Red Bull hope Honda's Indy 500 experience helps at Sakhir GP

Manama, August 28: Christian Horner is hoping Honda's Indy 500 winning experience will help Red Bull at the newly announced Sakhir Grand Prix in December.

On Friday, Formula One confirmed the night race on Sakhir's high-speed outer circuit will deliver the second stage of Bahrain's double-header later in 2020.

The smaller, near-oval circuit - over two kilometres shorter than the traditional Bahrain GP track - represents a "challenge", Red Bull team principal Horner accepts.

But the Austrian outfit are powered by Honda, who won the Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Takuma Sato last week.

While Horner acknowledges the contrast between that event and an F1 race, he is optimistic this knowledge can work in Red Bull's favour.

"The fact that we're using an oval is going to be really interesting," Horner said. "It's a bit different for Formula One.

"Honda and [Toyoharu Tanabe, their F1 technical director] have a great deal more experience of oval racing, having just won the Indianapolis 500 last weekend, so we'll be looking to benefit and draw on all their experience and knowledge.

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— Formula 1 (@F1) August 28, 2020

"I don't think it's going to be an Indianapolis-type circuit, but I think the challenge of an oval-type layout in part of the circuit is going to be different.

"It's going to be a short lap and should be exciting, so we're looking forward to it."

Quoted on the Formula One official website, Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost added: "[Qualifying] will maybe be a little bit chaotic but entertaining. We will see.

"And in the race, then we will see how it is with overtaking, because all the cars are very close together. We will see how good the top cars are - and how many times they will [lap] everyone."