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High-speed corners, night race make Bahrain F1 special: drivers

MANAMA, April 15, 2015

Some of the biggest names in Formula One have spoken of their excitement about the forthcoming Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Drivers cited high-speed corners at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), warm weather conditions and the fact that it is taking place at night, as major factors that make this weekend's race special, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The Bahrain round of the Formula One World Championship gets underway with practise on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday and the race itself on Sunday.

Drivers and teams have already started arriving in Bahrain ahead of the event and Red Bull F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo said he had fond memories of the Sakhir circuit.

“It was the location of possibly my best qualifying lap ever, so I've got a few nice memories of Sakhir,” he told the official Formula One website.

“Over one lap there's nothing that really has the 'wow' factor, but for racing it's a little better.

“Last year the race was one of the best. It kept you guessing with the tyres.

“Yeah, it's a good track to race on. There are some tricky corners.”

His teammate Daniil Kvyat said the night race helped drivers because the temperature was cooler and the tarmac was not so hot.

“The track itself is what I would call a kind of 'classic' configuration,” he said.

“It's got some flowing sections and some interesting corners. I enjoy it. It's a good racing track.”

Sauber F1 team driver Marcus Ericsson said he was ready for the first night race of the season in Bahrain.

“The track has some long straights, slow-speed corners with hard braking zones, as well as high-speed corners with fast changes of direction,” he said.

“Overall the circuit is technical and driving-wise not an easy one.”

“Another aspect which comes into play is the sand blowing onto the track.

“We need to keep an eye on that, as the circuit is usually quite dusty for the first sessions and then picks up more grip during the weekend.”

Fellow Sauber F1 driver Felipe Nasr said he hoped to capitalise on the fast straights.

“It can be positive for us that the circuit has a few straights due to our high speed,” he said.

“In Bahrain there are three facts which are important for a good lap time: Braking stability, traction, as well as a good balance for the car in the high-speed corners in sector two.
“I also expect we need to work on good tyre management, because that can be very tricky in those warm conditions.”

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who currently drives for Williams, said he was looking forward to a good race after winning the 2007 and 2008 race for Ferrari in Bahrain.

“Bahrain is the first night race of the season and is a spectacular place to watch a race,” he said. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | speed | F1 | Weather | High | race | Night |

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