In the next two weeks there will be races in Bahrain. Although they make place in the same country and even at the same venue they will be markedly different.
This weekend’s race will be run on the traditional Sakhir International circuit that has been known to F1 fans since its debut in 2004. The Bahrain grand prix made history as the first F1 race to be held in the Middle East. For all of the plaudits it received for its seamless organization the first ten races at the Bahrain grand prix simply didn’t deliver in terms of entertainment. In fact, so dull and uninspiring were the races here that it was dubbed ‘Bore-rain’ for a good number of years. But since it’s switch to a night race in 2014 it has come alive. That very first night race, now know as the ‘Duel in the desert’, delivered a monumental battle between then Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg that ebbed and flowed through the entire grand prix and dramatically climaxed with the two drivers banging wheels throughout the closing laps.
Next weekend’s race will look significantly different as the ultra-high speed outer loop of the Sakhir circuit will be utilized by F1 for the first time. For now though the established Sakhir circuit will be the focus as the 2020 draws to its conclusion. The circuit is a highly technical one with several opportunities for overtaking. Red Bull and Ferrari have opted for a more cautious approach in terms of tyre selection by choosing three sets of the hard compound while Hamilton has chosen to go with one set. “It is always tough of tyres so it will be important to find a good set-up to work around that,” said Max Verstappen.
The driver and constructor’s championship titles have been won and just about all the seats for 2021 have been settled. Officially Lewis Hamilton has not signed a deal to remain at Mercedes. But unless he is contemplating a shock exit ala Rosberg in 2016, which is not unthinkable, the expectation is that he will put pen to paper at the end of the season. As it stands 2021 is already set to commence in noteworthy fashion for Hamilton who will receive a knighthood in the New Year’s honours list. It is expected too that Haas F1 will announce the signing of F2 drivers Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher for next year, which leaves only Red Bull to confirm who will be driving alongside Verstappen in 2021. All indications are that the team want to re-sign Alex Albon but have hesitated given his lack of pace compared to teammate Verstappen. But Sergio Perez is lurking in the background as an enticing option for Red Bull. Therefore, the double-header in Bahrain is crucial to Albon’s chances of remaining as a Red Bull driver for 2021.
In 2019 Charles Leclerc came achingly close to his first career win in Bahrain only to be felled by reliability. But the 2020 F1 season has been a completely different story for Ferrari who has raced, mostly, as part of the midfield. The Turkish grand prix saw Ferrari well and truly in the mix for the first time this season and after a difficult season Seb Vettel has said that he is finally comfortable with the 2020 Ferrari. Bahrain will be a good measure to see whether Ferrari’s pace in Turkey was a flash in a pan or a genuine uptick in overall pace.
