Bahrain International Circuit, Formula One racing circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport racing track in Sakhir, Bahrain, measuring 5412 meters in length. The facility offers five different track configurations that can be used for different racing series.
Construction was a national objective pushed by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, with the track designed by Hermann Tilke at a cost of about US$150 million. Organisers feared it would not be finished for the 2004 race and asked Bernie Ecclestone to postpone it; he refused, and the first Bahrain Grand Prix ran on 4 April 2004 as the first Formula One race in the Middle East. The 2011 race was cancelled amid civil unrest, and in 2014 the first corner was named after Michael Schumacher.
The first corner was named after Michael Schumacher in early 2014, after his skiing accident, in honour of his seven titles. The Bahrain Grand Prix has been held at night since 2014, when the tenth edition at the circuit was run under floodlights. In 2020 the venue staged two rounds, the Bahrain and Sakhir Grands Prix, the latter on the Outer Circuit layout.
The circuit lies in the desert zone of Sakhir, about 31 km from Manama, and has six separate tracks, including a test oval and a drag strip. The main layout runs 5.412 km, with the first corner named after Michael Schumacher. The track surface uses graywacke aggregate shipped from Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire, England.
The track surface uses graywacke aggregate shipped from Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire, England, praised by drivers for its grip; the same material is used at Yas Marina. To keep desert sand off the asphalt, organisers sprayed an adhesive on the surrounding sand.
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