Usually seen at the beginning of the Formula 1 season, 2020’s mixed-up schedule takes us to Bahrain near the end. The first Middle-Eastern circuit to host F1, Bahrain International Circuit circuit’s success was so important that that the aggregate for the asphalt was imported from a quarry in England over 4,000 miles away. Bahrain has given us some great wheel-to-wheel racing over the years and could be the one circuit where being on pole is a disadvantage with the pole sitter winning only 6 of 15 races here. In 2020 Bahrain will be the first night race of the year.
Red Bull will be hoping to return to form after the wild weekend in Turkey where wet weather and a slippery track surface caught them out. Returning to form at Bahrain will likely mean a third place finish but don’t forget that the car that gets pole doesn’t usually win, opening the door for someone to come from behind for the victory. On the AlphaTauri side we can expect one car in the points and the other just outside the points.
Elsewhere on the grid, Mercedes must be the favorite particularly with Ferrari, who have a strong history here, having faltered this year. The next runner will likely be a Renault as they look to build on their recent momentum and thinks the warm conditions will favor their car. Expect a resurgent Ferrari to be up with the Renault. The next battle will be between McLaren and Racing Point as the former has leveled off in terms of performance and the latter have been working their way back up the grid. As we begin to move out of the points-paying positions we can expect to see team cars from the other midfield runners and the usual battle between Haas, Alfa Romeo, and now Williams as their F1 program begins to develop and show signs of promise as the season nears its end.
US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice 1 – Friday, November 27, 5:55 AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, November 27, 9:55 AM –
ESPNEWS
Practice 3 – Saturday, November 28, 5:55 AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, November 28, 8:55 AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday – Sunday, November 29, 7:30 AM – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, November 29, 9:05 AM – ESPN2
CIRCUIT INFORMATION:
Lap data
Lap length: 5.412km (3.363 miles)
Race laps: 57
Race distance: 308.238km (191.53 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’31.447 (213.055 kph) by Pedro de la Rosa, 2005
Maximum speed: 314kph (195.11 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and third straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 265m
Car performance
Full throttle: 66%
Longest flat-out section: 1205m
Downforce level: Medium
Fuel use per lap: 1.8kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.054s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 21.031s by Red Bull
2020 tyres: Hard (C2, Medium (C3), Soft (C4) (2019: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3))
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2019 RESULTS:
Race laps: 57
Pole position: Charles Leclerc, 1:27.866
Fast race lap: Charles Leclerc, 1:33.411
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
CURRENT STANDINGS:
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 307
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 197
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 170
4. Sergio Perez, Racing Point, 100
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 97
6. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, 96
7. Carlos Sainz, McLaren, 75
8. Lando Norris, McLaren, 74
9. Alex Albon, Red Bull, 70
10. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 63
11. Lance Stroll, Racing Point, 59
12. Esteban Ocon, Renault, 40
13. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 33
14. Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri, 26
15. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 10
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, 4
17. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 4
18. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 2
19. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 1
20. Nicholas Latifi, Williams, 0
21. George Russell, Williams, 0
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 504
2. Red Bull, 240
3. Racing Point, 154
4. McLaren, 149
5. Renault, 136
6. Ferrari, 130
7. AlphaTauri, 89
8. Alfa Romeo, 8
9. Haas, 3
10. Williams, 0
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