The current weather forecast for the first race of the 2022 Formula 1 season in Bahrain with the forecasts for the subsequent race weekend in Jeddah
There are very crucial questions on every race weekend of Formula 1 2022. Namely: What is the weather forecast? Can we expect a wet track on site? Will we need intermediates or even rain tyres? Or will it simply remain consistently dry from practice through qualifying to the race and dry tyres will suffice? In short: What do the drivers around Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have to be prepared for?
To be able to answer these questions, our editors keep a close eye on the weather at the Formula 1 venues a few days before the tests or race weekends begin. And as the event progresses, this preview article is constantly updated with new weather information such as temperature in degrees Celsius, wind strength, cloud cover and expected precipitation for the individual days per weekend.
The result is a weather forecast that is as accurate as possible for the respective Grands Prix of the 2022 Formula 1 season. However, all information is without guarantee, as some motorsport venues such as Spa-Francorchamps or the Nürburgring are known for having particularly changeable weather that cannot always be accurately forecast. Precipitation can also occur there unannounced.
The next time Formula 1 takes to the track will be at Sachir in Bahrain, from 18-20 March 2022 for the first race of the 2022 Formula 1 season.The current forecast for the season opener in Bahrain (18-20 March 2022):
Friday’s start to the first race weekend of the season will be comparatively cool by desert standards – despite the sun shining unhindered on the track all day. When the first free practice session starts at 1pm, the temperatures just reach the 20-degree Celsius mark, which is also the highest temperature on the day.
During the start of the second free practice session, the outside temperature is even only 18 degrees Celsius. This means that drivers and teams face another unknown on the first practice day of the new Formula 1 era, as they have no reference values on how the new tyres will behave in such low temperatures in Bahrain.
In addition to the cool temperatures, the wind could also become a problem factor. The average wind speed is 37 km/h, but individual gusts can reach up to 60 km/h. In addition, the wind comes from a north-easterly direction, which is why the drivers have to be prepared for permanent crosswinds in the twisty sectors one and three.
Saturday’s qualifying will be similar to Friday. Although the third free practice session will take place at 23 degrees Celsius, the temperatures will drop again to 19 degrees Celsius for qualifying. However, compared to the previous day, the wind speed decreases a little.
The average wind speed drops to 24 km/h and the fastest gusts only reach 47 km/h. Nevertheless, there is a risk that drivers will be blown off the track on their fast lap with a light car if they are not careful. On Saturday, the wind is also coming from the north-east.
Race Sunday is the warmest day of the weekend. Just in time for the start of the race, the temperatures reach 26 degrees Celsius, the highest value of the weekend, and the wind also decreases significantly on Sunday. Even though individual gusts still reach 42 km/h, the average wind speed is just 14 km/h. Perfect conditions for the first race. Perfect conditions, then, for the first race of the new Formula 1 era.
Note: This forecast will be updated several times during the course of the week
First predictions for the Formula 1 race in Jeddah (20.03.2022)
In Jeddah, Formula 1 is again expecting much warmer temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius – there is no trace of clouds or even rain. The only disturbing factor could once again be the wind. As in Bahrain, the wind sometimes reaches speeds of around 55 km/h.
The other dates on the 2022 Formula 1 calendar:
27.03.2022: Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 2nd race of the season
10.04.2022: Melbourne (Australia), 3rd race of the season
24.04.2022: Imola (Italy), 4th race of the season
08.05.2022: Miami (USA), 5th race of the season
22.05.2022: Barcelona (Spain), 6th race of the season
29.05.2022: Monaco (Monaco), 7th race of the season
12.06.2022: Baku (Azerbaijan), 8th race of the season
19.06.2022: Montreal (Canada), 9th race of the season
03.07.2022: Silverstone (Great Britain), 10th race of the season
07/10/2022: Spielberg (Austria), 11th race of the season
24.07.2022: Le Castellet (France), 12th race of the season
31.07.2022: Budapest (Hungary), 13th race of the season
28/08/2022: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), 14th race of the season
04.09.2022: Zandvoort (Netherlands), 15th race of the season
11.09.2022: Monza (Italy), 16th race of the season
25.09.2022: still open, 17th race of the season
02.10.2022: Singapore (Singapore), 18th race of the season
09.10.2022: Suzuka (Japan), 19th race of the season
23.10.2022: Austin (USA), 20th race of the season
30.10.2022: Mexico City (Mexico), 21st race of the season
13.11.2022: Sao Paulo (Brazil), 22nd race of the season
20.11.2022: Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), 23rd race of the season