It is something of a statistical oddity that McLaren has never won what could be termed as a second home race for the team.
The McLaren Group is owned by Mumtalakat, the Bahraini sovereign wealth fund, with a 67% stake in the company, but McLaren has never been able to deliver success in Sakhir, despite taking part in every grand prix since the race joined the calendar in 2004.
The team has not even scored a podium finish at the circuit since Lewis Hamilton grabbed third in the 2010 season-opener, and even that came after leader Sebastian Vettel developed gremlins in the Red Bull, slowing to fourth at the flag.
Lando Norris has finished fourth twice, in both 2020 and 2021, whilst Oscar Piastri's best result is eighth on his second visit in '24, having retired on his F1 debut in '23.
It is Ferrari who is the most successful team in Bahrain with a total of seven wins, compared to six for Mercedes, four for Red Bull and two for Renault in the Fernando Alonso heyday.
With the expected advantage of its MCL39 machine, can McLaren finally notch up a win in Bahrain this weekend?
McLaren's best results in Bahrain
| Driver | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi Raikkonen | 2005 | 3rd |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 2006 | 3rd |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2007 | 2nd |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2010 | 3rd |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2009 | 4th |
| Lando Norris | 2020 | 4th |
| Lando Norris | 2021 | 4th |
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