2016 Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix

**2016 Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix**
Race details
Round 2 of the 2016 Formula Challenge season

Date	8th March, 2016
Event	2016 Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix
Location	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
Course	Permanent racing facility 3.36 mi / 5.407 km
Distance	14 laps, 47.04 mi / 75.698 km (each race)
Weather	Dry
Pole position
Driver	Carlos Fernandez	Tēafor Motorsport
Time	1:44.039
Race One Podium
First	Terence Grech	Zedderick Racing
Second	Jonathan Holmes	Arrow International Racing
Third	James Johnson	Madcape Racing Team
Race One Fastest Lap
Driver	Carlos Fernandez	Tēafor Motorsport
Time	1:45.294
Race Two Podium
First	Carlos Fernandez	Tēafor Motorsport
Second	Geoffrey Fournier	Epic Racing
Third	Terence Grech	Zedderick Racing
Race Two Fastest Lap
Driver	Carlos Fernandez	Tēafor Motorsport
Time	1:45.302

The 2016 Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix - the second round of the season - took place on the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on the 8th of March.

Report

Background

The opening round in Australia saw wins for Geoffrey Fournier and Carlos Fernandez (Epic Racing and Tēafor Motorsport respectively) leaving the latter tied with Max Melamed of Scuderia Basilea at the top of drivers standings. Fanatec Draig Racing left Melbourne leading the team's standings. Almost half the grid picked up back-of-the-grid penalties for track limit infractions following Melbourne, among those affected included Fournier, Fernandez, James Johnson, Johan Lindberg and Patrick Wannemuller who all performed well in the season opener.

Qualifying

With so many frontrunners having to take penalties forcing them to the back of the grid, it was Philipp König (Cosmo) who would line up on pole position after setting the fifth fastest time in Qualifying. His time of 1:45.217 was over a second off the fastest, set by Fernandez, however by virtue of being the first driver without the penalty, took his first pole position of the year. Fernandez would eventually line up in twentieth. Joining König on the front row was Terence Grech (Zedderick) with Cameron Brewster again impressing with third on the grid for Fanatec Draig. Championship co-leader Max Melamed would line up eleventh after a tough session saw him set only the twentieth fastest time.

Race One

Terence Grech took advantage of his front row start to take the win in the first race, his and Zedderick's first win of the season. He finished over three seconds ahead of second placed Jonathan Holmes (Arrow) with MadCape's James Johnson in third, a further second back. The race was noticeable for a high number of incidents, including another multi-car crash at the first turn of the opening lap, however only four drivers registered retirements from the race.

Fernandez recorded the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:45.294.

Race Two

Race two continued race one's theme of crashes with a start line collision on the formation lap involving Alexander van der Woude (Magenta) and Matthew Chirgwin of Fanatec Draig, resulting in damage for both cars - however both cars were still able to take the start in their second row grid slots. Fournier was drawn as the reverse grid pole sitter after finishing in 11th in race one, however it was his front row partner Fernandez who again stormed to the race two victory with a clinical performance, taking the lead at half distance and never looking back. Fournier kept hold of second, just under four seconds off the Spaniard. Terence Grech made it two podiums from two races, taking home third despite starting in eleventh place. Once again there was another first lap multi-car crash, causing three retirements on the spot.

Fernandez once again recorded the fastest lap, slightly slower than his race one effort clocking in at 1:45.302.

Post-race

Fernandez left the Bahrain round in the lead of the Driver's Championship on 62pts, holding an eleven point lead over Brewster in second with Fournier in third just a single point off the Englishman. Grech's double podium catapulted him up to fourth in the standings whilst Holmes rounded out the top five on 40pts. In the Team's Championship, Fanatec Draig strengthened their lead (84pts) to nine points over second placed Tēafor (75pts), a wider gap separates them from third placed Epic Racing (58pts). Zedderick jump to fourth on the back of Grech's heroics with 49pts with MadCape only two points behind in fifth.

First Lap Incidents/Driving Standard Controversy

Once again both races had multi-car incidents on the opening lap, with many drivers critical of driving standards once again. The standard of driving was largely bemoaned by lead commentator Lewis McGlade during the broadcast and was further highlighted by a number of drivers post-race on the forums.