F1 Bahrain Grand Prix | Ferrari relaunches the world challenge in the Sakhir desert

Two men in dishdasha, the traditional Arab costume, kneeling in the dust, activate the detonator of an explosive charge. The history of the Bahrain International Circuit begins like this. When you say desert everyone thinks of sand, but in the small island kingdom overlooking the Persian Gulf the landscape is predominantly rocky e the explosive was used to open the way to build the route. The Grand Prix has been on the calendar permanently since 2004, except for the 2011 edition which was canceled due to internal unrest. Sometimes it has opened the season, this time it inaugurates the first "back to back" away match of the very long 2018 championship. Two consecutive races (after Sakhir we fly to Shanghai) which constitute an additional commitment for the racing team and logistical support. The avant-gardes of Scuderia Ferrari arrived in the Gulf already over the weekend Easter.

The Sakhir airstrip is not far from the capital Manama (and after all the island is just over 50 km long), you can get there by taking the motorway and then very wide avenues lined with flags. The track is also very wide, in some places more than twenty metres, to encourage crossing paths. The circuit design is quite complete in terms of type of corners, but in general characterized by strong braking. In 2010, the long 6,3 kilometer track was used, which was not particularly appreciated by the drivers. But the distinctive sign, in addition to the large glass conical tower, they are the spotlights that illuminate the asphalt for qualifying and the race, since the GP became night-time in 2014. The city does not have the glitz of the capitals of the Emirates, but it still experiences the contrast between the old market district and the modern business buildings. As for the climate, we don't expect an entirely sunny weekend, even if maximum temperatures should remain above 30 degrees. And don't think that in the desert on the Gulf it never rains: it also happened on the Sunday of the first edition...