Red Bull team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber head to Bahrain full of confidence. The duo recorded a crushing 1-2 last time out in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Bahrain GP History
The Bahrain Grand Prix made its first appearance on the Formula 1 calendar in 2004. Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher won that event, on his way to his seventh and final World Championship. Bahrain was the first ever middle eastern country to win a Formula 1 World Championship race.
Both the 2005 and 2006 events were won by then Renault driver Fernando Alonso. Ferrari's Felipe Massa made it a hat-trick of victories for the Italian marque by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2007 and 2008.
2009 Bahrain GP Form Guide
The form book suggests that Brawn GP and Red Bull should be the pace setters in Bahrain. The new Brawn GP team enjoyed a fairytale start, with Jenson Button winning the first two races of the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship. Last time out in China, however, it was Red Bull's turn to claim a maiden victory with Vettel at the wheel. The team's competitiveness was underlined by Webber's second place finish.
Toyota will be looking to get back on track in Bahrain, after a disappointing weekend in Shanghai. McLaren showed improved form, but need to find yet more performance to challenge the frontrunners. Ferrari head to Sakhir on the back of another dismal outing and have yet to score a point in 2009.
Toro Rosso may have uncovered a great talent in Sebastien Buemi, with the rookie scoring another points finish of the year in China. Double Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso just missed out on the points there, while his Renault team-mate Nelson Piquet once again had a distinctly underwhelming weekend.
Williams and BMW Sauber also had poor races in China, while Force India saw a maiden points finish disappear when Adrian Sutil crashed out spectacularly with just a few miles remaining. It remains to be seen how many teams will run their KERS systems in Bahrain this weekend. Only the two McLaren drivers and Nick Heidfeld opted to use the technology in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Bahrain GP Statistics and Weather Forecast
Race date: Sunday, April 26th 2009
Race distance: 57 laps
Circuit length: 3.363 miles (5.412 km)
Lap record: 1 minute, 30.252 seconds (Michael Schumacher, 2004 - Ferrari)
Weather forecast: Sunny and dry on all three days
Sakhir Grand Prix Circuit
The Bahrain Grand Prix venue is one of the newest on the Formula 1 calendar. It is characterised by substantial run-off areas and desert landscape. The desgin incorporates several good overtaking opportunities, including turns one, four and 12.
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