Bahrain 2010 - Race information - Previewing the first stop on the brand new F1 calendar
Published by Mr. C
Formula One has returned! We are gearing up for the first race of the season and by all accounts, it's going to be a spectacular one. Although Bahrain has a lot to live up to, replacing Australia as the season opener, there is so much going on, it's bound to be a fantastic weekend.
The weather
The long range forecast for the weekend suggests there will be nothing but sunshine for F1 to look forward too. Saturday might see a little cloud, but nothing that should make a difference to the action and the high appears consistent for both Saturday and Sunday.
The circuit
This year, the Bahrain circuit sees the first major change to its layout since it began hosting F1 races in 2004. The track has been extended by nine corners and the number of laps reduced accordingly.
| Location | Sakhir |
| Timezone | GMT +3 |
| First Race | 2004 |
| Total Grand Prix | 6 |
| Laps | 49 |
| Length | 6.299 km |
| Pole Position | 1m 30.139s | Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) | 2004 |
| Fastest Lap | 1m 30.252s | Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) | 2004 |
| Race Time | 1hr 28m 34.875s | Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) | 2004 |
Event schedule
An F1 weekend comprises of events spanning three days. Action begins on Friday and ends on Sunday.
| Day | Session | Start Time (GMT) | Start Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | Free Practice 1 | 07:00 | 10:00 |
| Free Practice 2 | 11:00 | 14:00 | |
| Saturday | Free Practice 3 | 08:00 | 11:00 |
| Qualifying | 11:00 | 14:00 | |
| Sunday | Drivers Parade | 10:30 | 13:30 |
| The Race | 12:00 | 15:00 |
Support races for this event include GP2 Asia and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Press conference schedule
Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend.
| Day | Time (GMT) | Time (Local) | Attendees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 12:00 | 15:00 | Fernando Alonso |
| Jenson Button | |||
| Lewis Hamilton | |||
| Felipe Massa | |||
| Michael Schumacher | |||
| Friday | 13:00 | 16:00 | Lucas Di Grassi |
| Nico Hülkenberg | |||
| Heikki Kovalainen | |||
| Robert Kubica | |||
| Sebastian Vettel | |||
| Saturday | Post qualifying | Three fastest drivers | |
| Sunday | Post race | First three finishing drivers |
The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.
Podcast schedule
Sidepodcast provides comprehensive coverage of every Grand Prix weekend with free audio podcasts.
| Day | Show | Release Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | F1 Digest Preview | 21:00 |
| F1 Minute | 21:00 | |
| Thursday | F1 Minute | 21:00 |
| Friday | F1 Minute | 21:00 |
| Saturday | F1 Minute | 21:00 |
| F1 Digest | 21:00 | |
| Sunday | F1 Minute | 21:00 |
| Monday | F1 Digest | 21:00 |
| F1 Minute | 21:00 | |
| F1 Debrief | 21:00 |
Following live
A thread will be created on Sidepodcast.com for every session and every thread is live enabled, meaning you can follow along and contribute to the conversation without refreshing the page.
Additionally, for every session this weekend we'll be providing up-to-the-minute F1 information via the all new Factbyte Factbox.
