Sakhir, Sakhir · BH
The first Grand Prix circuit in the Middle East, set in the Sakhir desert. Bahrain pioneered night racing in F1 and hosts the WEC 8 Hours, with sand-swept run-offs and challenging winds adding to its character.
Bahrain International Circuit is a permanent racing circuit in Sakhir. The lap measures 5.412 km (3.363 miles) across 15 corners, run clockwise.
It opened in 2004 and holds FIA Grade 1 licensing. Series racing here include Formula 1 and WEC. Capacity is around 70,000 spectators.
Ground was broken in the Sakhir desert in October 2002 on a Hermann Tilke design costing around $150 million. The schedule was the notable part: two years was the plan until Bernie Ecclestone asked whether it could be pulled forward by six months, and it was. The keys were handed to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on 17 March 2004, 496 days after construction started.
That made Bahrain the first country in the region to hold a Formula 1 race, and Michael Schumacher won the opening Grand Prix in the Ferrari F2004. Desert conditions define the place — sand blows onto the surface and changes the grip through a session, and the race moved to a floodlit evening start, which is why the track is watered and the cars run into a night that cools rapidly.
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