Formula 1 will use Bahrain’s high-speed Outer Circuit for the Sakhir Grand Prix later this year.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed the venue would be the third to host back-to-back races this season but to spice things up, a radically different layout will be used for the first time.
Compared to the usual 5.5km design, the Outer Circuit will be the second shortest in F1 history after Monaco at just 3.3km.
That means the race distance will be a whopping 87 laps, nine more than Monaco, and lap-times in qualifying are expected to be just 55s or less, seven seconds faster than Austria.
Essentially the Outer Circuit consists of Bahrain’s three longest straights with a shorter curving straight leading into a chicane at the top.
That means the average speed could well be close to that of Monza, the fastest track on the calendar, and will certainly provide a very different challenge to that teams and drivers usually face at Sakhir.
“We are excited to announce the Outer Circuit as the format for the Sakhir Grand Prix and want to thank our partners at the Bahrain International Circuit for their continued support,” F1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn, who first hinted at using the track earlier this year, commented.
“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.”
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Bahrain Internaitional Circuit CEO, Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa added: “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.”
Roll on December 6!