If you’re attending the Bahrain Grand Prix then you ‘only’ have the choice of 5 different grandstands to sit in.
To help you work out which are the best seats, below is my guide to the different grandstands at the Bahrain F1. It includes example views, seating plans and my tips on which seats to pick in each stand.
General admission or grandstands?
Unlike almost every other Grand Prix, there is no General Admission ticket option at Bahrain.
Instead you have to choose tickets for seats in one of the 5 grandstands (or more expensive hospitality options) if you want to watch the race at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Bahrain Grand Prix tickets
Bahrain Grand Prix Tickets can be purchased through the official Bahrain GP website.
These are some of the cheapest F1 tickets on the calendar. These are the official 3-day ticket prices which cover the whole Bahrain GP weekend schedule:
| 2024 Bahrain GP Grandstand Ticket Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grandstand | Adult | Child 3-12yrs |
| Main | 170BHD / $475 | 85BHD / $238 |
| Turn 1 | 120BHD / $320 | 60BHD / $160 |
| University | 70BHD / $185 | 35BHD / $92 |
| Batelco (Beyon) | 130BHD / $345 | 65BHD / $172 |
| Victory | 65BHD / $175 | 32.5BHD / $87 |
Tickets sell out fairly quickly in the more expensive grandstands. I’d recommend using Stubhub to find tickets (as I’ve done for multiple F1 races).
Grandstand seats - things to know
- All grandstands are covered and shaded
- Children between 3 and 12 years old get half price tickets (see table above)
- Children 2 and under go free
- You will have reserved seats for all 3 days
- You’re not allowed alcohol in the grandstands (only in designated areas away from the stands which cost extra to enter)
- All grandstands have visibility of a big TV, but some can be small and far away (bring binoculars)
Best seats at the Bahrain Grand Prix
If you’re on a budget, the best seats at the Bahrain Grand Prix are in the highest rows of sections C or D in University 2 Grandstand.
If you can spend a little more, the best place to sit for the Bahrain F1 is section P, R or S of the Turn 1 grandstand.
Read on to see why those are my ideal places to sit.
Bahrain GP grandstands
The map below shows the location of all of the grandstands at the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit. In the next sections I’ll provide additional details on each stand.
Main grandstand
- Location: Outside (left side) of start / finish straight, opposite pit lane & garages
- Chose this for: Action at the race start / finish, pit lane, pit stops, grid walk & podium
- TV screens: 3 large screens on the pit buildings opposite, spread out along its length
The main grandstand is split in to two levels. The sections are named with letters and roman numerals.
Bahrain main grandstand seat plan is below. All sections (apart from A-I and G-IV) are 30 seats wide.
Seats in the top level will have a better vantage point to look over the pit wall in to the garages.
The start / finish line is inline with sections E-I, E-II, E-IV and E-V. The podium is actually at the very start of the pit garages and if you want a view of that from your seats at the end of the race you want to be in one of the A sections.
If you want to do some celeb and driver spotting during the pre-race grid walk sit to the right of the start / finish line in sections A to D.
The stage for the Bahrain F1 concert headliners is directly behind this stand, in the F1 village.
The main grandstand has coverage of the start finish straight and both the first and final corners in the distance, to its left and right respectively.
Here’s a video of the view from section D-V row H showing the start of the race:
Turn 1 grandstand
- Location: Outside (left side) of the end of the start / finish straight and Turn 1
- Choose this for: Seeing overtaking in to Turn 1 at the end of one of the Bahrain DRS zones
- TV screens: Two screens visible on the inside of the corner on the other side of the track, quite far away
The Turn 1 grandstand has sections which go from A to S (no I, O or Q).
Bahrain Turn 1 grandstand seat plan:
Where you sit in this stand changes your view substantially. If you sit in the higher sections like R or S you can see not just of Turn 1, but all the way down to Turn 4 in the distance too.
The green area on the map below shows the parts of the track that are visible from here.
The video below was filmed from section S and shows a great agnle of Turn 1, 2 and 3 and Turn 4 in the distance (but you need binoculars to see it).
The only downside to sitting at this end of the stand is that the screens are further away as is the start line.
Whereas this video was filmed from section H row S and whilst it has better views of the start line and the TV, you can’t see Turn 4.
I’d recommend sitting as high as possible for a better vantage point. Which section you choose depends on your preference.
Personally I’d like to be closer to Turn 1 and with a view of Turn 4 in the distance, so would go for section P, R or S and bring some binoculars!
University grandstand
- Location: Outside (left side) of the circuit by Turns 2 and 3
- Choose this for: Cheaper way to see overtaking at Turn 1, and some of the infield section
- TV screens: Two screens visible on the opposite side of the track
The university grandstand is split in to three separate parts – University 1, 2 and 3.
Bahrain University grandstand seat plan:
What you can see from each of these three parts is slightly different. The green areas show the track coverage, but read on for more detail.
University 1 primarily has views of Turns 1, 2 and 3 and can see some of the way down to the straight to Turn 4.
This video was filmed from the University 1 grandstand at Bahrain:
University 2 also has a view of Turns 1, 2 and 3, plus if you sit high enough in the stand you can see over the fences in the middle of the track and watch the action at Turns 9 and 10 on the infield. The TV screens are directly opposite this stand.
This video was filmed from the University 2 grandstand:
From University 3 you can still see Turn 1 although it’s a bit further away, as are the TV screens.
But from here you can see Turns 8, 9 10 and some of the way down to Turn 11. This has the most comprehensive view of the infield section of the three parts.
23:38 in the video below was filmed from University 3 section A row F:
The best seats in the University grandstands are in the higher rows of sections C or D in University 2.
From there you can see Turn 1, the infield section and the TVs.
Batelco (Beyon) grandstand
- Location: Inside (right-side) of the circuit along the DRS straight between Turns 9 and 10
- Choose this for: Panoramic views of almost the entire infield section including
- TV screens: One visible on the opposite side of the track
The Batelco grandstand is sometimes referred to as the Beyon grandsand. It’s one level split up in to a number of different sections, as the seating plan below shows.
The amount of the circuit you can see from this stand is pretty much the same regardless of which section you decide to sit in, and is shown by the green area on the map below.
It’s definitely worth sitting as high as possible in this stand for a better viewing angle.
You can just about see the cars exit Turn 4, and then follow them all the way down until they pass in front of you on the straight between Turns 9 and 10. You’ll lose them out of sight once they’ve gone through T10.
The video below was filmed from section C-I row I (‘eye’) of the Batelco grandstand:
Victory grandstand
- Location: Outside (left side) of the circuit near the final corners 14 and 15
- Choose this for: Cheapest seats at the Bahrain GP
- TV screens: One screen visible opposite each part of the grandstand
The Victory grandstand is split in to two parts, Victory 1 and Victory 2, as the seating plan below shows.
The Victory grandstand has the cheapest seats at the Bahrain GP, and for good reason. These grandstands are on a quiet part of the circuit that’s a long way from the main Fan Zone with the poorest views.
The view from Victory 1 isn’t very good at all. You can’t see the final two turns, all you can see is Turn 11 on the infield a way in the distance (better if you sit higher).
Victory 2 is better as you can see the final two corners plus down the start / finish straight. But you cannot see anything of the infield section of the track.
This video was filmed from section A of Victory 2:
Seats in the Victory grandstand should be your last choice at the Bahrain F1.
For barely any more money the University grandstand offers much, much better views.
Thanks for your site.
I’m going to F1 in Bahrain and your information helped me a lot in choosing seats.
Thanks!
Great, thanks for the comment David. Have a nice race!