Bahrain International Circuit, located in Sakhir in the southern part of the Kingdom of Bahrain, was purpose built for Formula 1 and is considered to be one of the safest tracks in the world thanks to the giant run-off areas. The track’s width and layout also encourages safe overtaking.

It is a curvy circuit with lots of kinks and gradient changes that are quite large in some areas. Braking late at the end of a long straight into the right-handed hairpin turn 4 might provide the best overtaking opportunity. Also, turn 1 after the start/finish straight is a great overtaking point.

The Bahrain circuit has one of the most unique surroundings on the Formula One calendar due to its location in the middle of a desert. Sand on the circuit can result in loss of grip in the turns and additional thermal problems, if it gets into the car. The engines air filters are thoroughly checked and more often changed than usual to avoid the intrusion of sand particles.

Rumours says that organizers are trying to keep the sand away by spraying an adhesive on the sand around the track. Surprisingly the gravel used for building the race track was imported all the way from Wales.

The 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix, won by Michael Schumacher for Ferrari just 1.3 seconds ahead of his Brazilian team-mate Rubens Barrichello, made history as the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East.

Drinking alcohol is not banned in Bahrain, but in deference to the Bahrain’s Islamic rulers, winners of the Bahrain Grand Prix do not get to spray champagne on the podium. Instead the race organisers provide the drivers with Waard, a local non-alcoholic beverage made from rosewater and pomegranates.

The Bahrain Grand Prix, or the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, is held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

The racing circuit is a purpose-built track with 57 laps that span 191.53 miles (308.23 km) and a lap length of 3.362 miles (5.412 km).

Bahrain is a high-octane Grand Prix circuit with a good track layout. It has above average overtaking potential and long straights, with a few challenging tight corners peppered in-between.

And the fact that it’s a night race makes the Bahrain Grand Prix even more exciting for the fans and challenging for the drivers!

Where Is the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix?

The Bahrain Grand Prix (BIC) takes place in the city of Sakhir, which is located in Bahrain, a Middle East island-country in the Persian Gulf.

Bahrain is widely known for its wide temperature shifts, and this makes it harder for drivers to settle on a decent tyre setup.

After all, the track is in the middle of the hot desert!

When Is the Bahrain Grand Prix?

The Bahrain Grand Prix is traditionally held in the spring, near the start of the season, with practice across the opening two days, qualifying, and a main race run in the evening under floodlights.

However, the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled, together with the neighbouring Saudi Arabian round, amid the conflict in the Middle East, and neither race was replaced. It is the first time in over two decades that Bahrain has been absent from the calendar, and the circuit is expected to return when circumstances allow.

Bahrain Grand Prix Tickets

The Bahrain Grand Prix has a total of 5 grandstands: the Victory, University, Beyon, Main, and Turn 1 grandstands.

Bahrain doesn’t sell a general-admission ticket, so the cheapest way in is the Victory grandstand, from around $186 for the three-day weekend.

The University and Beyon grandstands offer hair-raising views over the F1 race event, and they’re a top pick for F1 fans!

Bahrain International Circuit

The Bahrain International Circuit is one of several purpose-built race tracks on the calendar. The construction of the Bahrain circuit began in 2002 and finished in 2004. As a purpose-built track designed by Hermann Tilke, Bahrain offers long straights, tight corners, and plenty of opportunities to overtake. It’s an endurance circuit through and through!

There are 57 laps in the Bahrain GP, and each lap is 3.362 miles long (5.412 km). Drivers reach an average speed of 133.144mph (214.27km/h), and during the 2022 season, there were an average of 57 overtakes at Bahrain.

But nothing quite compares to the 2014 Bahrain GP when Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton engaged in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel confrontation that lasted several laps. They were so far ahead of everyone else that they might as well have been the only drivers on the track that day.

The Bahrain International Circuit was the perfect playground for them to showcase their skills. But not many people know that the Bahrain Motor Federation decided in 2020 that the Bahrain and Sakhir Grands Prix swapped places, with the track layout being changed as well.

Bahrain International Circuit Lap Record

The current lap record at Bahrain is 1:31.447 and belongs to Pedro de la Rosa. He achieved this in 2005 while driving for McLaren, and so far, no one has been able to beat his time.

Bahrain International Circuit Corners

The Bahrain International Circuit has 15 corners, of which 7 are slow speed corners and 8 are high speed corners.

The lap direction at Bahrain is clockwise, with 8 right-hand corners and 7 left-hand corners.

Bahrain International Circuit Straights & DRS

The Bahrain International Circuit has 4 straights, and 3 DRS zones. The longest straight is 3608.92 ft (1100m), and it’s the one at the finish line, from Corner 15 to Corner 1.

Bahrain is one of the purest racing tracks on the F1 calendar, with many portions where drivers can go full-throttle and engage in flashy overtakes.

Bahrain International Circuit Altitude

The Bahrain International Circuit is at an altitude of 2.95 ft (0.9m), and the max elevation difference is 55.44ft (16.9m).

For this reason, the Bahrain circuit has the lowest altitude out of all tracks on the calendar.

Bahrain Grand Prix F1 Contract

The Bahrain International Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and the first Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix took place in 2004.

Its current contract will end in 2036, at which point the FIA will decide if Bahrain will keep hosting its Grand Prix or if it will be replaced.