The first triple-header of the season sees Formula 1 travel from Japan to Bahrain for round four at the Sakhir circuit. The Bahrain International Circuit has become a well-established fixture on the calendar, even featuring two visits per year, as this Middle Eastern island is also home to pre-season testing.
The 5.412 metre-long track boasts 15 corners, with low, medium and high speed sections, as well as three long straights. There are therefore several overtaking opportunities, while the combination of high speed parts with more technical sections provides a stern test for the cars and drivers. Adding to the challenge is having to deal with the change in temperature between day and night, as the race gets underway at sunset. The first braking point is a popular overtaking spot where drivers must brake hard from over 300 km/h to tackle an “S” bend that first goes to the right. Another overtaking opportunity comes at turn 4, which leads into the tighter second sector. There are three DRS zones: one between turns 3 and 4, another between 10 and 11 and one down the start-finish straight. The race is run over 57 laps, for a distance of 308.238 kilometres.
Apart from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, Dino Beganovic will also get behind the wheel of the SF-25 this weekend. The Swedish Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy’s will be making his debut in an official Formula 1 session, driving Charles’ car in the first free practice session. In fact, the sporting regulations that state each race driver must give up his seat twice – it was just once up until this year – per season to a young driver who has taken part in fewer than two Grands Prix.
Frederic Vasseur: With the fourth race of the season taking place in Bahrain we get the opportunity to see how much progress we have made with the SF-25 in terms of extracting its potential since we were last here for the pre-season test at the very end of February. We are not where we want to be in terms of car performance, and we are working hard with the aim of making solid progress. This will be our main focus in Sakhir, with the support of those working back at the factory in Maranello. Even the smallest detail can be important over the weekend, because gaining just one tenth can mean being ahead of some of our rivals, both in Saturday’s qualifying and in Sunday’s race.
Ferrari at the Bahrain GP
20 GP Contested2004 (M. Schumacher 1st; R. Barrichello 2nd)7 (35%) Wins6 (30%) Pole positions6 (30%) Fatest laps 17 (28.33%) Podiums
Three questions to Dino Beganovic, Ferrari Academy Driver
Describe the technical features of the Bahrain International Circuit Dino Beganovic: Bahrain is a track that everyone knows pretty well, since all the testing is done here. It has a bit of everything, with high and low speed corners, and it is also pretty hard on the tyres with a high grip track surface, so you want a car that looks after the tyres well. It’s often windy in Bahrain and that can be a big factor driving wise, while the mix of all kinds of corners makes it a great testing circuit for the F1 teams.
How do you feel about driving the SF-25 in the first free practice session at Sahkir? DB: It’s a dream come true. Many drivers would love to drive a Ferrari Formula 1 car and it feels amazing to get this opportunity. I know that my goal of becoming a Scuderia Ferrari HP driver one day is very ambitious, but I’m doing everything I can to achieve my dream, which right now means focussing fully on my Formula 2 campaign with Hitech Grand Prix. The support I received from the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy is vital to my development and it’s fantastic to have this opportunity to drive on Friday. I really can’t wait for the weekend. I’m just going to enjoy the moment, as well as helping the team as much as I can.
Tell us about your time with the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy? DB: I joined the SFDA in 2020. In my first year I was competing in Formula 4 and it’s been a very nice journey, especially having the support of an iconic brand like Ferrari as well as a strong technical team. Ferrari is something truly special for me as I’ve been a Ferrari fan since I was a kid, always loving the red colour. The SFDA has supported me for many years now, even through the difficult moments. This weekend I will try and help the F1 team as much as possible and to do well in Formula 2 which is my main focus this year.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Facts & Figures
8. Olympic medals won by Bahrain. The first one dates back to the London 2012 Games and came courtesy of Maryam Yusuf Jamal, who took gold in the 1500 metres. In 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, there was gold for Ruth Jebet in the 3000 metre steeplechase and a silver for Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa in the marathon. At Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), Kalkidan Gezahegne won silver in the 10,000 metres. The medal haul in Paris 2024 was exceptional for such a small country with golds for Winfred Mutile Yavi in the 3000 metre steeplechase and Akhmed Tazhudinov in weightlifting, making him the first man to win a medal for Bahrain, as well as a silver for Salwa Eid Naser in the 400 metres and a bronze for Gor Minasyan, also in weightlifting.
468. The shops in Manama’s souq. You can find almost anything there, from food to spices, souvenirs to carpets, jewellery to watches. The historic market is as old as the city itself, which dates back to the 1300s.
600. The number of camels at Bahrain’s royal farm. The facility is open daily from sunrise to sunset, with free entry. Male camels are kept apart to prevent them from fighting each other, while female camels are free to roam within designated enclosures.
2004. The year of the first Bahrain Grand Prix, which paved the way for other races in the Middle East. Today, there are four races in the region on the Formula 1 calendar, the others being Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
100,000. The size in square metres of Dive Bahrain, the largest underwater theme park in the world. Located near the International Airport, its main attraction is a decommissioned Boeing 747, at 70 metres long, the largest aircraft ever intentionally submerged. In addition to the plane, the park includes a replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl fisherman’s house, pearl diving being the country’s main industry before the discovery of oil and gas, as well as coral reefs and other structures designed and submerged to provide a safe haven for coral growth and to support a sustainable habitat for marine life.
