A week after the first pre-season tests, the Formula 1 teams return from Thursday 29 February to Saturday 2 March on the Sakhir track for the first appointment of the 2024 season. The weekend calendar is brought forward by one day, as it will happen the following week in Saudi Arabia: two free practice sessions on Thursday, third free practice and qualifying on Friday and race on Saturday. A choice, that of Formula 1, made to respect the start of Ramadan, which will coincide with the second Sunday of March.
The teams will arrive at the first round of the season with a lot of data available on the behavior of the car-tyre package on a track characterized by a very abrasive asphalt and on which traction and braking stability are factors that have a very important impact on performance, both on smooth ride as well as long distance.
The asphalt of the Sakhir track usually presents a rather limited evolution during the course, with the greatest differences related to radiation, given that two out of three free practice sessions are held when the sun is still high. A meteorological factor that has often influenced the behavior of the cars is the wind, both because it can bring sand onto the track and because its gusts can make it unpredictable. The thermal degradation of the tires will be significant and could be decisive on the level of performance in the race while wear is rather limited.
Traditionally, the Bahrain Grand Prix is one of the most spectacular events because it offers several overtaking opportunities, particularly at Turns 1, 4 and 11, and because tire degradation and the resulting different strategies create significant performance differentials.
In 2023 the preferred strategy was the two-stop strategy, with an alternation between C1 and C3, with C2 used only by one team (McLaren).
The one on the calendar this week is the twentieth edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix, even if the races valid for the World Championship held in Sakhir are a total of 21: in 2020, in fact, the Grand Prix of the same name also took place, won by Sergio Perez (Racing Point).
The driver with the most successes is Lewis Hamilton (5), followed by Sebastian Vettel (4) and Fernando Alonso (3). The Spaniard himself is the only one among the 20 registered for this year's race to have also raced in the first edition in 2004. Last year Max Verstappen won for the first time in the history of this race, breaking a Red Bull fast which had lasted for ten years. With seven successes under its belt, Ferrari is the most successful team at Sakhir in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain GP 2024: the chosen compounds
Pirelli will bring the following compounds to Bahrain:
- Pirelli PZero White Hard C1
- Pirelli PZero Yellow Medium C2
- Pirelli PZero Red Soft C3
Minimum pressures at the start (slick tyres)
Front: 22.0 psi
Rear: 19.0 psi
Maximum camber
Front: -3.50°
Rear: -2.00°
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