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Formula 1: What to watch for in 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix

By Kevin Nguyen

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - APRIL 16: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 on track during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on April 16, 2017 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - APRIL 16: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 on track during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on April 16, 2017 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /
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In recent years, Bahrain has been considered one of Formula 1’s most exciting races. Here are the storylines heading into Sakhir in 2018.

Formula 1‘s travelling circus will travel 7,520 miles to its next race in Bahrain after a mixed Australian Grand Prix. There were highs, lows, and controversy in Melbourne, and there are plenty of storylines heading into the second of 21 races this season.

Here’s what to watch for in Bahrain at the 5.412-kilometer (3.363-mile) Bahrain International Circuit this Sunday, April 8th.

Front-runners pace

Despite a blistering qualifying lap by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, the German factory team couldn’t keep up with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel on race pace following the controversial VSC (Virtual Safety Car) period that saw Vettel gain five seconds and the lead as a result. And despite finishing P1 and P3, the Prancing Horse had a difficult time with their pace in practice and qualifying in Melbourne. So whose pace is for real?

Valtteri Bottas debunked the assessment that Mercedes was “miles ahead” after Australia. Ferrari President Sergio Marchionne claimed the Maranello-based outfit had the “perfect strategy” and pace in Melbourne, while Vettel dismissed it as luck.

With Bahrain being a “power circuit” with high fuel consumption and drivers at full throttle for two-thirds of a lap, the race simulations in practice and qualifying should settle who has outright pace between F1’s top two teams.

Haas

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Since their heart-breaking double DNF in Australia, the American team have faced many questions about their pace, whether or not the 2018 car is a ‘Ferrari clone’, and a prompting by rival teams to investigate the closeness of the Haas/Ferrari relationship. However, it should be noted that on pace, Haas was P8 and P11 in the speed trap in Australia and Kevin Magnussen has doubts that Haas can replicate it in Bahrain.

But the main story for Haas going into Bahrain is whether or not the pit crew have improved. Team principal Guenther Steiner has said that the team will undergo extra pit stop practice in hopes that a similar event from Australia won’t happen in Bahrain. We’ll see on Sunday.

The VSC

After Vettel lucked out on the VSC period to take the lead in Australia, there was some outcry by commentators that the VSC rules should be clarified or that the VSC should be scrapped altogether. Fortunately, Bahrain, due to its large runoff areas, doesn’t yield too many safety car periods. In fact, there have been just two at the track over the last five years. However, should a VSC or the proper safety car make an appearance, watch the delta times and leader to see if anyone else decides to pit to gain time.

Hamilton’s scrapped comeback

After Mercedes miscalculated the VSC gap in Australia, Hamilton led a spirited chase to close the gap to Vettel. He got as close as half a second on a couple of occasions before the reigning champion admitted to turning down his engine to conserve mileage and save the engine, robbing fans of a potentially thrilling finish. If Hamilton falls behind in Bahrain, with it being a power circuit, how many laps can Hamilton (or any driver) do at full tilt before engine management comes into play?

Who rises from the midfield

There was a lot of joy in the McLaren garage after Fernando Alonso finished P5 in Australia. While many see McLaren as a top team, the Woking-based team has largely settled into the midfield on pace so far in 2018. With the right strategy, Bahrain has a tendency to award aggressive midfield chargers, particularly Force India. Will Force India show that pace again in Bahrain or will McLaren, Haas, or Renault take the dubious “best of the rest” moniker in Sakhir?

Next: Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time

While Bahrain doesn’t offer too many surprises, it’ll be interesting to see which teams will exercise caution with their engines in the desert heat and which will throw caution to the wind and go all out.

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