Bahrain GP simulation and technical preview: traction the key to tyre management. Why Traction and Tyre Strategy Matter in Bahrain.

After Max Verstappen’s surprising victory over the McLaren duo at the Japanese Grand Prix, F1 heads straight to the Middle East for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit. This is a well-known track for the teams, having also hosted pre-season testing. The first upgrades are expected from several teams, especially Ferrari, which has been far below expectations at the start of the season.

The Sakhir circuit, introduced to the calendar in the 2000s, features four long straights interspersed with medium-to-high speed corners, some of which are highly technical—such as Turn 10, known for its combined braking that often causes the front-left wheel to lock.

Another notable feature this weekend is the large temperature variation expected between sessions, which take place at different times and under varying weather conditions. This complicates the engineers’ work in finding the optimal setup.

The temperature graph clearly shows that the tyres are predominantly stressed longitudinally—that is, during acceleration and braking rather than cornering.

Turn 10 is particularly demanding: a downhill braking zone where the front-left tyre tends to lock up. Attention is also needed at Turn 11, where the front-right tyre suffers the most.

Due to the track’s high abrasiveness, Pirelli has again chosen the hardest tyre compounds available—C1, C2, and C3—even though lateral stress is not especially high. Tyre degradation is expected to be significant, particularly from a thermal standpoint.

Grip levels over the weekend are heavily influenced by the surrounding desert and wind, which frequently carries sand onto the track surface. Grip is expected to improve as the weekend progresses, aided by the return of F2 and F3 action on the circuit.

The track’s high abrasiveness, combined with strong thermal degradation, results in medium-to-high expected wear levels, as shown in the graph. Rear tyres are especially stressed due to the dominant longitudinal forces from the high demands on acceleration and braking.

Despite the surprising one-stop strategies seen in China and Japan, a two-stop approach appears to be the most suitable here. With four long straights and three DRS zones, overtaking is relatively easy; however, qualifying remains important to start up front and better manage tyre degradation.