Bahrain Grand Prix 2018 — Weekend Preview

Round 2 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Sakhir, Bahrain. Bahrain Grand Prix — The Desert Test of Tyre Management. Sebastian Vettel leads the championship with 25 points, 7 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Driver Championship (entering R2):
P1: Sebastian Vettel — 25 pts (1W, 1P)
P2: Lewis Hamilton — 18 pts (0W, 1P)
P3: Kimi Räikkönen — 15 pts (0W, 1P)
P4: Daniel Ricciardo — 12 pts (0W, 0P)
P5: Fernando Alonso — 10 pts (0W, 0P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Ferrari — 40 pts
P2: Mercedes — 22 pts
P3: Red Bull Racing — 20 pts
P4: McLaren — 12 pts
P5: Renault — 7 pts

Sakhir is a balanced challenge.

Recent winners at Sakhir:
- 2025: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 2024: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2022: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2021: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Sebastian Vettel vs Lewis Hamilton — 7 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Kimi Räikkönen (15) vs Daniel Ricciardo (12) — just 3 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Daniel Ricciardo (12) vs Fernando Alonso (10) — just 2 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Fernando Alonso (10) vs Max Verstappen (8) — just 2 points apart.