Bahrain International Circuit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bahrain International Circuit

Location	Sakhir, Bahrain
Time zone	GMT +3
Major events	FIA Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix GP2, GP2 Asia, V8 Supercars, F3, GT Festival, Drag racing
Grand Prix Circuit
Length	5.4086 km (3.3596 mi)
Turns	15
Race lap record	1:30.252 ( Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, Formula One)
Endurance Circuit
Length	6.2967 km (3.9126 mi)
Turns	24
Race lap record	1:58.287 ( Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 2010, Formula One)

The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) is a special track in Bahrain where exciting car races happen. It first opened in 2004. The most famous race held here is the Bahrain Grand Prix.

In 2004, this race became the first Formula One Grand Prix ever held in the Middle East. Since then, many other cool races have taken place at the BIC, like the Australian V8 Supercar series and long 24-hour endurance races.

History of the Track

Building this race track was a very important project for Bahrain. The idea came from the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. He is also the special President of the Bahrain Motor Federation, which helps organize car races.

In 2007, the track received a big award from the FIA. This award, called the "Centre of Excellence," recognized the circuit for its excellent safety and medical facilities. It means the track is super safe for drivers and has great medical help if needed.

How the Track Was Built

A famous German architect named Hermann Tilke designed the Bahrain International Circuit. He has also designed other well-known race tracks around the world. Building the track cost about US $150 million.

One interesting thing about this track is that it's in the middle of a desert! People worried that sand would blow onto the track and make racing difficult. To solve this, organizers sprayed a special sticky liquid (like glue) on the sand around the track. This kept the sand from blowing onto the racing surface.

The track's surface itself is designed to have a lot of "grip." This helps the race cars stick to the road and go faster around corners. The same type of surface is used at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Different Track Layouts

The Bahrain International Circuit is very flexible. It can be set up in six different ways for various types of races. This includes a special oval track for testing and a straight "drag strip" for speed races.

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  "Endurance Circuit" used for Formula One in 2010.

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  A flat oval track.

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  "Grand Prix Circuit" used for Formula One from 2004-2009, and again since 2011.

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  "Inner Circuit"

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  "Outer Circuit"

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  "Paddock Circuit"

Track Distances

Here are the lengths of the different track layouts:

What Races Are Held Here?

The Bahrain International Circuit hosts many exciting races. These include the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Australian V8 Supercar Championship, and the GP2 Series. Other races like GP2 Asia, Chevrolet Lumina Series, and Speedcar Series also take place here.

In the past, the track has hosted the FIA GT Championship. It also held a special race called the Bahrain Superprix for Formula Three cars. The first-ever Formula BMW World Final was also held in Bahrain. Every year, there's also a 24 Hours of Bahrain race, which is a very long endurance challenge.

The Bahrain Grand Prix

The very first Bahrain Grand Prix happened on April 4, 2004. This was a big moment because it was the first time a Formula One Grand Prix was held in the Middle East. Many other countries in the region, like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, also wanted to host this famous race.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is usually the third race on the Formula One calendar. In 2006, it was moved to be the first race of the season. This happened because the Australian Grand Prix (which is usually first) changed its date to avoid clashing with the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2009, Bahrain became the fourth race. Then, in 2010, it was the very first race of the season again! For that year, the Formula One cars raced on the longer "Endurance Circuit," which is about 6.299 kilometers long.

Since 2011, Formula One races at Bahrain have returned to the original track layout. This is the same layout that was used for the first race in 2004.

Images for kids

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  Satellite view of the circuit as it appeared in November 2017

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  The Bahrain International Circuit in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Circuito Internacional de Baréin para niños