“Good traction is essential at the Bahrain International Circuit," tyre guru Kees van der Grint commented, "At six corners in particular, it is very important to gain speed for the long straights which follow. After these straights, there is, of course, heavy braking, but maximising the traction out of the corners is crucial. If the traction is less than optimum it creates heat and high wear to the tyres.
“Testing at a venue where we are going to race allows us, as sole tyre supplier, to confirm that we have made the correct predictions from our theoretical data about which tyre compounds to use. For teams, it allows them to engineer their car to be as fast as it can be at the circuit, and this is particularly the case with Bahrain, where most of the teams have tested for six days already this year.”
THE TRACK:
Race Distance: 57 laps - Circuit Length 3.381 miles (5.417kms)
Located in Sakhir in the south of Bahrain, the US$150 million Bahrain International Circuit opened in 2004 and hosted its first
FIA Formula One Grand Prix in April of the same year. The development of the circuit was underwritten by the Bahrain Government and was firmly supported by the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a lifelong motorsport enthusiast.
The circuit and its facilities are extremely impressive. The track actually consists of five separate circuits, including a 2.5km oval and a 1.2km drag strip. The 5.417km clockwise Formula One circuit features a 1km pit straight, twelve turns including several low-speed corners which increases the technical emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency and traction, and a relief that ranges between zero and 18 metres to create an undulating track. The hot weather poses a challenge for both car and driver and although the humidity is generally lower than in the Far East, track temperatures will be high.
THE WINNER?
On current form, it is hard to look beyond the top two teams from Melbourne and Sepang, but developments made to the
McLaren between races have clearly moved the MP4-22 onto a par with Ferrari's F2007, presenting an intriguing situation for Bahrain, where both made the most of six days testing in February. Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso have broken their ducks with their new employers, and
Felipe Massa is already an established winner with the Scuderia, so what odds on
Lewis Hamilton heading back to Europe on a par with his peers?
LAST SEASON:
Fernando Alonso out-duelled Michael Schumacher to open title defence in fine style, the pair going head-to-head in a rare battle. Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium after a sterling drive from the back of the grid after he became the first high-profile victim of the then new knock-out qualifying system, while
Jenson Button, Juan Montoya,
Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Christian Klien all featured on the first championship table of the new season, the German after an impressive comeback drive of his own, which netted fastest lap in the process.
1.
Fernando Alonso Spain
Renault-Renault 57 laps
01:29:46.205
2.
Michael Schumacher Germany
Ferrari-Ferrari +1.2s
3.
Kimi Raikkonen Finland
McLaren-Mercedes +19.3s
4.
Jenson Button Britain
Honda-Honda +19.9s
5.
Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia
McLaren-Mercedes +37.0s
6.
Mark Webber Australia
Williams-Cosworth +41.9s
7.
Nico Rosberg Germany
Williams-Cosworth +63.0s
8.
Christian Klien Austria
Red Bull-Ferrari +66.7s
