The 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season continues this weekend with the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the 5.412-kilometer (3.363-mile) Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Twenty cars are entered, including three former race winners: Sebastien Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Here’s a look at some interesting statistics and tidbits heading into race day.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Track/Event (Overall)
- This is the 14th running of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher won the inaugural race in 2004.
- In total, seven drivers have won at least one Bahrain Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
- Germans have won the Bahrain Grand Prix five times, followed by the United Kingdom (three); Spain (three); and Brazil (two).
Bahrain Grand Prix – As Part of the Formula 1 World Championship
- This weekend’s race marks the 14th Bahrain Grand Prix as part of the Formula 1 World Championship. Michael Schumacher won the inaugural race in 2004.
- This is the second time, and first since 2016, that the Bahrain Grand Prix serves as the second race of an F1 season. Traditionally, the Bahrain Grand Prix has served anywhere from the first (2006 and 2010) to fifth race of a Formula 1 World Championship season.
- The Bahrain Grand Prix has served as a good indicator of those who will compete for the season championship. In 13 previous runnings, the winner of the Bahrain Grand Prix has gone on to win the championship nine times: Michael Schumacher (2004), Fernando Alonso (2005, 2006), Jenson Button (2009), Sebastien Vettel (2012, 2013), Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2015) and Nico Rosberg (2016). Lewis Hamilton broke the streak last year, winning the championship despite not winning at Bahrain (finished second).
- The winner of the Bahrain Grand Prix has won from the pole position five times, the front row nine times and the front two rows every time. Fernando Alonso (2006) and Jenson Button (2009) each started fourth – the worst starting position for a race winner.
- The record for most drivers to lead a lap in the Bahrain Grand Prix was five in 2009: Jenson Button (winner), Sebastien Vettel, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen and Timo Glock (second and final career race Glock led). No driver has ever led every lap of a race, though only two have on four occasions.
- The average number of leaders per race in the Bahrain Grand Prix is three (3.0).
- Nico Rosberg set the record for most laps led in a Bahrain Grand Prix: 56 of the 57 in the 2016 race. The only lap he failed to lead was Lap 40, after he pitted and gave the top spot to teammate Lewis Hamilton.
- Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have each led five of the 13 Bahrain Grand Prix, to lead all drivers. Vettel leads all drivers in laps led at the Bahrain Grand Prix with 181, followed by Hamilton’s 116.
- Overall, a total of 18 drivers have led at least one lap in the Bahrain Grand Prix. All four of Paul di Resta’s career laps led (one in 2012, three in 2013) have come in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
- Fernando Alonso led the fewest laps of a race winner (16) in 2010. Sebastian Vettel led the most laps of a driver that did not win the race, also in 2010 (finished fourth).
- Michael Schumacher’s win in 2004 came at a record race pace of 209.143 kph (129.955 mph). Five of the 13 races have averaged more than 200 kph.
- Eleven of the 13 Bahrain Grand Prix have been won by the driver who led the most laps. The two exceptions were two of Fernando Alonso’s victories, in 2006 and 2010 (Michael Schumacher led the most laps in 2006 and Sebastian Vettel led the most laps in 2010).
Bahrain Grand Prix – Drivers/Manufacturers
- Jenson Button is the only driver to win his only F1 title and only Bahrain Grand Prix in the same season.
- No driver has ever scored their only career F1 victory in Bahrain.
- Felipe Massa is the only Bahrain Grand Prix winner not to win an F1 title (won the race in 2007 and 2008).
- Four drivers have won the Bahrain Grand Prix in successive seasons. Lewis Hamilton was the last to do so in 2014 and 2015. Nico Rosberg is the last driver not to do so, in 2016 (retired at the end of the 2016 season).
- Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas were the three drivers that led laps in the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix. None of the three drivers led laps in the 2016 race.
- Fernando Alonso holds the record for largest margin of victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix at 16.099 seconds, over Felipe Massa.
- Lewis Hamilton won the 2014 race by only 1.085 seconds, the closest margin of victory, over teammate Nico Rosberg.
- Ferrari holds the record for most victories for an engine at Bahrain: five. Mercedes and Renault each have four.
Bahrain Grand Prix – 2018 Entry List
- Three former race winners are entered in this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso (2005, 2006 and 2010); Sebastian Vettel (2012, 2013 and 2017); and Lewis Hamilton (2014 and 2015).
- Fourteen countries/nationalities are represented in this weekend’s race: France (4), Germany (2), Spain (2), Finland (2), Great Britain (1), Australia (1), Netherlands (1), Mexico (1), Canada (1), Russia (1), New Zealand (1), Denmark (1), Belgium (1) and Sweden (1).
- KimI Raikkonen is the oldest driver entered at 38 years, five months and 22 days (as of race day). Lance Stroll is the youngest driver entered at 19 years, five months and 10 days (as of race day).
Formula 1 Random Statistics – Current Drivers
- Lewis Hamilton is the last driver to win back-to-back races in Formula 1 competition, when he won the Japanese Grand Prix and United States Grand Prix last October. Valtteri Bottas is the most recent winner of a grand prix, winning last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
- The Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport team is the only team to lead laps in each of the last three F1 grand prix.
- Max Verstappen is the last driver to lead every lap of an F1 grand prix, doing so in the 2017 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Post-Qualifying Stats
- Sebastian Vettel scored his 51st career pole position Saturday. It was his first of the season and third at Bahrain (also was on pole in 2010 and 2012).
- Vettel is joined on the front row by Kimi Raikkonen. This marks the first time Ferrari has swept the front row since the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, in the same order. Vettel went on to win the race while Raikkonen was second.
- Lewis Hamilton incurred a five-grid penalty and will start ninth. The last time Hamilton started ninth was the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix; he went on to finish second.
- Pierre Gasly earned fifth in only his seventh start. It marks his first career top-10 start.
Upcoming Milestones
- Valtteri Bottas is two races away from 100 Formula 1 grand prix.
- Sebastien Vettel is one race away from 200 Formula 1 grand prix and two victories from 50.
- Fernando Alonso is eight races away from 300 Formula 1 grand prix.
- Lewis Hamilton is two pole positions away from 75 in his career.
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