Contrary to previous proposals, the latest design would not take the circuit through the DHL Stadium itself but run alongside it, using the venue for the paddock, media centre and hospitality areas.
I am so torn between the 2 venues.
On the one hand Kyalami can have a lasting impact on SA Motorsport by getting upgraded for F1.
On the other hand I dont care where it is held as long as it comes to SA!
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2025 Bahrain Grand Prix 
Bahrain International Circuit | Sakhir | Bahrain
11-13 April | Grand Prix 4/24
Round 4 and the meat in this seasons’ first triple-header happens under the lights in Bahrain. After Max made it three different winners in the first three races of the year, can we hope for a fourth different winner this weekend? Max and the Macca pair will again be the cars to beat (despite McLaren never having won at Bahrain), but Ferrari will have a new floor to run in the desert, and the Merc drivers will be wanting to have the silver star back on the podium again - ideally on the center step.
Bahrain is the ideal venue for all the teams to maximise their points gathering efforts - all of the drivers have driven the circuit just a few weeks back in Pre-Season Testing. And all of them, including the rookies, have all raced at the circuit in previous years in various series.
The Vital Statistics
- First Grand Prix – 2004
- Track Length – 5.412km
- Lap record – 1m 31.447s, Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren MP4-20, 2005
- Most pole positions – Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen (3)
- Most wins – Lewis Hamilton (5)
- Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 353 metres
- Overtakes completed in 2024 – 66
- Safety Car probability – 63%*
- Virtual Safety Car probability – 50%*
- Pit stop time loss – 22.9 seconds (including 2.5s stationary)
- Trivia – Turn 1, ‘Michael Schumacher’, is the only corner on the circuit with a name
* From the last eight events in Bahrain
Last five Bahrain GP polesitters
- 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Last five Bahrain GP winners
- 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
The Schedule
Yay for reasonable race times this week. Free up 5-7 each of the next three evenings and you’ll be aces!
The Circuit
When was the track built?
Ground was broken for the Bahrain International Circuit in December 2002. Like the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the developers had a blank, sandy canvas to work with, and with that fashioned the technical, 5.4km track designed by Hermann Tilke.
When was its first Grand Prix?
It was 2004 when the drivers first lined up under an unusually cloudy sky for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was dominated (like many in 2004) by the two Ferraris, with Michael Schumacher winning out from Rubens Barrichello, while the crowds were also treated to a fantastic dog-fight between the Jaguar of Mark Webber and the Renault of Fernando Alonso.
What’s the circuit like?
You can usually expect great racing and decent amounts of overtaking in Bahrain, while the drivers have to contend with wind, racing under floodlights and the difficulty of finding a decent set-up with the wide temperature fluctuations between sessions. The track’s most challenging point is the tight, downhill, off-camber Turn 10 left-hander, while the fast run through Turn 12 is another highlight, allowing the racers to really feel their cars coming alive.
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver:
The most challenging part of the Bahrain track is probably braking into Turn 10 because you’re approaching it with a fair amount of speed from the Turn 8 hairpin and through the Turn 9 kink, and you unload the front-left tyre as you’re turning left. It’s easy to lock up, we’ve seen that so many times.
Turn 11 is also crucial because it’s fast; it can be quite wind-affected there as well, the gust can pick up, and you’re going through a long radius, so getting the balance right I think is particularly tricky.
If you’re pushing with understeer you can’t get on the throttle; if you’re fighting oversteer, it’s difficult because you’re attacking with a lot of speed and then you’re overheating the rear tyres through the high-speed afterwards as well.
Overtaking opportunities are clear here: into Turn 1 and Turn 4, where the two DRS zones end. But there is another challenge in the transition from day to night. The track comes alive at night, the car works so much better – and one Qualifying lap under the lights feels amazing.
The Weather
Hot. Very hot.
Friday: FP1 and FP2
- Very hot, but northerly wind peaking up to 20-30kph. Some uncertainties regarding the temperature level.
