Preview
Bahrain GP · race-day read
Practice pace, tyre-deg notes and the strategy window that defines the Sakhir circuit.
Form, with a defined window
The leading two cars have been on the front row of the last three races. The second-row cars have been within a tenth of the leading pace in qualifying, with the race-day tyre-deg the differentiator.
Availability, named
- No mechanical issues reported in FP2.
- The track temperature is rising, with the first three sectors running 4°C hotter than qualifying.
Strategy window
The pit window opens around lap 14. The undercut threat is high if the second-row cars pit early, with the soft-shod runners gaining on the out-lap. The tyre-deg numbers from FP2 were the highest of the weekend.
What we're watching
- Whether the leaders pit together or split the strategy to cover the undercut.
- How the second-row cars manage the soft tyre in the first stint.
- Whether the safety car window opens in the first 15 laps.