Teams approach changes as they race under lights: Bahrain GP preview

Bahrain, 2 April 2014: The F1 bandwagon moves on to a race under floodlights in Bahrain, just a few days after the Malaysian Grand Prix, where Mercedes stormed to its first one-two finish since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, Formula One arrives in Bahrain for round three of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Mercedes AMG Petronas clearly showed that it is the best outfit at the moment and if Nico Rosberg opened the tally with a near-perfect win in the Australian GP, teammate Lewis Hamilton led all but a fraction of a lap at Sepang even as Rosberg finished second for a creditable 1-2 for Mercedes. Vettel showcased the power of a Red Bull Racing team as made quick recovery after poor testing days and gained some valuable points though the other car had different problems at the Petronas Malaysian GP. Nico Hulkenberg, who led, for about half a lap, and was in fourth place for sometime, could not stop Alonso in a Ferrari, but finished a wonderful 5th, being on a two-lap strategy. Teammate Sergio Perez failed to finish the race.

And as the Bahrain International Circuit celebrates the tenth anniversary and  joins, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, in staging a race which would be staged fully or partially at night and the 6pm start, it will change how the teams approach the race.

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 the BIC is one of the most severe on brakes all season. However, while this also means that tyres take some punishment, especially in terms of longitudinal energy going into the tyres, Pirelli is bringing its medium and soft compound tyres this weekend.

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. Mercedes have dominated so far this season, but under the BIC floodlights anything could happen.

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