- FP1: 33-35°C | FP2: 29-30°C
- Chance of rain: 0%
Saturday: FP3 and Qualifying
- Sunny and hot. A light Northerly wind slightly increasing for FP3.
- FP3: 32°C | Q: 28-29°C
- Chance of rain: 0%
Sunday: Race
- Similar to Saturday with hot air temperatures. Northerly wind during the day decreasing for the race.
- Race Start: 27-28°C
- Chance of rain: 0%
The Tyres
Temperature will be a very important variable when it comes to tyre management at the fourth race of the year. As was the case in Suzuka, the teams will have a choice of the three hardest compounds in Pirelli’s 2025 range. However, the Sakhir track characteristics and indeed the temperatures, will require a different approach to that adopted last week in Japan.
All the teams will have a good baseline from which to start work, given that in the last week of February, the Sakhir circuit hosted the only pre-season test as per the 2025 sporting regulations. It means that everyone will have plenty of data to work with when it comes to setting up the cars and choosing the best strategies for Qualifying and the race.
However, this weekend’s temperatures will present a new challenge, because during the test week, Sakhir saw unusual weather with strong winds leading to much cooler air and track temperatures than is normal at that time of year.
Although a two-stop strategy is often employed in Bahrain, based on what we have seen in winter testing and over the opening three rounds, it could be a different scenario because of modifications made to the compounds for 2025.
The Digital Race Programme
It’s back! And it’s all new! And redesigned to work better on more platforms, including desktop and tablets.
Check out the all-new digital race programme for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025, with everything you need to know about the Sakhir weekend, whether you are attending in person or tuning in from afar.
Race on!
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Stefano Domenicali exclusive: Africa not on hold, but plans “not there yet”
I hope no one was holding their breath waiting for “Promises” Mackenzie…
Plans, however, are understood to be in their infancy. Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Domenicali was asked if F1’s desire to get a race in Africa was on hold – a standpoint he didn’t necessarily agree with.
“That’s not the right word," Domenicali said. "Before taking that step, we need guarantees on three fronts: investment that benefits the community beyond F1’s presence, infrastructure (not just a circuit, but hotels, roads, airports), and an economic base that can support the event long-term.
"We’re not on standby – we’re working to assess what’s still missing before we can say, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ But we’re not there yet.”
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2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 
Jeddah Corniche Circuit | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia
18-20 April | Round 5
Under the floodlights of Jeddah’s lightning-fast Corniche Circuit, Formula 1 returns to Saudi Arabia for the fifth time this weekend. It’s the third round of the season’s first triple-header, and it’s looking to be another scorching hot weekend down Jeddah way.
A bunch of teams have upgrades scheduled to arrive, including big packages for Red Bull and Ferrari. Max may be looking to return to form after a disappointing Bahrain GP last weekend. Charles will be focussed on improving his string of P4s into a first podium finish for this season. And Lando will be wanting to take back his dominant position in the McLaren garage, while his Aussie teammate will be out to add a third win to the two he already has.
The Vital Statistics
- First Grand Prix – 2021
- Track Length – 6.174km
- Lap record – 1m 30.734s, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2021
- Most pole positions – Sergio Perez (2)
- Most wins – Max Verstappen (2)
- Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 168 metres
- Overtakes completed in 2024 – 52
- Safety Car probability – 100%
- Virtual Safety Car probability – 50%
- Pit stop time loss – 19.2 seconds (including 2.5s stationary)
- Trivia – Jeddah has more corners than any other circuit on the F1 calendar (27)
Previous Saudi Arabian GP polesitters
- 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2023 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Saudi Arabian GP winners
- 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2023 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
The Schedule
Only two times that we need to remember for this weekend: 15:30 and 19:00. The half past three starts are for both FP1 and FP3, and the seven in the evening start time is for everything else - FP2, Qualifying, and the Race Start.
The Circuit
When was the track built?
