Pre-race Statistics of the Bahrain GP

The Bahrain GP, the one week of the year that the media seem to mention or care about the protests in the country. Anyway, the Bahrain GP takes place at the incredibly well named Bahrain International Circuit. So far eight races have been held at the circuit with four being won from pole and just one from second, Felipe Massa at the 2008 Bahrain GP.

The Bahrain International Circuit is 5.412km long with 15 corners. The race is 57 laps and 308.484km long. Five drivers have won in Bahrain but just two have won multiple times, Felipe Massa in 2007 & 2008 and Fernando Alonso in 2005, 2006 & 2010. Unsurprisingly this means that Ferrari are the most successful team at the Bahrain GP with wins in 2004, 2007, 2008 & 2010.

Mark Webber should be starting his 200^th race in Bahrain, his 100^th start came at the 2007 Belgian GP, won by Räikkönen from pole ahead of Massa and Alonso. If Webber wins the race it will be his 10^th race win, the Bahrain GP could also be Button’s 50^th podium or Alonso’s 20^th fastest lap.

The fastest race lap at the Bahrain International Circuit was set by Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2004, a car that has set the lap record at SEVEN of the circuits on the 2013 calendar and finished on the podium in every single race in 2004. The record is a time of 1:30.252 with an average speed of 216kph or 134mph.

The Silly Stats

Camel racing is a popular sport in Bahrain, the camels can get up to 40mph in short stints and 25mph for an hour. One of these camels could run the Bahrain GP track in 8:07.080, complete with robot jockey (no really, look it up).

Bahrain is also the home of many golden jackals, which are around 105cm in length head to tail. You could line up 5,154 of them around the Bahrain International Circuit.

For some more stats on the Bahrain GP see my mini-stat page