Bahrain Grand Prix

Hermann Tilke drew up a 5.412-kilometre layout across flat Sakhir desert, with groundwork beginning in December 2002 some 30 kilometres south of Manama.

Ground was broken in December 2002 on a patch of flat desert 30 kilometres south of Manama. Hermann Tilke, F1's go-to circuit architect, designed a 5.412-kilometre layout threading through the barren landscape. The project was part of Bahrain's broader ambition to position itself as a hub for international sport and tourism in the Gulf region.

Schumacher led every single lap on the day the Middle East first welcomed Formula 1.

The Bahrain International Circuit opened on 17 March 2004, and the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix followed on 4 April. It was the first Formula 1 race ever held in the Middle East. Michael Schumacher won from pole position for Ferrari, leading every lap in dominant fashion. The race was the third round of the 2004 season and drew global attention to Bahrain as a serious motorsport destination.

Alonso claimed victory here in 2005, a crucial result on his road to a maiden drivers' title with Renault.

From 2005, the circuit settled on its Grand Prix layout, a slightly revised version of the track used in the inaugural race. Fernando Alonso won the 2005 edition for Renault, part of his charge towards a first World Championship. The race quickly established itself on the calendar, with the desert setting and modern facilities earning praise from teams and drivers alike.

A longer circuit was meant to spark battles on track; instead, Bahrain 2010 delivered a procession.

The 2010 season opened in Bahrain with a one-off extended "Endurance" layout stretching to 6.299 kilometres. The longer track was intended to create more overtaking opportunities, but the race proved processional and the experiment was not repeated. Fernando Alonso won for Ferrari. The race returned to the standard Grand Prix layout the following year.

For the first time since the race began, Bahrain fell silent on Grand Prix weekend.

The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 13 March as the season opener, was postponed and ultimately cancelled due to the Bahraini uprising and widespread civil unrest. It was the first time a Bahrain Grand Prix had not taken place since the race's inception. The FIA initially attempted to reschedule the race later in the season but abandoned those plans amid continued instability and safety concerns.

Floodlights, feuding teammates, and a wheel-to-wheel battle that settled the night format for good.

The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix, held on 6 April, was the first to be run under floodlights as a twilight race. The result was spectacular. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes teammates and childhood friends turned fierce rivals, fought wheel-to-wheel for the victory in what many regard as one of the finest races of the hybrid era. Hamilton prevailed, and the night format became a permanent fixture, transforming the visual identity of the occasion.

Twenty-seven seconds trapped in burning wreckage; the halo turned a likely fatality into a remarkable escape.

On 29 November 2020, the Bahrain Grand Prix produced one of the most harrowing moments in modern F1 history. On the opening lap, Romain Grosjean's Haas car struck a barrier at high speed, split in two, and erupted into a fireball. Grosjean was trapped for 27 seconds before extracting himself from the burning wreckage, escaping with burns to his hands but otherwise intact. The halo safety device, introduced in 2018, was widely credited with saving his life. Lewis Hamilton won the restarted race.

Piastri took pole and victory in Bahrain's 21st Grand Prix, with Russell splitting the top two constructors on the podium.

The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, held on 13 April as the fourth round of the season, was won by Oscar Piastri for McLaren. George Russell finished second for Mercedes, with Piastri taking pole position with a time of 1:29.841. It was the 21st running of the occasion. However, it was confirmed that the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix would not take place, marking a pause in the race's presence on the calendar.