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is, you won’t be surprised to hear, a temporary street circuit (albeit adorned with some permanent sections), located on the Corniche – a 30km coastal resort area of the ancient Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. Designed by the Tilke company, in conjunction with Formula 1’s own Motorsports team – who used Google Earth for their initial investigations into potential layouts – the aim was a fast, sweeping circuit that really challenges the drivers.
When was its first Grand Prix?
The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place in 2021, the race joining its Middle Eastern counterparts in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi – while like those races, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix also takes place under floodlights.
What’s the circuit like?
Fast. Very fast. Average speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are around 250km/h – quicker than those at Silverstone, and second on the calendar only to Monza – aka ‘The Temple of Speed’. It is, quite simply, the fastest street circuit ever seen in Formula 1 – while the track also features the most corners on the calendar with 27, many of them quick, sinuous bends as the drivers wend their way along the Jeddah waterfront.
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault F1 driverThis is one of the longer laps, and there are a lot of corners on paper, but a lot of them are high-speed kinks.
The corner that looks the most challenging here, I think, is Turn 10 - we’ve seen some drama when Mick Schumacher crashed in Qualifying in 2022 - because you’re coming through at the end of a really fast sequence, through the end of the first sector, and carrying a lot of speed.
It’s hard to see in and out of corners because it’s a fast street circuit, and the kerbs are quite raised as well, so if you go a little bit wide you can break traction, lose the car and, as we saw, the walls are very close.
It’s particularly punishing. I think the end of the first sector is the bit that’s the most heart-in-mouth at Jeddah. Also, Turn 22, you’re arcing through the right-hander and picking a line through the left - it’s very fast. A small misstep can have quite punishing consequences.
Verstappen made a mistake at the final corner in 2021 but, actually, it is one of the more routine ones. And, since Max made a mistake, the eyeline into it has changed as well, while a lot of the entries were changed for 2023 to improve visibility into corners.
For overtaking, there’s no problem with three DRS zones. The final corner, or duking it out into Turn 1, are drivers’ best bets. Drivers will also have to keep an eye out for slower cars throughout the weekend as it’s easy to trip up on traffic.
The Weather
Hot. Very. 30°C at race start on Sunday. Pretty high on the humidity scale at 55% as well. Similar to last year, expect post race scenes of exhausted, super sweaty drivers, and lots of water drinking.
Friday: FP1 and FP2
Fully sunny. Light northwesterly wind with gusts up to 30 kph, decreasing for FP2.
FP1: 31°C | FP2: 29°C
Chance of rain: 0%
Saturday: FP3 and QUALIFYING
Sunny and hotter than previous days. Gentle northwesterly breeze with a peak in the middle afternoon. Gusts up to 30 kph. Decreasing by the evening.
FP3: 32°C | Q: 31°C
Chance of rain: 0%
Sunday: RACE
Same conditions as Saturday. Hot, dry and northwesterly breeze with gusts up to 35 kph during the day, decreasing for the race.
Race start: 31°C
Chance of rain: 0%
The Tyres
The choice of compounds for the first four races of this season were the same as last year’s, but for round five, Pirelli has taken a softer step, with the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft being the trio available in Jeddah. This is in line with the aim, shared with the FIA, F1 and the teams, to create more strategy choices for the race and therefore more exciting and unpredictable racing. In the four previous editions of this Grand Prix, the one-stop has always dominated, both in terms of its effectiveness and team preference, even when a Safety Car mixed things up a bit more.
In 2024 only Bottas opted to pit twice, all the others going for the one-stop, with the vast majority starting on the C3 (Medium), switching to the C2 (Hard) for the second stint. Bearman in the Ferrari and Bottas in the Sauber were the only drivers to try and make the most of the extra grip available from starting on the C4 (Soft), while three (Norris in the McLaren, Hamilton in the Mercedes and Zhou in the Sauber) lengthened their first stint as much as possible on the Medium before switching to the Soft, proving that it too was a viable race tyre.
