Formula 1 will use Bahrain’s ‘Outer’ circuit for the Sakhir Grand Prix and create the rare spectacle of a qualifying lap that takes under 60 seconds.
Bahrain has five circuits homologated to FIA Grade 1 standard and F1 has been intrigued by the prospect of using the ‘Outer’ layout for several months.
F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn first raised the prospect of using the layout back in June when he referred to adopting the “sort of almost-oval” design should Bahrain be awarded a double-header to boost the schedule of races.
Bahrain’s pair of races was confirmed this week and it has now been revealed that the November 29 Bahrain GP will use the traditional layout while the Sakhir race on December 6 will switch to the Outer circuit.
This layout flicks left out of Turn 4 instead of diving down through the sweeps to the hairpin then sweeps round to a different Esses.
A right-hand kink runs all the way down to the final corner and excluding the very slight right that follows, the high-speed layout only has 10 proper turns.
#F1 reckons the qualifying lap is going to be around 55s for Bahrain’s ‘Outer’ circuit for the #SakhirGP…@SMitchellF1 likes a challenge and so has had a go at said lap. But the dreams of becoming an #F1 driver might have to be put on hold – he only managed a 56.6s lap 😢 pic.twitter.com/VnEnhL18Up
— The Race (@wearetherace) August 28, 2020
At 2.2 miles, the Outer circuit is right on F1’s minimum track length.
The race will be a fully night event, so will run in a slightly later timeslot than the preceding Bahrain GP.
“We assessed a number of options for the alternative circuit layout and concluded the Outer circuit will provide the best alternative and will provide a new challenge for all the teams and entertain all our fans with high speeds and fast lap times,” said Brawn.
It will be the third variation of the Sakhir track used by F1. Its longer ‘Endurance’ layout was employed for the 2010 race only (pictured above), but the additional tight section proved unpopular.
Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain circuit, said: “We thank Formula 1 for all their work in analysing options for our second race and it’s a great testament to our venue that we will be able to hold what is likely to be very contrasting races on consecutive weekends.
“Our Outer track has never been used for international competitive racing, so will be a new and exciting challenge for all participants.”
F1 believes qualifying on the Bahrain Outer circuit will result in 55-second laps while the race laps will be around one minute.
That could be the quickest ever lap, although sub-60s has been achieved at one circuit before – Niki Lauda recorded a 58.79s to claim pole at Dijon in 1974.
It will also present one of the fastest layouts in F1 history, comparable with the anomalous Indianapolis 500 races of 1950-1960 that counted towards the world championship in those years.
But it will be slower than the likes of Silverstone in 1985, when Keke Rosberg averaged 160mph, and even modern-day Monza, where Charles Leclerc’s 2019 pole lap average of 163.397mph set a new F1 record.
For those Indy races qualifying was officially timed over four laps and the race laps were never faster than 61 seconds, while Rosberg’s Silverstone 1985 pole time was 1m05.591s.
