World Endurance Championship - 8 Hours Of Bahrain
8 Hours Of Bahrain
Display & Timezone
Display & Timezone
Showing times for America/Anchorage
Timezone
America - Anchorage
6 - 8 Nov
Completed
Bahrain International Circuit
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Track Info
Bahrain International Circuit - Sakhir, Bahrain
Permanent road course in the desert - clockwise - floodlit night race since 2014
When was the track built?
Ground broke in 2002 and the circuit opened in March 2004. Built on the Sakhir desert plain, the venue quickly became a Middle East motorsport hub with multiple FIA Grade 1 layouts, a drag strip and a karting facility. In 2014, permanent floodlights transformed the event into a night race to celebrate its 10th running.
The Grand Prix configuration balances long straights with hard stops and technical traction zones, while the Endurance and Outer layouts offer very different characters for special events and testing.
When was its first race?
The circuit’s first race was the 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix, won by Michael Schumacher. The race has been a calendar staple ever since, with a one-off Outer Circuit Sakhir Grand Prix also held in 2020.
What's the circuit like?
- Big stops and traction: Three heavy braking zones - T1, T4 and the downhill, off-camber T10 - reward stability and rear grip out of slow exits.
- Desert variables: Wind direction can flip during the day; sand on track and an abrasive surface stress tyres and make strategy pivotal.
- DRS zones: Usually three - start/finish into T1, the run to T4, and the back-straight push toward T11 - creating multiple overtaking chances.
- Under the lights: Qualifying and the race run at dusk into night, with cooler air boosting engine performance and changing tyre behaviour.
- Benchmark pace: F1 race lap record is 1:31.447. Poles frequently land in the low 1:29s to high 1:27s depending on era and conditions.
Lap records and benchmarks (by series)
- Formula 1 (race lap): 1:31.447 - Pedro de la Rosa, 2005 Bahrain GP - 5.412 km Grand Prix layout.
- Formula 1 (Outer Circuit): 0:55.404 - George Russell, 2020 Sakhir GP - 3.543 km Outer layout.
- FIA WEC (reference): Endurance headliner with 6/8-hour races through 2023, with LMP1/Hypercar laps in the low 1:40s on the GP layout.
- FIA Formula 2: Regular season-opener venue; series lap benchmarks around 1:38-1:40 in qualifying on the GP layout.
- Regional one-make: Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East stages multiple sprint races each winter with deep 992 GT3 Cup fields.
Why go?
A desert night spectacle - grandstands with long views, dramatic fireworks and big braking battles under the lights. The circuit’s facilities are modern and fan friendly, and the evening schedule makes travel and heat management easy.
Where's the best place to watch?
- T1 Grandstand: See starts, safety-car restarts and the heaviest braking zone - countless overtakes and switchbacks.
- University Grandstand (T4): End of a DRS run with divebombs and crossovers; good view of the climb through the middle sector.
- T10-T11 complex: Tricky, downhill braking into T10 followed by DRS toward T11 - a great spot to read car balance.
- Final corner and main straight: Strategy plays out here with pit entries, late-race lunges and DRS sprints to the line.
Not just F1: Middle East and world series at Sakhir
FIA World Endurance Championship: Hosted the 6/8 Hours of Bahrain for many seasons, often as the finale, showcasing multi-class strategy under the lights.
F2 and F3: Frequent openers for the junior ladder with slipstream battles and tyre-deg drama that mirrors F1.
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East: Winter championship centerpiece with packed grids and tight margins.
Regional touring and GT: Events such as the Gulf 12 Hours and national series add variety across the season.
Hotels & Accommodation
8 Hours Of Bahrain
6 - 8 Nov
Completed
Bahrain International Circuit
Track Info
Bahrain International Circuit - Sakhir, Bahrain
Permanent road course in the desert - clockwise - floodlit night race since 2014
When was the track built?
Ground broke in 2002 and the circuit opened in March 2004. Built on the Sakhir desert plain, the venue quickly became a Middle East motorsport hub with multiple FIA Grade 1 layouts, a drag strip and a karting facility. In 2014, permanent floodlights transformed the event into a night race to celebrate its 10th running.
The Grand Prix configuration balances long straights with hard stops and technical traction zones, while the Endurance and Outer layouts offer very different characters for special events and testing.
When was its first race?
The circuit’s first race was the 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix, won by Michael Schumacher. The race has been a calendar staple ever since, with a one-off Outer Circuit Sakhir Grand Prix also held in 2020.
What's the circuit like?
- Big stops and traction: Three heavy braking zones - T1, T4 and the downhill, off-camber T10 - reward stability and rear grip out of slow exits.
- Desert variables: Wind direction can flip during the day; sand on track and an abrasive surface stress tyres and make strategy pivotal.
- DRS zones: Usually three - start/finish into T1, the run to T4, and the back-straight push toward T11 - creating multiple overtaking chances.
- Under the lights: Qualifying and the race run at dusk into night, with cooler air boosting engine performance and changing tyre behaviour.
- Benchmark pace: F1 race lap record is 1:31.447. Poles frequently land in the low 1:29s to high 1:27s depending on era and conditions.
Lap records and benchmarks (by series)
- Formula 1 (race lap): 1:31.447 - Pedro de la Rosa, 2005 Bahrain GP - 5.412 km Grand Prix layout.
- Formula 1 (Outer Circuit): 0:55.404 - George Russell, 2020 Sakhir GP - 3.543 km Outer layout.
- FIA WEC (reference): Endurance headliner with 6/8-hour races through 2023, with LMP1/Hypercar laps in the low 1:40s on the GP layout.
- FIA Formula 2: Regular season-opener venue; series lap benchmarks around 1:38-1:40 in qualifying on the GP layout.
- Regional one-make: Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East stages multiple sprint races each winter with deep 992 GT3 Cup fields.
Why go?
A desert night spectacle - grandstands with long views, dramatic fireworks and big braking battles under the lights. The circuit’s facilities are modern and fan friendly, and the evening schedule makes travel and heat management easy.
Where's the best place to watch?
- T1 Grandstand: See starts, safety-car restarts and the heaviest braking zone - countless overtakes and switchbacks.
- University Grandstand (T4): End of a DRS run with divebombs and crossovers; good view of the climb through the middle sector.
- T10-T11 complex: Tricky, downhill braking into T10 followed by DRS toward T11 - a great spot to read car balance.
- Final corner and main straight: Strategy plays out here with pit entries, late-race lunges and DRS sprints to the line.
Not just F1: Middle East and world series at Sakhir
FIA World Endurance Championship: Hosted the 6/8 Hours of Bahrain for many seasons, often as the finale, showcasing multi-class strategy under the lights.
F2 and F3: Frequent openers for the junior ladder with slipstream battles and tyre-deg drama that mirrors F1.
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East: Winter championship centerpiece with packed grids and tight margins.
Regional touring and GT: Events such as the Gulf 12 Hours and national series add variety across the season.
