Round three of the 2014 Formula 1 season takes teams and drivers to the Middle East for the Bahrain Grand Prix in a race which takes place at night for the first time.
Just a few short days after the Malaysian Grand Prix, where Mercedes stormed to its first one-two finish since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, the teams arrives in Bahrain for a race which has been under a cloud in political uncertainty in recent years.
First held in 2004, the Bahrain Grand Prix marked the first Formula 1 race to take place in the Middle East and has since been joined by Abu Dhabi.
This year’s race will be held at night to mark its tenth anniversary in Formula 1 and is one of three races to take place under the lights this season.
As the Bahrain International Circuit celebrates the tenth anniversary of its arrival onto the F1 calendar, it presents teams and drivers with a new challenge – a race under floodlights.
This year sees the circuit join Singapore and Abu Dhabi in staging race staged fully or partially at night and the 16:00 BST start, or 18:00 local time, will change how the race is approached.
For instance, the cooler temperatures of the evening will lead to changes in balance and grip levels.
Teams do, however, have some data on these conditions with the two pre-season tests held at this circuit running into the cooler early evening hours on a number of occasions.
The bonus, too, is that the lower temperatures will place less stress on the cooling capabilities of the new power units, a particular issue for some in the run-up to the start of this season.
Elsewhere, the Bahrain track features a mix of slow-speed corners at the end of straights which means that it is one of the most severe on brakes all season.
This race always presents an intriguing set of challenges but this year a whole new set of variables has been thrown into the mix via the sport’s new regulations and the first F1 night-race in Bahrain’s history.
Sebastian Vettel has won this race for the past two seasons, but with the German driver having been left in the shade during pre-season testing, expectations are a little lower for the four-time defending champion.
Bahrain also signals the 250th Grand Prix in the 14-year career of Britain’s 2009 world champion Jenson Button, who will be hoping for a strong showing in his McLaren.
Mercedes have dominated so far this season, but under the Bahrain floodlights anything could happen and the eventful start to the season suggests Formula 1 fans could be set for a season full of drama.
Follow all the action from the third round of the 2014 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season live on Sky Sports F1, or by watching extended free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the race on BBC Two.
SOTB’s viewing guide to the 2014 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix below:
OFFICIAL F1 WEBSITE TRACK GUIDE LIVE TIMING
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FORMULA 1 2014 ON SKY SPORTS F1 HD
The 65th Formula 1 season continues with the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir and Sky Sports F1 is the only place to see all the action as it happens.
The race will be shown live and uninterrupted, along with the qualifying and practice sessions.
Simon Lazenby will present full coverage of the Friday practice sessions, qualifying and the race itself, where he will be joined throughout the weekend by Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert.
Ted Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham will provide the latest news and reports and from the pit lane, while commentary on all sessions comes from David Croft.
Martin Brundle will join Croft in the commentary box for both qualifying and the race, with Anthony Davidson calling the practice sessions as well as providing his unique insights via the Sky Pad during the weekend.
During the race, a host of interactive additions, including on-board cameras, pit-lane feeds, the latest race stats and much more available via the red button and the Sky Sports for iPad app.
For those who won’t be at home, every second of the action can be seen via computers, laptops, mobiles and tablet devices on Sky Go.
Further information, news and video content can be found at skysports.com/f1, and viewers are encouraged to interact with the live programmes via Twitter – @SkySportsF1, #SkyF1.
In addition, Sky Sports F1 will also screen the opening round of the 2014 GP2 Series in Bahrain with all the practice, qualifying sessions and races live over the weekend. Commentary is led by Will Buxton.
Friday 4th April
Free Practice 1 – Start: 12:00
LIVE: 11.45am-1.50pm Sky Sports F1
Free Practice 2 – Start: 16:00
LIVE: 3.45pm-5.55pm Sky Sports F1
The F1 Show
LIVE: 8.00pm-9.00pm Sky Sports F1Saturday 5th April Practice 3 – Start: 13:00 LIVE: 12.45pm-2.15pm Sky Sports F1 Qualifying – Start: 16:00 LIVE: 3.00pm-5.45pm Sky Sports F1 Sunday 6th April Bahrain Grand Prix LIVE – Race Start: 16:00 LIVE: 2.30pm-7.15pm Sky Sports F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Highlights 8.00pm-9.00pm Sky Sports F1
The BBC will broadcast free-to-air TV highlights of the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix from Sakhir.
Suzi Perry presents all the action from the first Bahrain night race alongside David Coulthard, who will provide his analysis in the pits and paddock, plus there will be further insights from BBC TV’s new signing Allan McNish.
Extended highlights of both qualifying and the race will be shown in primetime on BBC Two over the weekend.
The qualifying session will be broadcast on BBC Two on Saturday evening at 9.00pm, with comprehensive two-hour race highlights show the following day at 10.00am on the same channel.
Commentary on qualifying and the race comes from Ben Edwards and David Coulthard, with Tom Clarkson providing regular updates from the pit-lane while Lee McKenzie is on hand to conduct interviews with the drivers and team personnel.
McKenzie will also host Inside F1 on BBC News Channel on Friday and Saturday evenings, which will preview the weekend’s action.
The BBC Sport website will have live streaming of BBC TV’s broadcasts, as well as additional video content including highlights of practice sessions, qualifying and the race, plus interviews and analysis.
All of the BBC’s TV coverage will be available to view shortly after transmission on BBC iPlayer.
BBC Radio 5 Live will also have live audio commentary of every on-track session from Melbourne with James Allen and Jennie Gow.
Saturday 5th AprilBahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying Highlights: 9.00pm-10.15pm BBC Two Sunday 6th April Bahrain Grand Prix – Race Highlights: 9.00pm-10.30pm BBC Two
