F1 2022 Bahrain Track Guide

Today I’m going to take a detailed look at a lap of Bahrain. This is a track that is extremely tricky to master with a few complex corner sequences such as the infamous turns 9 and 10.

I’m going to take a look at every corner on the track, showing you the ideal line to take and when you should be braking. I’ll also look at what not to do in the hopes that this track guide will help you master the Bahrain circuit.

I’m going to be attacking this circuit using the 2022 Formula 1 car in Assetto Corsa. This is a fantastic mod created by the guys over at Race Sim Studio.

Turn 1, 2 & 3

So let’s jump straight in and take a look at turn 1. This is a heavy braking zone and one which is important to get right. It leads directly into turn 2 so you need to ensure the line you take through T1 will give you the best exit into turn 2.

Start by keeping your car far left, but not on the outside kerb. You going to be keeping your eye out for the 150 and 100 braking board as you’ll be aiming to brake at around the 110-120 meter mark.

Just before you hit the 100-meter board, apply full braking force and quickly shift down to help your car decelerate. You want to go right down to 2nd gear. You can drop to first if you need a little more rotation at the apex, but try to stay in second.

Ideally, you want to turn in a little late, which will help straighten your exit allowing you to get on the power earlier. Try not to clip the kerb as it will bump you off line.

And as you exit T1, try to straighten your car as quickly as possible, and don’t run out too wide towards the exit kerb. Upshift early to avoid wheel spin while accelerating. And here you want to get to full throttle before you hit the apex of turn 2.

It’s a long run down to turn 4 and it’s a great overtaking spot, so nailing your exit out of turns 1, 2 and 3 is crucial.

You can run over the inside kerb of turn 2 to allow you to straighten the corner as much as possible, and run out wide onto the outside kerb after turn 2. Remember to keep your throttle pinned throughout this sequence to maximise your straight-line speed.

Turn 1, 2 & 3 Top Tips

• Brake at the 120-meter mark
• Take a late corner entry
• Just clip turn 1 apex before straightening your car
• Full throttle through turn 2
• Run over apex of turn 2 and run out wide onto outside kerb

---

Turn 4

As you approach turn 4, you should place your car far left, although try not to run onto the outside kerb at the entry. Although some games such as the Codemasters F1 games do allow you to put a wheel on the outside here.

Keep an eye out for the 100-meter boards, as you want to brake just after these and just before you reach the outside kerbs.

Then turn for the apex early aiming for third gear by the time you hit the apex. You should look to trail brake on the corner entry as you will be turning before you are completely finished braking.

Again, try not to hit the kerb as you will lose time bouncing off line, but start applying the throttle just as you pass the apex. It is bumpy mid-corner, but try to not apply too much steering lock while you start to accelerate.

You will need to moderate the throttle as you start to accelerate as this is an easy place to lose the rear end. But you can run out extremely wide on the exit of T4 which will help you minimise your steering angle. You can clip the outside kerb if needed then apply full throttle down to the next corner sequence.

Turn 4 Top Tips

• Brake at the 80-meter mark
• Turn in early and just miss inside kerb
• Trail brake on corner entry
• Run out wide while accelerating through and out of turn 4

---

Turns 5, 6 & 7

On the approach to turn 5, you want to position your car far left. There is a slight left kink just before the braking point for turn 6. This is a very short and sharp braking zone, where you will look to shift down to 5th gear.

Try not to scrub off too much speed as you approach the apex of turn 6 but use the downshift to 5th to rotate the car a little. Aim to just miss the inside kerb, but if you do hit it, try not to do so too heavily.

As soon as you are at the apex of turn 6, start applying the throttle again as you run down to turn 7. You can shift up to 6th gear again quickly and keep the throttle planted as you approach the corner. You may need a slight lift of the throttle just before the apex of turn 7, but use some of the inside kerb and all of the track width at the exit.

Avoid going too high on the outside kerb at all costs as running beyond the first part of the kerb will unsettle your car. And this may cause a spin if you don’t lift off the throttle.

Once you are through turn 7 aim for the left part of the track on the run down to T8.

Turns 5, 6 & 7 Top Tips

• Short braking zone just before turn 6 entry
• Aim for 5th gear on T6 entry
• Accelerate hard early out of T6, but beware of the rear of the car letting go
• Lift off the throttle slightly before T7
• Maximise the track width on corner exit out of T7

---

Turn 8

Turn 8 is a tricky downhill braking zone where it is easy to lock your front wheel. The track is just wide enough here for an overtake, as long as you’re a little more precise than Lance Stroll or Daniil Kvyat!

When not overtaking, the track width allows a wide line through T8, giving you a good amount of space to minimise your steering angle on the exit.

On the entry, you want to keep your car in a straight line while braking, and trail brake slightly as you start to turn in. You’ll want 2nd gear here, as 1st gear will emphasise any wheel spin on the corner exit.

Again, try to just miss the inside kerb as that will bump you off line, but start applying the power early. You will want to short shift up to third gear to eliminate wheel spin while you accelerate hard down to the next very tricky corner sequence.

You can run out onto the outside kerb a little if needed. But just be aware to not accelerate too hard with your tyres on this kerb as this can cause wheel spin and instability.

Turn 8 Top Tips

• Straight braking zone on the downhill approach to T8
• Aim for 2nd gear at the apex
• Short shift to 3rd gear on corner exit

---

Turns 9 & 10

Next up is the hardest corner sequence of the whole lap. This extremely tight downhill left-hander often sees drivers locking up their front left tyre and it is so easy to lose time and go off track if your braking isn’t spot on.

Exiting T8, you’ll want to drift to the far right of the track. This will help straighten your braking zone on the downhill approach to turn 10. Before you reach turn 9, you can drift onto the outside kerb before you start to turn towards the apex of T9. This will help you widen the track and give you as straight a line as possible for braking.

