The construction of the Bahrain circuit was a national objective for Bahrain, initiated by the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The Crown Prince is the Honorary President of the Bahrain Motor Federation.

Race organizers were worried that the circuit wouldn't be complete in time, and asked for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix to take place in 2005 instead. However, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone refused this request. In the end, the circuit was not quite fully complete, but was good enough for the grand prix to go ahead. Even though the circuit was not fully complete, the inaugural race was given the award for the 'Best Organised Grand Prix' by the FIA.

The circuit posed a unique problem. Positioned in the middle of a desert, there were worries that sand would blow onto the circuit and disrupt the race. However, organizers were able to keep the sand off the track by spraying an adhesive on the sand around the track.

The circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, the same architect who designed the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The circuit cost approximately US $150 million to construct. It has six separate tracks, including a test oval and a drag strip.

The Bahrain Grand Prix, sponsored by Gulf Air, made history as the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East. Bahrain fought off fierce competition from elsewhere in the region to stage the race, with Egypt, Lebanon and UAE all hoping for the prestige of hosting a Formula One Grand Prix.

During its history, the Bahrain Grand Prix has always been the third race of the Formula One calender, except for the 2006 season when it swapped with the traditional opener, the Australian Grand Prix, which was pushed back due to the Commonwealth Games being held close to the race's usual date.

The Bahrain International Circuit requires a medium downforce setup. In the expected dry conditions, cars reach a highest speed of 320km/h before breaking for turn one.

Strong winds can blow sand on to the track, making grip an issue. If the sand settles on the racing line, drivers find themselves having to navigate a surprisingly slippery surface.

Engine reliability is a key factor in Bahrain for a number of reasons. Not only do the engines have to cope with the scorching desert heat, but sand can also enter the engines and disrupt cooling systems. The circuit's high speed stretches also mean that each lap is driven 62% full throttle, putting even more pressure on the engines.

BMWF1Talk Track Comments

Bahrain is a welcome change of scenery for F1 - a track in the desert. Pretty original!

Nick's never scored points in Bahrain, and Robert's never had the chance to, but expect this year's race to change all that! Both drivers have new engines for the race, so that can only be good news!

I think it's about time BMW got themselves a double points finish, just to cement their place as the third best constructor. So, bring on Bahrain!

Chris, chris@bmwf1talk.com

Racing in the desert is such a unique experience!
The circuit is in the middle of nowhere, with great infrastructure, good corners, overtaking points...a pity that there aren't many spectators due to its location.

It has a long straight, and has lots of middle-speed corners. Here aerodynamic is not as important as in Malaysia. The main problem teams face is the lack of grip, especially when the sand gets on the track. And hard wind is also a big problem, causing loss of braking stability and cornering precision.

Turn 9 and 10 are the most difficult ones, and always provide a good spectacle, with drivers blocking the wheels and having some excursions, and it’s a good overtaking point.

So be ready to see a good race, with interesting overtaking manoeuvres and incidents, plus some engines blowing after suffering the devasting heat of the desert!