Bahrain Grand Prix Factfile: What time does the race start? What's the Sakhir lap record?

Formula 1 will be under the lights in Bahrain this week as Lewis Hamilton looks to hit back in the championship fight with Sebastian Vettel. The Sakhir circuit was the scene of Scuderia success last year, but the likes of Red Bull and Haas are also out for Australian redemption.

WHEN IS THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX?

The Bahrain Grand Prix will be held on Sunday April 8 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir.

The race will start at 18:10 local time (16:10 BST). Saturday's qualifying session starts at 16:00 local time (16:00 BST).

WHO WON LAST YEAR?

Vettel jumped pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton perhaps had the pace to catch the Ferrari man, but spent too long trapped behind his team-mate before the Silver Arrows ordered them to switch places.

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WHO HAS MOST WINS?

Vettel's third win in Sakhir last year took him joint-top of the Bahrain record books with Fernando Alonso, who won in 2005, 2006 and 2010.

Last year's Scuderia success snapped a three-race winning streak for Mercedes, two wins for Hamilton and one for Rosberg. It was Ferrari's fifth win in Bahrain, most of any constructor.

Felipe Massa (twice), Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher are the other winners of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Mercedes have been on pole in Bahrain in each of the last five grands prix.

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HOW LONG IS THE BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT?

The grand prix circuit combines nine right-hand turns with six left-handers over 5.412 km (3.363 mi), with 57 laps adding up to a race distance of 308.238 km (191.530 mi).

WHAT IS THE LAP RECORD?

Pedro de la Rosa clocked the fastest in-race lap at Bahrain in 2005 in the McLaren, stopping the watch at one minute and 31.447 seconds. Bottas' pole lap last year was clocked at 1:28.769.

WHAT IS THE WEATHER FORECAST?

Sunny skies and temperatures of 30 degrees centigrade will greet the teams on Friday practice, but the qualifying and race will be held at night, when temperatures will drop to around 25 degrees, presenting teams with unique set-up challenges.

WHICH PIRELLI TYRES ARE AVAILABLE?

Pirelli will bring the medium, soft and supersoft tyres to Bahrain.