This weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will get the season off to a hot, dry and sunny start, as Formula One makes its first stop on a journey of 19 races, across five continents over the next nine months. Renowned for being one of the hottest and most physically challenging races on the calendar, this year will see temperatures rise to a weekend high of 34°C.

On Thursday afternoon, as the Bahrain International Circuit paddock fills up for the first time, ambient temperatures will hit a high of 32°C, the lowest high of the weekend. The first day of track action on Friday will witness highs of 33°C, before the thermometer rises again for Saturday and Sunday to 34°C. Skies will be clear throughout the weekend, with maximum humidity staying in the region of 30%.

With the F1 circus arriving to the circuit a month and a half earlier than last year, conditions will be up to four degress cooler on race day, but the track temperature will still be expected to rise into the forties, giving drivers, teams and Bridgestone a tough test as the sport reacclimatises to life without refuelling pitstops.

Teams and drivers will also face the challenge of getting used to an updated track layout at the BIC, with a new slow-speed loop having been added between turns 4 and 5 of the 2009 layout.