What is the F1 Bahrain GP winner’s curse?

There are several superstitions in Formula One, and the Bahrain Grand Prix winner’s curse is one of the prominent ones among them. Since 2017 whoever won the Bahrain Grand Prix hasn’t succeeded in winning the championship. They have always finished in second place.

The Bahrain Grand Prix has become the season-opener in the last few years. This “curse” lingers around the first race of the season. This is the only race in the Formula One Calendar, with fans praying for their rivals to win. Dialing it back to the 2022 season, Charles Leclerc won the first race while Max Verstappen suffered a DNF due to a fuel pump issue.

The Dutchman did not have to worry, thanks to this curse, Verstappen went on to win the championship early in the season. Charles Leclerc finished second, and he was not the only driver to be affected by it. In 2017 Sebastian Vettel won the season opener, and Lewis Hamilton won the championship. History repeated itself in 2018.

The history of Bahrain GP Curse

In 2019 and 2020, Valtteri Bottas, the then-Mercedes driver, took the win, and Lewis Hamilton won the championship in both years. In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was the winner of the Bahrain Grand Prix and was so close to getting his eighth championship. However, things took a drastic turn during the final race of the season, and Max Verstappen won his first championship.

The news of this “curse” has been making its rounds on social media. It won’t be long before it has some of the drivers rattled. This is not new in Formula One. There are other superstitions like the Monza curse. However, the other misfortunes do not affect the championship standing like the Bahrain Grand Prix. Though it sounds bizarre, the fans have been praying for their favorite driver not to win in the first round of the season.

Who has the most wins in the Bahrain GP?

The seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver on the track and has five victories. Sebastian Vettel ranks second with 4 F1 Grand Prix victories here. As for the constructors, Ferrari has 7 wins. The circuit has hosted 18 races so far, and Lewis Hamilton has been on the podium 10 times. Here is a list of winners in this circuit.

In case you missed it:

F1 drivers’ height and weight on the 2023 grid

Who are the youngest drivers ever to race in Formula 1?

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW