The Bahrain Grand Prix (ar|جائزة البحرين الكبرى), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor racing event held in Bahrain.[1] The inaugural race took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004. It was the first Formula One Grand Prix held in the Middle East and was awarded the FIA’s prize for “Best Organised Grand Prix”.[2]
The event has variously been the second, third, or fourth round of the F1 calendar. In, it replaced the Australian Grand Prix as the season opener, as the latter was delayed to avoid clashing with the Commonwealth Games. Bahrain held the opening race in as well, when the longer 6.299km (03.914miles) “Endurance Circuit” was used to mark Formula One’s diamond jubilee. In, the Grand Prix opened the season once more after the cancellation of the 2021 Australian Grand Prix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In, however, the Australian Grand Prix reclaimed the opening slot as part of Formula One’s regionalisation strategy, and Bahrain was scheduled as the fourth race of the season.
The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for 13 March, was cancelled on 21 February amid widespread protests during the 2011 Bahraini uprising.[3] Drivers, including Damon Hill and Mark Webber, voiced opposition to the race.[4] In 2012, human rights activists again called for cancellation of the race over reports of abuses by the authorities.[5] Despite safety concerns raised by team personnel, the race went ahead on 22 April.[6]
In 2014, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the event, the Bahrain Grand Prix was held under floodlights at night.[7] It became F1’s second night race, after the Singapore Grand Prix’s debut in 2008. Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural night edition, and the race has remained a night event ever since.
Construction of the Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir began in 2002. Bahrain secured the rights to host Formula One after competing against Egypt, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, all of which had also bid to host a race.
In, the race utilized the extended “Endurance Circuit” layout, which increased the lap length to 6.299km (03.914miles).[8] Plans to revert to the original “Grand Prix Circuit” layout were confirmed for the later-cancelled 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, and it has been used since the event returned in .[9] [10]
In February 2022, the Bahrain Grand Prix contract was extended through to 2036.[11]
The Bahrain International Circuit is known for its large run-off areas. While these have been criticised for failing to penalise mistakes, they help prevent sand from blowing onto the track. The circuit is widely regarded as one of the safest in Formula One.[12]
Although alcohol is legal in Bahrain, podium celebrations use a non-alcoholic rosewater drink called Waard instead of champagne.
See main article: 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix.
On 21 February 2011, it was announced that the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for 13 March was cancelled due to the 2011 Bahraini protests.[13] On 3 June, the FIA rescheduled the race for 30 October. The former world champion Damon Hill urged Formula One not to reinstate the event, warning that if it went ahead, “we will forever have the blight of association with repressive methods to achieve order”.[14] Bernie Ecclestone told the BBC, “Hopefully there’ll be peace and quiet, and we can return in the future, but of course it’s not on. The schedule cannot be rescheduled without the agreement of the participants – they’re the facts”.[15] A week after announcing the rescheduling, Formula One cancelled the race altogether.[4]
See main article: 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix and 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix protests.
Human rights activists called for the cancellation of the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix, held on 22 April, citing ongoing excessive force by authorities and reports of torture in detention.[16] [17] The activist Salah Abbas Habib was killed during a demonstration on the eve of the Grand Prix, and the photojournalist Ahmed Ismael Hassan al-Samadi was fatally shot while covering an anti-Grand Prix protest.[18] [19]
On 9 April 2012, The Guardian reported that a senior team member, speaking anonymously, said his view was representative, “The Formula One teams want the sport’s governing body to cancel – or at least postpone – the Bahrain Grand Prix … I feel very uncomfortable about going to Bahrain. If I’m brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lockdown there. And I think that would be unacceptable, both for F1 and for Bahrain. But I don’t see any other way they can do it”.
On 21 April 2012, the group Anonymous launched “Operation Bahrain,” threatening cyberattacks if the race continued. Hours later, hackers took down the website f1-racers.net with a distributed denial-of-service attack.[20] Despite the protests, the Grand Prix was held as scheduled.
