Bahrain International Circuit has been confirmed for iRacing

The last iRacing development update has left us with much interesting news about the incoming content. The Bahrain International Circuit will not be ready for the next season, but I appreciate that they will be working on it.

A bit of story and history

There is no date yet, but the already veteran track is one of the content I miss the most. The first Middle East F1 venue has already surpassed two decades, and I have a special relationship with it. A couple of years ago I decided to go there with friends to enjoy what could be a new F1 regulation and surprises. As Spaniards, we enjoyed Alonso’s third place and we spent a whole week on the island enjoying the different culture and the hospitality they showed us.

The small country has always enjoyed a very clever initiative. They embrace F1 in the first place in a region with little motorsports background, and the events on the track are easily enjoyable due to the space of the installations. Some details are aging worse than others, like screens for the spectators on the track, but are easily fixable.

A guilty pleasure

Another notable highlight is the Bahrain International Karting Circuit, located near the F1 track. It is an incredible experience, even though the price is one of the highest we paid. The track is well-maintained; the go-karts need a little love, but you’ll usually enjoy a very awesome experience if you can drive at night. We spent a big part of our budget there.

The F1 track was one of Tilke’s biggest projects at that time. Apparently artificial and without soul at first sight, the main layout seems to be growing in your heart with every lap. As with the karting track, you just need to love the different conditions and the chance to race at night, a completely awesome experience. I would have loved to have the chance to have a track day or something because I really enjoy with regular cars in Assetto Corsa, where you have breathtaking mods.

The official data

Let’s take a look at the official data and layouts, extracted from the official sources and Wikipedia:

The Bahrain International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة البحرين الدولية, romanized: Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a 5.412 km (3.363 mi) motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first Formula One race held in the Middle East. Beginning in 2006, Australian V8 Supercars raced at the BIC, with the event known as the Desert 400. However, the V8 Supercars did not return for the 2011 V8 Supercar season. 24 Hour endurance races are also hosted at BIC. The circuit has a FIA Grade 1 license. The circuit also has multiple layouts.

Of course, iRacing will have to surpass what you can find currently in Assetto Corsa Ultimate where the Fenryr mod is a piece of art.

You can download it for free by clicking here. You can subscribe to Fenryr’s Patreon too 🙂

You can check all other mods available for Assetto Corsa Ultimate in the Breathe 3.2 spreadsheet by clicking here.

Fondly memories

Bahrain welcomed us that week, and we enjoyed it a lot. I even thought it would be a nice place to work if someone gave me a chance. I expect to feel again a little of these vibes once the track arrives in the sim.