The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the opening round of the F1 season on four previous occasions since it made its debut on the calendar in 2004 - claiming the honour in 2006, 2010, 2021 and 2022.
In each of those years, at least one driver made their first F1 start in the Bahrain Grand Prix, while in 2020 the track hosted two races on consecutive weekends with the Sakhir Grand Prix on the shortened outer loop track also marking the first appearances of Jack Aitken (Williams) and Pietro Fittipaldi (Haas).
A deceptively difficult circuit on which to start out, several newcomers have fallen foul of the circuit's foibles and made costly mistakes that effectively factored themselves out of inclusion in this list.
On the sole outing for the longer endurance layout in 2010, Williams rookie Nico Hulkenberg blotted his copybook with a spin at the chicane, while in 2021 Haas driver Mick Schumacher was consigned to a lonely evening by spinning after a safety car restart. Still, at least he got past the first lap...
For the avoidance of doubt, drivers that didn't reach the finish are not considered for the list.
Here, Autosport ranks the five best outings by a debutant in Bahrain - which this year's crop will surely hope to emulate.
5. Scott Speed, 2006
Car: Toro Rosso-Cosworth STR1
Grid: 16th
Finish: 13th
The first American on the Formula 1 grid since Michael Andretti in 1993 enjoyed a whirlwind ride to the top. The 2004 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup champion was on the podium on his first GP2 start in 2005 and by mid-season had made his free practice bow with Red Bull in Canada.
In the former Minardi team's first race under its new Toro Rosso identity, Speed and team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi were anomalous in using a detuned V10 engine among a sea of V8s. Speed actually outpaced Liuzzi, who had made four race starts with the senior team in 2005, and Red Bull's Christian Klien in Q1 before ending up 16th on the grid, one place behind Liuzzi in Q2.
Struggling with the balance, he put together an uneventful race to finish a lapped 13th, two spots behind Liuzzi but ahead of both Toyotas and Rubens Barrichello's Honda - not a standout by any means, but a mistake-free event and a finish on the board.
4. Zhou Guanyu, 2022
Car: Alfa Romeo-Ferrari C42
Grid: 15th
Finish: 10th
Formula 1's only rookie of 2022 instantly silenced critics that he owed his place on the grid to his nationality by scoring a point on his debut. Sure, the result owed plenty to Red Bull's late reliability dramas as fuel systems sidelined first Max Verstappen then Sergio Perez in the final few laps to boost him up the order.
But Zhou had impressed by reaching Q2 at the first time of asking and had to fight back in the race from his car engaging anti-stall on the opening lap, putting in a crucial pass on Mick Schumacher's Haas. Describing his afternoon as a "rollercoaster" was entirely fitting.
A lap time deletion that cost him one spot on the grid - although ultimately inconsequential - was the only blight as the Chinese driver made history.
3. Yuki Tsunoda, 2021
Car: AlphaTauri-Honda AT02
Grid: 13th
Finish: 9th
It took everybody by surprise when rookie Tsunoda ended Q1 second only to Max Verstappen. That eye-catching late run on soft tyres which secured his spot in Q2 and the swashbuckling nature of his run to ninth in the race prompted Ross Brawn to label the Japanese driver the "best rookie F1 has had for years".
Tsunoda found himself down in 13th on the grid after struggling with the medium tyres in Q2, leaving him to languish eight places behind his team-mate Pierre Gasly in fifth. But he made amends in the race following a sluggish start, rescuing two points for AlphaTauri after Gasly's race was wrecked by contact with Daniel Ricciardo before gearbox gremlins struck.
Passing Alpine returnee Fernando Alonso was "an emotional experience", and Tsunoda earned extra plaudits for zapping Lance Stroll's Aston Martin on the final tour to score a 9 in Autosport's driver ratings.
2. Stoffel Vandoorne, 2016
Car: McLaren-Honda MP4-31
Grid: 12th
Finish: 10th
The reigning Formula E champion is an outlier in this list because he wasn't a full season regular in 2016. Instead, Vandoorne's debut was a credential-boosting cameo as the 2015 GP2 champion subbed for Fernando Alonso, who had suffered rib injuries in his enormous Australian Grand Prix shunt.
At late notice when the FIA ruled Alonso out of the event, Vandoorne flew over from Japan - his base for the year in Super Formula - and impressed as he out-qualified seasoned veteran Jenson Button by two positions. The pack bunching ahead of him following Valtteri Bottas clattering Lewis Hamilton at Turn 1 cost a few spots, but Vandoorne put together an "accomplished" drive thereafter to complete the points after power unit failure sidelined Button and earn a 9 in Autosport's driver ratings.
1. Nico Rosberg, 2006
Car: Williams-Cosworth FW28
Grid: 12th
Finish: 7th
At the circuit where he'd clinched the GP2 title the previous year with a then-unprecedented weekend sweep, and where he would go on to win for Mercedes in 2016, Rosberg clearly had affinity for Bahrain. And that was also on show when he made his F1 debut with a stunning recovery to seventh after losing his nose in a first corner tangle with Nick Heidfeld's BMW.
Rosberg was unable to follow team-mate Mark Webber into Q3 after two spins and that meant he started right in the thick of the pack - his clash with Heidfeld prompting a first lap visit to the pits. Technical director Sam Michael reckoned it had cost him 45 seconds, and at the flag he was 44s shy of third-placed Kimi Raikkonen after charging back into the points. Autosport labelled it a "majestic" performance, as he ended up only one place and 22s shy of Webber with passes on the Red Bulls of David Coulthard and Christian Klien.
"That's the most impressive grand prix debut I can ever remember anyone making," remarked Jackie Stewart. "Not many people can overtake like that."
That he became just the fourth driver ever to record the fastest lap on debut, 0.115s faster than Michael Schumacher's Ferrari, just earns him the top spot in our ranking.
