Racing on the inner or outer track in Bahrain? These are the differences

The racing season kick-offs this weekend, and there are still questions about the exact layout that will be used at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend. Will it be the classic Inner Loop, or will the outside track that was used in 2020 make a return?

Where the Bahrain International Circuit's inside track is the usual layout for a Formula One weekend, an alternative route was outlined last season, for the second consecutive race in the country.

A line was drawn through the technically challenging middle section, and an almost completely straight track replaced the sector. This reduced the length of the race by some 2000km, despite an increase of thirty laps in the Grand Prix.

The choice for the track layout used will undoubtedly have an impact on the outcome of the race. Last season there was a lot of criticism on the outer loop, because the revised track only has two hard braking points and a lot of straights. The Sakhir Outer Loop is one of the few tracks where one lap is less than 60 seconds.