Start to drift back over to the left-hand side for the shortest and straightest route towards turn 10. You’ll want to start braking as soon as you pass the apex of T9 in as straight a line as you can while aiming your car to the far right of turn 10.

You won’t be able to brake in a completely straight line, meaning you will still be steering to the left, but straighten your steering as much as possible while braking.

You should brake hard at the start of the braking phase, then reduce your braking input as you progress towards turn 10. Slowly release the pedal as you turn into the apex of T10, aiming to just miss the inside kerb. You should be in 2nd gear before hitting the apex.

Once you are safely through the apex of T10, drift out wide towards the outside kerb as you straighten your steering wheel and start to apply throttle. Short shift up to 3rd gear as you slightly run out onto the outside kerb.

Avoid running too far onto the outside kerb as this will cause you to break traction, which will affect your speed down this medium length straight. There is a DRS activation point shortly after the corner exit meaning T11 is an overtaking spot if you nail your exit out of this tricky corner.

Turns 9 & 10 Top Tips

• Run over outside kerb on approach to T9 to straighten corner entry
• Brake as you reach the apex of T9 while keeping the car as straight as possible
• Trail brake on the approach to T10 to avoid locking a wheel
• 2nd gear as you reach T10
• Avoid the inside kerb of T10 and run out close to or just onto the outside kerb on the exit

---

Turns 11, 12 & 13

The next sequence of corners are my favourite at Bahrain. They are fast and sweeping and are great fun when you nail your line. It is easy to run out wide through turn 11 if you overcook it a little, and T13 is a tricky braking point. But once you’ve mastered this corner sequence you’ll have so much fun.

On the approach to turn 11 you’ll want to keep your car to the far right and keep an eye out for the 50 meter board. Brake just before hitting this at around 65-70 meters. You’ll want to shift down to 4th gear to get the car turned into the apex.

Try to position your front left tyre up and over the inside kerb and roll your car through towards the far outside of the track. You can start accelerating as soon as you are through the apex, and really push your car to the full width of the track. You can even roll onto the outside kerb if needed.

It is so easy to run off track on the exit and it feels almost unnatural to be at full throttle as you see the outside of the corner looming. Once you’re safely through T11 start to drift to the left of the circuit before the fast turn 12.

You’ll be at full-throttle through T12 where you should aim to get close to the inside kerb but not touch it. Touching the inside kerb here will quickly throw you off track, and it is very easy to lose the rear of the car in the Codemasters F1 games if you take too wide of a line here.

The aim is to find the perfect line out of T12 to set you up for the very tricky braking point for turn 13. It is hard to know when to stamp on the brake pedal here, but if in doubt, brake earlier rather than later. Braking late into T13 will always push you out towards the edge of the track and will heavily compromise the long run down to the last corners.

A good reference point for your braking point here is the inside barrier. There is a bright orange segment of barrier which is your cue to brake. Just as this goes off-camera throw down the anchors and brake down to 4th gear. You can quickly use 3rd gear if you need a little extra rotation but you’ll slightly compromise your mid-corner speed if you do.

Much like Turns 9 and 10, you’ll be applying some steering lock while braking, but keep your car as straight as possible. You’ll be turning in earlier than you think to turn 13 while carrying your speed. Don’t over-brake here as you’ll again lose speed down the back straight.

Look to clip the inside kerb then start to apply a small amount of throttle. While accelerating run your car wide and on to the outside kerb to maximise your speed out of the corner.

Turns 11, 12 & 13 Top Tips

• Brake at 65-70 meters for T11, down to 4th gear
• Run out wide as you accelerate out of T11 using all of the track
• T12 is completely flat but avoid the inside kerb
• Brake at the orange barrier marking for T13, down to 4th gear
• Clip the inside kerb and use all of the track on the exit of T13

---

Turns 14 & 15

You’ve reached the last two corners of our 2022 Bahrain track guide. This is a relatively easy corner complex to end the lap, but one which is vitally important, as it will dictate your speed down the long pit straight.

Approach with your car positioned far left and keep an eye out for the 100-meter board just under the large overhead signage. Brake just as you pass this at around 80-90 meters down to 3rd gear.

Aim to just glance the inside kerb, but certainly don’t drive too far over it as it will throw you to the outside of the track. Then quickly shift up to 4th gear as you exit T14 while using the whole width of the track.

The track will naturally curve round to the right through T15 giving you plenty of space to use to maximise your corner exit.

Then it is a case of being hard on the throttle down towards the start/finish line while keeping an eye out for the DRS activation point.

Turns 14 & 15 Top Tips

• Brake at 80-90 meters, just past the overhead signage
• 3rd gear through T14, then quickly shift up to 4th
• Just clip the inside kerb of T14
• Use all of the track on the exit to maximise your corner exit speed

---

Bahrain track guide overview

That rounds out a lap of the Bahrain International Circuit in an F1 2022 car and completes our 2022 Bahrain track guide. The 2022 car is slightly less aero-dependant meaning it has a little more understeer and oversteer than the 2021 F1 cars. The track guide above is written for the 2022 F1 cars, but can be used in F1 2021 as well.

Bahrain consists of a few great overtaking opportunities, with turns 1, 4, 8, 11 and 13 all being potential overtaking zones. But turns 1, 4 and 13 are your main overtaking spots. These all feature long straights directly before meaning exiting the previous corner well is crucial for a good race in F1 2022.

---

Bahrain car setups

Once you’ve mastered the perfect line around the Bahrain track, you should look at applying the best car setup you can to maximise your lap time. View our F1 2021 Bahrain car setup guide here to learn how to set up your car perfectly for Bahrain.

---