Since the global media attention in 2011 and 2012, human rights groups have continued to report abuses and arrests linked to F1 protests. Photographer Ahmed Humaidan was among about 30 people jailed for roles in the 2012 demonstrations, while activist Najah Ahmed Yousif was imprisoned and physically and sexually abused after criticising the Bahrain Grand Prix on social media.[21] [22] [23] Rights organisations have criticised Formula One Group and Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile for failing to uphold their own Statement of Commitment to Respect for Human Rights, arguing that by ignoring political crackdowns, F1 is complicit in the suffering of dissidents.[24] In 2018, after sustained pressure, F1 said it was “concerned” for Yousif, but there has been no known follow-up.[25]
A coalition of human rights groups, led by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, claims that the Bahrain Grand Prix has become a focal point for protests and abuse committed by security forces. They also accuse F1 of providing invaluable PR for Bahrain’s government and of helping normalise human rights violations.[26] In letters to Lewis Hamilton, three political prisoners praised his stance on human rights and urged him to raise awareness of their plight. The event has been widely cited as an example of sportswashing.[27]
See also: 2020 Formula One World Championship.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers announced that no spectators would be permitted at the race scheduled for 22 March 2020. Two weeks before the event, it was indefinitely postponed.[28] It was later rescheduled for 29 November and became one of two races hosted at the Bahrain International Circuit across consecutive weekends, with the second race held on the outer layout and named the Sakhir Grand Prix.
See main article: 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix and 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.
Bahrain hosted two races in November 2020, but the decision drew criticism from human rights groups and from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton urged F1 to “face its responsibilities” and address human rights issues in host countries. A consortium of organisations led by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy wrote to the F1 CEO Chase Carey, warning that the race had again become a focal point for protests and abuses by Bahraini security forces. The Bahraini government denied allegations of sportswashing.[29]
On 27 October 2022, F1 was served with a legal complaint from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and two Bahraini torture survivors, Najah Yusuf and Hajer Mansoor, alleging it ignored human rights violations when it announced in February that the Bahrain Grand Prix would remain on the calendar until 2036. The claim, filed through the UK National Contact Point (NCP), accused them of breaching guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.[30]
Drivers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in 2026.
| Wins | Driver | Years won | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |  Lewis Hamilton | 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021 | |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 | |
| 3 |  Fernando Alonso | 2005, 2006, 2010 | |
| 2 |  Felipe Massa | 2007, 2008 | |
| Max Verstappen | 2023, 2024 | ||
| Source:[31] | |||
Teams in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in 2026.
| Wins | Constructor | Years won | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  Ferrari | 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2022 | |
| 6 | Mercedes | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 | |
| 4 |  Red Bull | 2012, 2013, 2023, 2024 | |
| 2 |  Renault | 2005, 2006 | |
| Source: | |||
Manufacturers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in 2026.
| Wins | Manufacturer | Years won | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Mercedes | 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025 | |
| 7 | Ferrari | 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2022 | |
| 4 | Renault | 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013 | |
| 2 |  Honda RBPT | 2023, 2024 | |
| Source: | |||
| Year | Driver | Constructor | Configuration | Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| data-sort-value="sch" |  | Ferrari | Grand Prix Circuit | Report | |
| data-sort-value="alo" | | Renault | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="alo" | | Renault | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="mas" | | Ferrari | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="mas" | | Ferrari | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="but" | | Brawn-Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="alo" | | Ferrari | Endurance Circuit | Report | |
| align=center colspan="3" style="background:#ddd;" | Cancelled due to 2011 Bahraini uprising | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="vet" | Red Bull-Renault | Grand Prix Circuit | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="vet" | Red Bull-Renault | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="ham" | | Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="ham" | | Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="ros" | Mercedes | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="vet" | Ferrari | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="vet" | Ferrari | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="ham" | | Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="ham" | | Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="ham" | | Mercedes | Report | ||
| data-sort-value="lec" | Ferrari | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="ver" | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="ver" | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | Report | |||
| data-sort-value="but" |  | McLaren-Mercedes | Report | ||
| Sources:[32] | |||||
