2010 Bahrain Grand Prix

Entrants

Three new teams make their race debuts: Hispania Racing (formerly Campos Meta), Virgin Racing, and Lotus Racing — a Malaysian-owned outfit not directly descended from the historical Team Lotus. Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP, bought by Daimler) also makes its debut under new colours. Sauber returns after competing as BMW Sauber in 2009.

New race starters this weekend include Nico Hülkenberg (Williams), Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna (Hispania), Lucas di Grassi (Virgin), and Vitaly Petrov (Renault). Petrov is Russia’s first Formula One World Championship driver. Chandhok is India’s second, after Narain Karthikeyan in 2005. Senna, nephew of three-time champion Ayrton Senna, carries the family name back to Formula One sixteen years after his uncle’s death.

Jenson Button makes his debut for McLaren after moving from the dissolved Brawn. Michael Schumacher makes his return to Formula One after a three-year absence, joining Mercedes GP. Felipe Massa returns after his head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Timo Glock also returns after his accident at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, now driving for Virgin.

At 24 cars, this is the largest grid since the 1997 Australian Grand Prix entry list. It is the first race since the 1995 Japanese Grand Prix to feature more than 22 starters.

Milestones

Alain Prost serves as the drivers’ representative on the stewards’ panel under new FIA regulations requiring a former racing driver at each event. It is the first race under the new 25-point scoring system and with refuelling banned during races — a practice that had been permitted since 1994.

Track changes

The race uses a new extended circuit layout. After turn four, drivers follow a new loop of nearly 900 metres before rejoining the original track before the old turn five. Lap distance increases from 5.412 km to 6.299 km.

Practice

In the first free practice session, Adrian Sutil set the fastest time for Force India. Fernando Alonso was second, ahead of Robert Kubica, Felipe Massa, and the two McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Michael Schumacher set the tenth-fastest time on his return, two places behind teammate Nico Rosberg. Both Lotus drivers and Timo Glock set times; Lucas di Grassi failed to complete a full lap in the second Virgin car. Hispania was still completing its two chassis when the session started, though Bruno Senna completed two installation laps. Karun Chandhok’s Hispania was sidelined by a hydraulic problem.

In the second session, Rosberg set the fastest time with Hamilton second and Schumacher third. Senna continued to struggle, eventually matching the pace of the fastest GP2 Asia Series drivers but remained four seconds off the established teams.

In Saturday practice, Alonso set the fastest time of 1:54.099, 0.269 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Chandhok again failed to participate due to a hydraulic problem. Timo Glock’s Virgin lost its left-front wheel mid-session due to an under-torqued airgun.