BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
Company press release.
As we look to round four in Bahrain, the 2013 Formula One season is now fully underway with battle being waged between the five World Champions who also rounded out the top five at the Chinese Grand Prix, but it's Sebastian Vettel who leads the Drivers' standings by three points after finishing fourth. Teammate Mark Webber will be looking to replicate his early pace in China and his good form in Malaysia to score some all-important points at the upcoming Grand Prix.
Vettel took victory in Bahrain last year, but history seems to favor the Ferrari drivers with Alonso a three-time winner at this Middle Eastern event, and teammate Felipe Massa the only other driver to win more than one race here.
Seeing average highs in the mid-30s, cooling will be a priority for the teams, and with four long straights and several slow corners they will also be keeping a close eye on how to gain the most traction during Friday's practice session.
With three winners in as many races, it's anyone's guess as to who will come out on top in this one. Furthermore, with the heat, dust and inevitable unknowns that are part and parcel of the early part of the season, all combining to produce a circuit with above average number of mechanical retirements, it's even more of a lottery. The big question is can Infiniti Red Bull Racing hang to the top spot of the Constructors' championship? Many factors are in play and we know tires will be the key consideration again.
Sebastian Vettel
Q1: What's the benefit of back to back races?
Vettel: The positive is that on the Friday of the second race, you get into the rhythm quickly. You save time by travelling direct from one race to the next and can adapt to the time zone a bit quicker, as you don't have to travel so far. The only thing is that there's not much time for physical and mental recovery after the first race.
Q2: How do you adapt your preparation and training with back to back races?
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Vettel: I make the most of the Monday after the first race, in terms of relaxing and recovery. On the Tuesday, I do some easy training in the gym or some badminton, to keep the body and mind in correct mode. Mark Webber Q1: What's the benefit of back to back races? Webber: We like racing and it's another opportunity to go racing again soon, so that's a positive. We're already roughly in the same part of the world, so back to back races can be an efficient way for us to go racing; as an industry it's good organization. Q2: How do you adapt your preparation and training with back to back races? Webber: It's important to make sure you get ready for the next race off the back of the first one, so travelling as soon as you can is important. If you have a very big result at the first race then you're not going to stay in the night club too long that evening celebrating, as you need to make sure you're ready for the next event. It's a short turnaround; you want to make sure that the training is sensible and you're keeping yourself healthy. BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT GUIDE Sakhir offers four straights leading into tight corners – like Sepang and Shanghai before it, these are circuit architect Hermann Tilke's trademarks. This makes brake preservation of paramount importance. The design encourages overtaking at Turns 1 and 14. The other benefit to Sakhir are the large run-off areas which make this track one of the safest in the world, though it has come under criticism for not punishing drivers who stray from the track. To keep sand off the track, the dunes have been coated in adhesive, but this only limits the problem. Teams are forced to run heavy-duty air filters to keep damaging particles from their engines. Because alcohol is illegal in many Islamic states, this podium doesn't feature champagne. Instead, drivers spray themselves with fragrant, non-alcoholic rose water. KEY TRACK STATISTICS Local start time: 15h00 Number of laps: 57 Circuit length: 5.412 km Race distance: 308.238 km Grand prix debut: 2004 Lap record: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari, 2004), 1:30.252 2012 QUALIFYING 1) Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 2) Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 3) Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) 2012 RACE RESULTS 1) Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 2) Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 3) Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 4) Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
