So far every Formula 1 grand prix this year has been won from pole position – and, in the most recent one in Japan, the running order was notably static since tyre characteristics militated against strategic divergence at a track on which it is difficult to overtake.
But the first three rounds of the season are held on circuits that have little in common with other venues on the calendar. Bahrain has a more conventional layout with more overtaking opportunities, while the openness of the track surface and the heat of the desert location are more punishing on tyres.
