TCR International Series returns to Bahrain for F1 Grand Prix

For the second consecutive year the series runs at Sakhir as a support event to the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. In 2016 the Lukoil Craft-Bamboo team dominated the event, with Sergey Afanasyev claiming pole position and Pepe Oriola scoring a double victory.

On Saturday night in the first race, Oriola and his SEAT León resisted a superb recovery from Gianni Morbidelli in the WestCoast Racing Honda Civic, while Oriola’s teammates James Nash and Afanasyev finished in third and fourth positions.

Morbidelli’s teammates Kevin Gleason and Aku Pellinen led the second race in its early stages, but Oriola and Nash recovered quickly after starting tenth and ninth on the reverse grid. With less than two laps to go, both Oriola and Nash overtook Gleason and gave a 1-2 finish to Lukoil Craft-Bamboo. The fight for third resulted in a collision between WestCoast Racing’s Gleason and Morbidelli, the former stopped, the latter dropped back and their teammate Pellinen inherited the final place on the podium.

TCR competitors will hit the track for the first time on Friday for two twenty-minute Free Practice sessions. On Saturday they will take part in a thirty-minute Qualifying session; all drivers will run during Q1 and the fastest twelve will be allowed to participate in Q2.

The first TCR International Series race will take place on Saturday afternoon, just before the F1 Qualifying. The second race will be held on Sunday in the early afternoon as an appetizer to the F1 GP.

TCR in Sakhir – the event at a glance

Lap distance: 5.41 km
Race distance: 10 laps or 25 minutes
Start: standing
Grids: determined by Qualifying results (Q1+Q2) with top-10 reversed for Race 2

Timetable:

Friday, 10:45/11:05 - Free Practice 1
Friday, 15:55/16:15 - Free Practice 2
Saturday, 11:00/11:30 - Qualifying (Q1 + Q2)
Saturday, 16:30 - Race 1
Sunday, 13:00 - Race 2

all times: GMT +3