This month’s Bahrain Grand Prix will mark the 60th anniversary of Formula 1 in a celebration that will include the most ambitious collection of historic racing cars and drivers since the sport’s birth in 1950.

In what is a major coup for the Sakhir track, twenty surviing world champions will be joined by 20 championship-winning cars as part of the sport’s rare celebration to itself. Among the names will be Mika Hakkinen, who’ll be demonstrating Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes-Benz W196 from the ‘50s, and Damon Hill will be back in the seat of his title-winning Williams-Renault FW18. Other living legends of F1 to make it to the opening round of the 2010 championship are: Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Keke Rosberg and Emerson Fittipaldi.

Some of the featured cars would usually be seen in a museum, but this time they’ll be wheeled out onto the Bahrain International Circuit for the Diamond Jubilee. Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari 500 F2 (1952), the Alfa Romeo 159 (1950), Lotus 25 (1963), Tyrrell 006 (1973) and McLaren MP4/4 (1988) will all be part of the show.

‘How better to celebrating the [60th birthday] occasion than with an unrepeatable gathering of legends,’ said BIC’s acting CEO, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The seventh Bahrain race will also differ this year in its new layout. Organisers have decided to switch to the 6.3km ‘Endurance’ layout, adding six corners and 0.8km to the overall length, making it the second longest track of the calendar, just after Spa and ahead of Suzuka.

The new section starts after Turn 4, with a fast-flowing right hander feeding into a sequence of five bends, after which the track joins the previous year’s layout. Adding in this slower section will reduce the average speed around the track, and will undoubtedly be unpopular with race-goers, who see the cars going by less often.

It’s now the second time the layout of the race has been changed since 2004, with the fourth corner on the track being eased in 2005.

‘The [new] loop was completed in 2006 as part of the built-in evolution of the venue for competitors and fans,’ said Zayed R. Alzayani, the circuit’s chairman. ‘We gave it its debut with the inaugural 24 Hour Race of Bahrain that same year where it proved extremely successful, and with the changes to the regulations, the teams and the driver line-ups in Formula One this year it is the perfect time to evolve the circuit with this new challenge and new overtaking opportunities.’

The event has taken over from Australia as the season-opener to boost its attendance, but grandstands aren’t expected to be filled. Last year, when it was placed fourth on the calendar, 28,000 attended the Grand Prix.