F1: Who won the first Bahrain Grand Prix?

The first race on the Bahrain International Circuit occurred on 4th April 2004. This track holds an interesting record, the first-ever race to be conducted in the Middle East. Bahrain Grand Prix is the season opener. However, this wasn’t always the case. It used to be the third race until 2006. The Australian Grand Prix used to be the first race on the Formula One calendar, but the dates were changed to avoid concurrence with the Commonwealth Games.

In 2004, the Bahrain GP was the third race of the season, it was the first time a Formula One race was held in a middle-eastern state. So one can imagine the buzz around it. The circuit length is 5.412 Km and has 57 laps. It was the desert king Micheal Schumacher, the seven-time world champion, who won the first Bahrain Grand Prix.

Schumacher’s teammate Rubens Barrichello came second, and Jenson Button for BAR-Honda finished third. Including the Bahrain win, he won 13 races and broke his previous record that season. Micheal Schumacher went on to win the driver’s championship with Ferrari. The team won the constructors too.  Apart from this, the fans were also treated to an intense battle between Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.

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

Who has the most wins in the Bahrain GP?

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

What happened at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix?

In 2020, an unfortunate event occurred during the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix. On the first lap of race day, Romain Grosjean, the Haas driver, collided with a barrier. His car went up in flames. The entire scene was scary as his life was at stake. Thankfully, he got out of the car safely with the help of the Marshalls. He suffered burns. This is quite unusual as the 5.412 Kilometre Bahrain International Circuit is one of the safest tracks—the night race crash was of the most horrible incidents in the history of the sport.

That year also saw a back-to-back race in the circuit due to the pandemic. The fans were not allowed to attend for safety reasons, but the health workers were invited to appreciate their contributions and service during the pandemic. In the first race, Lewis Hamilton was replaced by fellow British driver George Russell as he had covid but failed to get his victory due to a tire puncture. Sergio Perez had taken home his first chequered flag that day. 

Why was the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix canceled in 2011?

In 2011, there was a Bahraini uprising. There were anti-government protests in the country. Hence, the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was canceled. The FIA wanted to reschedule the race, but Damon Hill and the other drivers did not think it was safe, and eventually, it was canceled. In situations like this, the Formula One driver has a say.

Bahrain Grand Prix Controversies 

In 2012, the teams wanted the FIA to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix because of the human rights violation that went on. There were uprisings and protests in the country. The drivers were concerned about their safety. Human rights activists also called for the cancellation of the race. Despite all this, the race went on as scheduled, and Sebastian Vettel won the Grand Prix. The 2022 season opener was won by Charles Leclerc, who outclassed his teammate Carlos Sainz.

The 2023 Pre-season testing was hosted at this track, and the human rights organization, BIRD, wrote to the FIA, expressing their concerns over “sportswashing” by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The FIA had a diplomatic response and stated that they would not interfere in the internal matters of the sovereign state. However, they mentioned they are not insensitive and will work to eradicate human rights abuses in host nations.

In case you missed it:

• Formula 1 drivers’ ages: From the oldest to the youngest on the 2023 grid

• F1 drivers’ height and weight on the 2023 grid

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