The track is 6.174 kilometres long and one of the fastest of the season with drivers spending around 80% of the lap with the accelerator buried to the floor, even though it is fairly twisty and boasts a record number of corners, 27 in fact, with 16 to the left and 11 to the right. Many of them are taken at medium or high speed. Although there are three DRS zones, overtaking is not that straightforward due to the lack of any heavy braking points.
The track surface is not very abrasive, with an average level of roughness, but the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are considerable, although not at the level to be found at Suzuka or Barcelona for example. Graining can put in an appearance, especially in the first free practice sessions as the track is very dirty to start with, because it is rarely used for motor racing. However, with several support categories also racing, track condition improves over the course of the weekend, so that this phenomenon diminishes. However, with a softer trio of compounds this year, it will be interesting to see what effect that has.
The Programme
Discover the big talking points in the paddock, the vital stats for the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, what’s going on in the F1 Fanzone, plus what to eat, see and do when visiting this amazing city.
Plus the lowdown on all 20 drivers and their teams, and numerous in-depth features – including a look back at ‘one of the most gripping races in F1 history’, how the F1 movie filmed its thrilling car sequences and Sebastian Vettel on his Race4Women event in Saudi Arabia.
Zoom, zoom!
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The Seat
Netflix | 5 May
“The Seat” showcases the once-in-a-generation decision to promote Kimi Antonelli to a Formula 1 Driver, making him the third-youngest rookie in the sport’s history. Witness the private WhatsApp calls and chats that led to the shocking shift within Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.
Damn Lewis is a bigger geek than I thought 
Obviously Charles and most of the younger gen are all giant nerds(but these days its cool so kinda expected lol)
Also Lewis turning every page around to face the camera 
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Cadillac F1 coming with an announcement on Saturday during the Miami GP weekend.
Celebrity plane spotters picked up that Sergio Perez’ private jet landed in Miami yesterday. Coincidence? I think not! Checo’s coming back!
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2025 Miami Grand Prix 
Miami International Autodrome | Miami Gardens | Florida | USA
02-04 May | Round 6 | Sprint 2
And just like that, we’re at the quarter point of the season already. 
It’s a Sprint Weekend, Oscar is leading the championship, Max is becoming a father, Lando - wearing a (admittedly pretty awesome) disco ball helmet - will be desperate to replicate his maiden win here from last year, a bunch of cars and teams are running special liveries and team wear, and Cadillac are making announcements about 2025. It’s going to be a hectic Miami weekend.
The Vital Stats
- First Grand Prix – 2022
- Track Length – 5.412km
- Lap record – 1m 29.708s, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 2023
- Most pole positions – Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen (1)
- Most wins – Max Verstappen (2)
- Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 170 metres
- Overtakes completed in 2024 – 93
- Safety Car probability – 67%
- Virtual Safety Car probability – 67%
- Pit stop time loss – 19.9 seconds (including 2.5s stationary)
- Trivia – The circuit is set in the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, home to the NFL’s famous Miami Dolphins franchise
Miami GP polesitters
- 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2023 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Miami GP winners
- 2024 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
The Schedule
Day time USA = Night time SA. Basically. Late night Sunday means those who stay up for the main event may have to hide their yawns on Monday.
The Circuit
When was the track built?
Having made its F1 debut in May 2022, the Miami International Autodrome is a temporary circuit, but one designed to have a permanent feel. Set in the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, home to the NFL’s famous Miami Dolphins franchise, the track is the culmination of a development process that simulated no less than 36 different layouts before settling on a thrilling, 19-turn lap that provides a street circuit vibe, not dissimilar to Melbourne’s Albert Park.
When was its first Grand Prix?
The inaugural Miami Grand Prix took place in 2022, the Florida race joining its Texan counterpart in Austin to become the second US race on the calendar – and the 11th different American venue to host a round of the Formula 1 world championship.
What’s the circuit like?
