2013 Bahrain GP preview eBahrain GP

Circuit length: 5.412km

Lap record: 1:30.252 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)

Number of laps: 57

Race distance: 308.238km

Driver steward: Mika Salo

The pages of the F1 calendar have flipped ahead to Bahrain and the stage is set for some interesting racing. You see, the Bahrain International Circuit is known for the dust that blows across the track, getting into the working bits of the car and causing a loss of grip too. Temperatures at Bahrain soar, which is why tyre wear and tyre management are usually of prime importance during the race. And it's no different this year, either - while Pirelli had initially picked soft and hard tyre compounds for the race, they revised their choice of tyres after the Malaysian GP. Teams now get to pick between medium and hard compounds.

So who are we likely to see on the top step of the podium at Bahrain? Well, on the back of his successful campaign in China, Fernando Alonso does look strong. Indeed, he's the most successful driver at Sakhir, having won the race thrice - 2005, 2006 and 2010. His Ferrari team has won the race here four times, making it the constructor with the most wins in the country. But, there's simply no discounting the two Red Bulls. Sebastian Vettel won the race here last year, and after a controversial start to the 2013 season, is raring to get a clean win in the bag. Mark Webber, needless to say, will want the same thing. Discounting Kimi Raikkonen, even though the Finn has never won at this particular track, would be unwise.

Going into the race though, here are the championship standings:

Drivers championship

Kimi Raikkonen 49

Fernando Alonso 43

Lewis Hamilton 40

Felipe Massa 30

Mark Webber 26

Nico Rosberg 12

Jenson Button 12

Romain Grosjean 11

Paul Di Resta 8

Constructors championship

Ferrari 73

Lotus 60

Mercedes 52

McLaren 14

Force India 14

Toro Rosso 7

Sauber 5

Williams 0

Marussia 0

Caterham 0