Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, is all set to have plenty of firsts at this weekend’s (Friday to Sunday, December 4 to 6) Formula 1 Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix.
It will be the first time that the BIC will host back-to-back F1 races, having successfully hosted the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
The event will also be the first time BIC’s 3.543-kilometre Outer Circuit will be used for a competitive race, posing a first-time challenge for the drivers and an all-new spectacle for motorsport fans around the world to enjoy for the first time.
Furthermore, the Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix is set to feature a total of 87 laps, putting it first on the highest number of laps list from all races in the 2020 F1 season.
The weekend’s events follow the captivating F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 held last Sunday at BIC. The focus now shifts towards delivering another amazing race, which will mark the 16th and penultimate round of this year’s FIA F1 World Championship.
The Outer Circuit features contrasting characteristics to BIC’s GP Track layout, which was used for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, with qualifying lap times predicted to be under 55 seconds and race laps expected to be below 60 seconds.
All of this weekend’s F1 sessions are set to take place under BIC’s bright floodlights, having been scheduled amongst the latest start times of the season.
Friday’s F1 action will feature two 90-minute Practices, slated for 4.30pm and 8.30pm, respectively. A 60-minute F1 Practice follows on Saturday at 5pm, which will then lead up to Qualifying at 8pm.
That will set the grid for the Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix mega event, scheduled for an 8.10pm start time on Sunday night, which is three hours later than the start time of last weekend’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
BIC will once again be welcoming Bahrain’s heroes for this weekend’s race. The circuit has invited a second group of the Kingdom’s frontline health workers, first responders and their immediately family members to enjoy the F1 action, in line with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The initiative is in appreciation of health workers’ tireless efforts and sacrifices in Bahrain’s national response to COVID-19, and it is being held under the theme “#ThankYou_OurHeroes”.
Supporting F1 once again all throughout the race weekend at BIC will be the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East.
F2 will be staging its final round of the season, and the series’ 2020 drivers’ and teams’ champions will emerge in the desert. For the Porsche Sprint Challenge, it will hold the second round of its 2020/2021 campaign, following up on last weekend’s exciting curtain-raiser.
The F1 Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix weekend will be taking place with all precautionary guidelines in place issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and the Ministry of Health, as well as those set by the FIA.
BNA News