A street-track spectacular. With the Hard Rock Stadium at its epicentre, the 5.41km layout features 19 corners, three straights, three DRS zones, and top speeds of over 350km/h. There are elevation changes too, the main one found between Turns 13 and 16, with the track heading over an exit ramp and under various flyovers across uneven ground. The Turn 14-15 chicane, meanwhile, has an uphill approach, with a crest in the middle, and then drops down on exit.
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver:
Miami is a bit of a mix of a couple of big braking events, which you get on a lot of modern circuits.
That’s Turn 11 and Turn 17, at the end of really long straights, so you’ve got to be good on the brakes. They’re obviously overtaking opportunities but also areas to make mistakes and lock up and blow a lap.
The first sector is a fast, sweeping set of corners through S-Bends and you’ve got to pick your line, watch the kerbs – that’s important – and if you get fractionally off line you can lose track grip.
The triple apex left-hander, Turns 6-8, is tough on the front-right tyre and a particular problem in the race, and the exit is crucial as it leads onto a long straight.
The Weather
There’s currently a 40% chance for thunderstorms in the Miami Gardens area on Sunday. And a chance for a drop or two during the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday too. That could add a bit of spice to things.
Friday: FP1 and Sprint Qualifying
- Mostly sunny. Light easterly wind.
- FP1: 27°C | SQ: 27°C
- Chance of rain: <20%
Saturday: Sprint Race and GP Qualifying
- Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower or two during the day. Light easterly wind.
- SR: 27°C // Q: 28°C
- Chance of rain: 20%
Sunday: Grand Prix
- Partly cloudy. Unsettled with a moderate chance of showers in the afternoon. Light easterly wind.
- Race start: 29°C
- Chance of rain: 40%
The Tyres
The trio of compounds chosen by Pirelli is the same as that used a fortnight ago in Saudi Arabia: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium and C5 as Soft. Again, just as in Jeddah, this is a step softer than last season.
The surface of the track that runs around the stadium is very smooth, exposing the tyres to moderate longitudinal and lateral forces. Thermal degradation will be a major factor, as temperatures are expected to be very high, given that last year’s track temperature exceeded 55 °C. The surface was relaid in 2023 and, as with the other temporary Grand Prix circuits, grip levels will increase significantly the more the track rubbers-in across the weekend. The presence of support races for the F1 Academy and Porsche Carrera Cup North America will only add to this phenomenon.
So far, the Miami Grand Prix has been a one-stop race, including last year’s. The Medium was the tyre of choice for the opening stint for 15 of the 20 drivers, before a switch mainly to the Hard, with just a couple of drivers opting for the Soft, which actually displayed relatively low degradation. The performance differential between all three of last year’s compounds, C2, C3 and C4, was quite small. The strategy, particularly the timing of the pit stop, was affected by a Virtual Safety Car, which then morphed into a full Safety Car period. It will be interesting to see if this year’s softer compounds will open the door to a two-stop strategy.
The Standings
We’re going to Miami… to race! After this race, a week off for the teams and then back to Europe for another triple-header of Emilia Romagna, Monaco, and Spain.
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And yes, those are real disco ball mirror pieces on that helmet. But no, he won’t be racing in that one - it’s obviously not race legal. He will be using a vinyl sticker version of the helmet on circuit.
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Race of the year?
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What is this amazing thing!
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https://www.youtube.com/live/KS0r7_7cFDI?si=NrvsFIQBPJ_9pIf7
LIVE: F1’s 75th Anniversary 24 Hour Marathon
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I have to say I was a bit heartbroken for Albon, overall a decent race, was a little less eventful than I hoped for, DRS trains is now the bain of my existance
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Yeah, I dont hink it will be too long for the W team to get a W! Well, at least a podium!
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Robert Schwartzman, and the new Prema Indycar team, wins pole for this weekend’s Indy 500!!!
F2 fans know the team and the driver. He is a Ferrari youngster and have driven F1 a few FP sessions. Now in Indy in his rookie season and he gets POLE!
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Nice!
But there’s something wrong with that track, some right turns are missing
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