The Bahrain Grand Prix was the first Formula 1 race to be staged in the Middle East, as part of the government’s desire to promote tourism.

The Bahrain GP has been staged since 2004, when Michael Schumacher won from Rubens Barrichello. It has been held 15 times, with the race cancelled in 2011 due to a socio-political crisis.

All the races have been held at the Bahrain International Circuit, located in the desert to south of the capital, Manama. The Bahrain GP means sun, heat and duels in the desert. The archipelago which makes up the Kingdom of Bahrain is made up of 33 islands, featuring many classy resort.

Motor sport fans can get behind the wheel themselves, as there’s a world class kart track alongside the F1 circuit. The Scuderia AlphaTauri crew has raced there and can attest that it’s great fun.

Bahrain GP Particularities

For the F1 circus, driving to the Sakhir circuit can involve spotting camels alongside the road.

For the engineers, there is the more serious task of working out how to keep sand out of the engine and other components, although in recent years, a sophisticated track cleaning machine has meant this is less of a problem.

The Sakhir Circuit has been the only venue for this race, although they did try a longer track layout one year, but abandoned it as unsuccessful.

The 2019 Bahrain GP was won by Lewis Hamilton, with pole position going to Charles Leclerc.