Hamilton seeks to equal his personal best of wins in a season, Vettel could extend the Bahrain win record and Red Bull look to get a car on the front row for the 100th time. Here are the milestones and the records which could be broken at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix!
THE MILESTONES
This will be the 1033rd F1 Grand Prix, the 16th Bahrain Grand Prix and the 16th F1 race held at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The 53rd lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will be the 900th racing lap to take place at the Bahrain International Circuit since F1 first visited in 2004.
With Mercedes already crowned Constructors’ Champions and Lewis Hamilton having won the Drivers’ Championship at the Turkish Grand Prix, this will be the first ‘dead rubber’ Formula 1 race since the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It’s also the first time that F1 has visited Bahrain with both titles having already been decided. Read more: F1’s Dead Rubber Races.
THE RECORDS TO BREAK
Having won his tenth race of the 2020 season at the Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton could equal his personal best of most wins in a single season this weekend. A win at the Bahrain Grand Prix would be his eleventh of the year. He also won eleven races in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Hamilton could still equal the record for most races won in a single season if he wins every remaining race this year.
If either Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas leads a lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, this will be the 150th Formula 1 race in which a Mercedes driver has led. They would be the fifth team to reach the milestone, after Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Lotus.
After celebrating their 300th race start in Turkey, Red Bull could become the sixth team to have had a car appear on the front row at 100 Grands Prix. So far, there have been 99 races where a Red Bull driver has appeared on the front row, most recently Max Verstappen at the Turkish Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel could extend the record number of Bahrain Grand Prix wins to five. He currently holds the record for most wins at the circuit, having previously won here in 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. Should Lewis Hamilton be victorious, he would equal Vettel’s record of four wins in Bahrain.
Mercedes could equal Ferrari as the most successful engine manufacturer at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Ferrari-powered cars have won here six times so far, compared to Mercedes power’s five wins. Of course, Ferrari themselves could extend the record.
Lewis Hamilton could equal Sebastian Vettel’s record tally of three Bahrain Grand Prix poles this weekend, while Vettel himself could extend the record to four. Should Valtteri Bottas or Charles Leclerc take pole, they would become only the fifth driver to have had multiple pole positions at the Sakhir track.
Ferrari and Mercedes are currently tied as the teams with the most pole positions at the Bahrain Grand Prix. It seems likely that one of them will extend the record to six this weekend.
A fastest lap for Sebastian Vettel would be his third at the Bahrain Grand Prix, equalling Nico Rosberg as the driver to have the most Fastest Laps at the event.
Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen currently share the record for most Bahrain Grand Prix podiums, with eight apiece. A podium for either of them would be a record-breaking ninth top three finish at this track. Both drivers also share the record for most third places, with three apiece. A third place finish for either would see them extend the record, while a third place finish for Romain Grosjean would see him equal the record.
Finland currently holds the record for the nation with most podium finishes at the Bahrain Grand Prix. They’re on eleven, and could extend the record this weekend; or Britain and Germany could both equal or surpass the current record.
If Lewis Hamilton scores and Kimi Raikkonen does not, Hamilton would equal Raikkonen as the driver to have had the most points-scoring appearances at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Finn is currently on twelve, while the Brit has scored points here eleven times.
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel currently share the record for most front row starts at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with six apiece. They could both extend the record this year, or one of them may become the outright record holder.
Daniel Ricciardo would set a new record for most fourth place finishes at the Bahrain Grand Prix should he finish fourth this weekend. He has finished fourth twice previously, sharing the record with Nick Heidfeld.
Mercedes could equal Ferrari’s record tally of podium finishes in Bahrain. With Ferrari currently on fourteen top three finishes at the track and Mercedes on twelve, Mercedes would require both drivers to finish in the top three with neither Ferrari driver on the podium to equal the record.
McLaren will become the fourth team to score 100 points at the Bahrain Grand Prix if their drivers can pick up six points between them.
Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris are in a group of five drivers with a 100% Q3 appearance rate at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Both will be looking to stay in that group this weekend, while Nicholas Latifi could join the list if he reaches Q3. The other drivers on the list are Paul di Resta, Juan Pablo Montoya and Christian Klien.
Should anyone retire on the first lap, it would be the first such retirement at the Bahrain Grand Prix since Sebastian Vettel in 2008.
Both Sergio Perez and Daniil Kvyat could set a new record for most Q2 exits at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. They are currently tied with Nico Hulkenberg on four Q2 eliminations. Romain Grosjean and Max Verstappen could join that trio if they exit in Q2.
If he completes every lap of the race, Kimi Raikkonen will be one lap short of equalling Fernando Alonso as the driver to have completed the most Grand Prix laps in Bahrain. If he finishes, Raikkonen will equal Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso as the drivers to have finished the most Bahrain Grands Prix. Massa and Alonso each reached the chequered flag at the event thirteen times during their careers.