View source for 2016 Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix

{{Infobox Formula Challenge 2013 race report
| Race Flag      = File:Flag of Bahrain.png
| Event Name     = Challenge Bahrain Grand Prix
| Round          = Round 2
| Date           = 8th March
| Year           = 2016
| Image          = Bahrain International Circuit.png
| image-size     = 175px
| Location       = [[Bahrain International Circuit]], Sakhir
| Course         = Permanent racing facility
| Course_mi      = 3.36
| Course_km      = 5.407
| Distance_laps  = 14
| Distance_mi    = 47.04
| Distance_km    = 75.698
| Weather        = Dry

| Pole_Driver    = {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Fernandez]]
| Pole_Team      = [[Tēafor Motorsport]]
| Pole_Time      = 1:44.039

| Race1_First_Driver   = {{flagicon|MAL}} [[Terence Grech]]
| Race1_First_Team     = [[Zedderick Racing]]
| Race1_Second_Driver  = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jonathan Holmes]]
| Race1_Second_Team    = [[Arrow International Racing]]
| Race1_Third_Driver   = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[James Johnson]]
| Race1_Third_Team     = [[Madcape Racing Team]]
| Race1_Fast_Driver    = {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Fernandez]]
| Race1_Fast_Team      = [[Tēafor Motorsport]]
| Race1_Fast_Time      = 1:45.294

| Race2_First_Driver   = {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Fernandez]]
| Race2_First_Team     = [[Tēafor Motorsport]]
| Race2_Second_Driver  = {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Geoffrey Fournier]]
| Race2_Second_Team    = [[Epic Racing]]
| Race2_Third_Driver   = {{flagicon|MAL}} [[Terence Grech]]
| Race2_Third_Team     = [[Zedderick Racing]]
| Race2_Fast_Driver    = {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Fernandez]]
| Race2_Fast_Team      = [[Tēafor Motorsport]]
| Race2_Fast_Time      = 1:45.302
}}

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

==Report==
===Background===
The opening round in [[2016 Challenge Australian Grand Prix|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. [[Draig Racing|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 Autosport|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 Racing|Zedderick]]) with [[Cameron Brewster]] again impressing with third on the grid for [[Draig Racing|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 International Racing|Arrow]]) with [[MadCape Racing Team|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 WRT|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.

==Results==

* [http://en.gpvwc.com/competitions/results/?comp_id=3&target=718&sess=P| Free Practice]
* [http://en.gpvwc.com/competitions/results/?comp_id=3&target=718&sess=Q| Qualifying]
* [http://en.gpvwc.com/competitions/results/?comp_id=3&target=718&sess=R1| Race One Result]
* [http://en.gpvwc.com/competitions/results/?comp_id=3&target=718&sess=R2| Race Two Result]

==Standings after the race==

{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
;[[2016 Formula Challenge season#Drivers standings|Drivers' Championship standings]]
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos
! width=200| Driver
! Points
|-
! 1
| {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Fernandez]]
| align="right"| 62
|-
! 2
| {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Cameron Brewster]]
| align="right"| 51
|-
! 3
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Geoffrey Fournier]]
| align="right"| 50
|-
! 4
| {{flagicon|MAL}} [[Terence Grech]]
| align="right"| 49
|-
! 5
| {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jonathan Holmes]]
| align="right"| 40
|-
|}
{{col-2}}
;[[2016 Formula Challenge season#Constructors standings|Constructors' Championship standings]]
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos
! width=200| Constructor
! Points
|-
! 1
| {{flagicon|WAL}} [[Draig Racing|Fanatec Draig Racing]]
| align="right"| 84
|-
! 2
| {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Tēafor Motorsport]]
| align="right"| 75
|-
! 3
| {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Epic Racing]]
| align="right"| 58
|-
! 4
| {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Zedderick Racing]]
| align="right"| 49
|-
! 5
| {{flagicon|RSA}} [[MadCape Racing Team]]
| align="right"| 47
|-
|}
{{col-end}}

* <small>'''Note''':   Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.</small>

==Image Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glZntM3S8QQ Broadcast replay]

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[2016 Challenge Australian Grand Prix]]
| title = [[GPVWC]] [[Formula Challenge]] season
| years=[[2016 Formula Challenge season|2016]]
| after =[[2016 Challenge Russian Grand Prix]]
}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:2016 Formula Challenge race reports| 01]]
[[Category:Challenge Bahrain Grands Prix]]
[[Category:2016 in Bahrain|Formula Challenge]]