Bahrain’s range of corners and straights makes it ideal for pre-season testing, as our Test and Reserve Driver Fred Vesti explains.
“Bahrain is a key track for car development. It serves as our baseline for car improvements,” he says.
“It's also a great racetrack. It usually makes for a good spectacle. The surface in Bahrain is very rough, and the temperature is usually very high, so the tyres are really under pressure.
“Tyre management and a good balance in the car is really important for a good race in Sakhir.”
Duel in the Desert and More
The track has provided our team with many good memories. Mercedes has triumphed six times in Bahrain – five times with Lewis Hamilton, and once with Nico Rosberg. Only Ferrari have stood on the top step of the podium more.
In 2014, Nico and Lewis produced one of the most unforgettable duels of the hybrid era under the lights, scrapping for the same piece of tarmac lap after lap in the desert, with the rest of the field far behind.
George also made his debut for the Silver Arrows in Bahrain, when he stepped in for Lewis in 2020. That night, the race was run around the shorter outer loop layout and was called the Sakhir Grand Prix.
Mercedes-Benz as an engine supplier has won seven times in Bahrain, and all have come from cars built in Brackley. In addition to Lewis and Nico, Jenson Button triumphed for Brawn GP in 2009.
