given that he was at the back of the field after being involved in a collision. Perez’s win was the first for a Mexican driver in 50 years.
2022 Last time Charles Leclerc denied the Red Bull driver, who then suffered a shock retirement in the closing laps.
Past Winners
Year Winner Team Time Margin
2023 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33:56.736 11.987
2022 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:37:33.584 5.598
2021 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:32:03.897 0.745
2020 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 2:59:47.515 1.254
2019 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:34:21.295 2.980
2018 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:32:01.940 0.699
2017 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:33:53.374 6.660
2016 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:33:34.696 10.282
2015 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:35:05.809 3.380
2014 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:39:42.743 1.085
2013 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:36:00.498 9.111
2012 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:35:10.990 3.333
2011 Cancelled - - -
2010 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:39:20.396 16.099
2009 Jenson Button Mercedes 1:31:48.182 7.187
2008 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:31:06.971 3.339
2007 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:33:27.515 2.360
2006 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:29:46.205 1.246https://youtu.be/tfw6JpUDXWA
2005 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:29:18.531 13.409
2004 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:28:34.875 1.367
Summary of the Bahrain GP Winners:
Driver Nb
HAMILTON Lewis 5
VETTEL Sebastian 4
ALONSO Fernando 3
MASSA Felipe 2
SCHUMACHER Michael 1
BUTTON Jenson 1
ROSBERG Nico 1
LECLERC Charles 1
VERSTAPPEN Max 1
Plus of course Sergio Perez won the Sakhir GP in 2020 on the shorter layout when Bahrain held back to back races in the Covid era.
Constructors
Constructor Nb
Ferrari 7
Mercedes 6
Renault 2
Red Bull 3
Brawn GP 1
Sakhir 2020 was won by Racing Point
The Story of the Formula 1 Bahrain GP
Bahrain Grand Prix History - Desert Duels and Sizzling Showdowns
Re-live the best of the Bahrain Grand Prix through the years - including Schumacher's win in the inaugural race, Raikkonen's spectacular engine blow-up and the thrilling duels between Schumacher and Alonso, and Hamilton and Rosberg.
You have to click te watch on youtube button.
No sign of a Mongol invasion in the past 12 months. Maybe seconded across in Israel and Gaza or Ukraine.
2019 GTP Accuracy Champion 
