Why it’s called a team sport

Bahrain provided F1 with some of the hottest track temperatures the drivers have experienced so far although this was easily matched by the action on the sidelines. 

While Australia and China produced excitement the racing in Sakhir throughout had even the casual observer captivated throughout the race. Of course, if you listen to former supremo Bernie Ecclestone it might also be the end of the season – he is fond of informing all around that the winner of the race in Bahrain usually wins the world championship. 

No wonder Sebastian Vettel was so happy!

Throughout the practice sessions there were surprises with the lower-ranked teams performing well and Red Bull joining Mercedes and Ferrari with fast single-lap times, with the former initially struggling. 

The temperature differential between the hot afternoon sessions and those during the relatively cooler night-time produced challenges for the mechanics and engineers who tried to balance the set-up on their cars.

Qualifying produced the first pole-position of his career for the ever-popular Valtteri Bottas.  He is genuinely liked up and down the pit lane with several crew members on former teams referring to him as the nicest driver they have ever worked with. 

Having witnessed him shaking hands with every member of his team before and after every session, it is easy to see why. When he was confirmed as the fastest qualifier cheers could be heard in many of the garages.

Once the racing started there were seven cars fighting nose-to-tail with only a couple of seconds separating them, the Williams of former Bahrain race winner Felipe Massa being a welcome addition to the six cars from the top three teams who were trading places.

The field only started to separate once the aggressive Max Verstappen was forced to retire with brake failure, although this was possibly the culmination of several bellicose maneuvers, including one at the first turn.

Throughout the entirety of the race there were pockets of cars jostling for position with Fernando Alonso’s overtake of Jolyon Palmer, despite being noticeably slower along the straight, the most memorable. 

Force India was the biggest winner with Sergio Perez moving up from 18th on the grid to finish 7th while Williams will also be satisfied with its results.

Visually, the circuit is also attractive. Bahrain is the first real opportunity to see the titanium-induced sparks, while photographers delight in capturing the sunset between palm trees and the reflection of lights as cars race by.

Yet Formula One in Bahrain is about so much more than the race – it is the whole weekend, starting for the fans on the Thursday afternoon with the pit walk. 

This represents an opportunity for genuine fans from Bahrain and those visiting from overseas to get close to the cars and teams and create lifelong memories. 

The Ferrari crew was spotted seen limbering up with stretching exercises ahead of pit-stop practice. They were not the only ones getting hot under the collar as cars were readied for action.

The excitement was palpable.

Later, Ecclestone was seen wandering up and down the paddock for the first time this year and it is easy to see why he chose to make an appearance at Sakhir. He may be feeling unloved by the new owners of F1 but Bahrain is like a second home to him.

It is a feeling that appears mutual and is one that is reciprocated throughout the paddock with many of the teams openly expressing the enjoyment they feel when racing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Bahrain may never compete with the history of Silverstone or the glamour of Monte Carlo yet it seems to have established a niche within the travelling F1 fraternity for the friendly and efficient manner in which it goes about its business.

Despite the sudden spike in temperatures - which the teams admitted still felt better than the stifling humidity experienced in Malaysia - they are able to go about their business in wonderful facilities. 

The garages are larger than they are used to with greater storage capacity while the safest track in the world also means less damage to the cars, even if the early dusty conditions did result in the occasional off-track excursion.

While the heat caused some technical difficulties it also presented innovative teams with opportunities. The increased fluid consumption from the drivers allowed them to use the fuller pouches to adjust the ballast of the car.

It’s easy to sit in the paddock club, above the action in luxury, discussing the relative merits of each driver and his car. However, below is real evidence that this is truly a team sport.

A trip into the garages sees hundreds of mechanics (or ‘bolts’ as they call themselves) working feverishly on the cars. Yet they represent just a fraction of the staff.  Across the paddock the team buildings are full of management and engineers being catered for alongside sponsors and guests.

After the first practice session I was chatting to one team based in the UK and they were awaiting instructions from their factory for strategic instructions following the real-time analysis transmitted directly from the cars on track.

The teams are always under much more pressure for the second race of a ‘double-header’ and, having flown to Bahrain directly from China, there were always likely to be parts that needed fixing.  It was amazing to watch the amount of duct tape and glue being used – although I am assured that it is a much more hi-tech and expensive equivalent!

The lightning-fast turnaround between these fly-away races is always likely to add pressure, particularly for those teams awaiting delivery of an engine or two.

Red Bull and Ferrari even received boxes full of new parts on the morning of the race although these are more likely to have been for use at the test being conducted in Bahrain after the race.

Despite being at the back-end of a long trip the teams were generally delighted to be able to test in Bahrain and enjoy continued hospitality but, more importantly, to generate some meaningful data for the season ahead.

All teams are awaiting upgrades that will be tried and tested yet the teams are also hoping to learn more even about the earliest version of their cars. It is a subject of great debate within F1 as to why they do not come to Bahrain for the pre-season tests when conditions are perfect, as opposed to testing in Europe where sessions are conducted in the cold and frequently wet. Of course, the reason is cost yet surely a better balance can be found.

Bahrain has also developed a reputation for networking and the completion of business deals – while they have perhaps not returned to the levels seen several years ago, with international journalists finally focusing exclusively on the racing then that will return. 

Representative of the kingdom’s expertise off-track, Bahrain was also hosting a visiting contingent of marshals from Baku who were here to receive training. While much is made of the volume of in-bound traffic that accompanies F1’s circus, none of this would happen without the thousands of local volunteers who make the event as successful as it is.

I’ve always been a fan of F1 and love to see the action on TV and listen to the expert commentary. However, I’m now convinced that nothing beats getting down to the track as there is so much that even the latest advances in technology cannot replicate.

Judging by the increased numbers it appears that even the younger generation of Bahrain residents believes the same.