From a driver’s point of view, I would describe the level of difficulty for this circuit as basically ‘normal’. However, it is hard to find the right rhythm in the desert, mainly because of the sand that the wind blows onto the track. Therefore every lap is different, which can be a decisive factor, especially in qualifying. If you move just a few inches off the ideal line, you start to slide and you can throw your lap in the bin, because you just can’t make up the time you lose at this point. Therefore, the rate of mistakes is significantly higher than at other circuits. You need to be patient before overtaking, maybe waiting for the driver in front of you to have a small slide. There are two very good overtaking opportunities: at the first corner and at corner 14, after the long straight.

Bahrain is a pretty technical track with quite extreme conditions. So it’s always interesting for us to try different things on the car during free practice, in order to be as well prepared as possible for all the various situations that we might experience in the race. It’s a track which I really enjoy driving. I also have some very good memories here. I started here in Formula 2 and had some great races, although last year was a little bit harder as I was just at the beginning of my career in Formula 1. I can’t wait to race there with Ferrari, hopefully bringing home a good result.