THE Formula One season is back after a fortnight break – and ready for an adrenaline-filled weekend in the desert.
Bahrain plays host as title winner Lewis Hamilton looks to claim a fourth career victory at the Sakhir Circuit, where he won last year.
- Practice 1 time: 11am GMT
- Practice 2 time: 3pm GMT
- Practice 3 time: 11am – Saturday Nov 28
- Qualifying time: 2pm – Saturday Nov 28
- Bahrain Grand Prix: 2.10pm – Sunday Nov 29
Follow all the action with our live blog below…
FP2 IS DONE
Hamilton tops the session just as he did in FP1.
Verstappen in P2 and Bottas in P3.
Other story was Alex Albon’s huge crash and the session being stopped by a stray dog.
Good day from Perez, who again shows good pace but concerns for the two Ferraris and McLaren are also off the pace.
AND THIS IS THE RESULT
Hamilton in P1
A new name at the top of the time sheet ⏱️
Lewis Hamilton puts in a 1:28.971 to go quickest 🚀bahraingp 🇧🇭 f1 pic.twitter.com/PQIC9fKTq8
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2020
15 MINUTES TO GO
Hamilton is now starting his quick runs. Let’s see what he’s got.
Q2 IS GO AGAIN…
The dog has gone and the session has restarted again.
We had a Green Light – briefly
And then this guy turned up 👀🐶🙂
So another red flag for now…bahraingp 🇧🇭 f1 pic.twitter.com/MR0fdWoKod
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2020
VETTEL IS SINGING
“Who let the dogs out?”
That is two races in a row where a dog has stopped play.
FP2 IS GO AGAIN…OR IS IT?
The wreckage has been cleared up and the light goes green.
There is now a dog on the track, so the session has been stopped.
ALBON IS OK
But he will be checked by the medics given the severity of the impact.
He is a tough cookie but his smash is going to dent his confidence. Not to mention Red Bull’s coffers. That damage is going to cost a fair amount to rectify.
RED FLAG
Session is halted after Alex Albon hits the barriers hard 💥
Albon reports on team radio that he’s ok 🎧bahraingp 🇧🇭 f1 pic.twitter.com/oGRYbb3uy3
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2020
WOAH BIG SMASH FOR ALBON – RED FLAG
His Red Bull is smashed to bits.
He lost control at the final corner and the car flips back and slams him into the wall.
That was a poor mistake for the under fire driver. His confidence has been hammered and this is yet another blow.
Will he stay at Red Bull?
VERSTAPPEN LEADS THE WAY
After some difficulties in Q1, Verstappen is going well here in P1.
Perez again looking strong and Ricciardo too, so almost a repeat of Q1.
The only difference is the two Mercs are bottom but they have yet to do their fast laps.
A RARE MOMENT THIS SEASON
As Mercedes cars are placed in P19 and P20
Told you it was an experimental session.
CLOSE SHAVE FOR VERSTAPPEN
The Dutchman is nearly taken out by one of the Racing points. He is lucky to get away with that.
Meanwhile Gasly is also losing his rag with Bottas, who is hogging the racing line, despite being slow and bogged down with a heavy fuel load.
FP2 IS GO
And again, the 2021 tyres will again make some appearances during this session. So plenty of development runs.
HAMILTON IN ACTION
The world champion was back in his groove earlier on. Can he repeat it in the second practice session?
END OF Q1
Hamilton means business. He is quickest in F1 following up his success in Turkey in excellent fashion.
Bottas again in P2 and Perez in third.
Good stuff from Sainz, Red Bull’s Verstappen and Albon, plus the Renault duo who are in the top 10.
SOLID START FOR PEREZ
Incredible to think that the Mexican is without a seat in F1 next season. Was on the podium last time out in Turkey. Now inside the top three.
Great driver, but has been shown the door by Racing Point. He must be on Red Bull’s list and says he is only interesting in joining one team on the grid.
NEAT ROUND UP
TOP TEN (60/90 MINS)
Hamilton
Bottas (📸)
Perez
Gasly
Verstappen
Albon
Stroll
Sainz
Grosjean
Magnussenbahraingp 🇧🇭 f1 pic.twitter.com/XQjbMZGkEW— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2020
RED BULL GIVES YOU SPINS
Verstappen is the latest to suffer a spin, he loses it at the final corner and pits to replace his flat-spotted tyres 👀bahraingp 🇧🇭 f1 pic.twitter.com/HtLWEv7miJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2020
BAH-RAIN?
More rain on the way. This could shake things up again. Hamilton and Bottas still P1 and P2.
Good stuff so far from Gasly and Perez who are in the top four.
SPINS FOR LECLERC AND GROSJEAN
Mistakes from both drivers but they avoid contact with the barriers and are back on their way.
Both cars very down on pace. Leclerc in P15 and Grosjean in P17
VERSTAPPEN NOW ON TRACK
The Red Bull man blew his chances of winning in Turkey after spinning off when he tried to overtake Sergio Perez.
He would love to finish the season strongly as he has already secured the title of best of the rest behind the Mercedes duo.
BOTTAS WRECKS A SET OF TYRES
Remember, the Finn had a shocker in Turkey. He had six spins.
And now he is flatspotting his tyres here, struggling to hit the brakes in time to make the corner and causing the front wheels to lock up.
Not been a great season for him. Bad luck and unable to match his teammate.
FP1 IS GO
Already busy on track, The early rain has gone away and it is your champion, Lewis Hamilton at the top of the time charts.
Bottas in P2, Sainz in P3.
Early days yet…
FP1 IS ALMOST GO
And this week it will feature the new Pirelli tyres made for the 2021 season. Now, you might think that tyres are tyres.
But you’d be wrong. The different compounds (of which there are 5) react in different ways. Some are harder and last longer, some a softer and while they result in faster laps, as they are grippier, they don’t last as long.
Tyres are a big part of F1. There are one of the four main variables (driver, car, track and tyres) that can influence the race.
They are the only part of the car that comes in contact with the surface, and, at the moment, the teams have limited information about the 2021 tyres.
So, this FP1 session will feature lots of data gathering for the teams, who will study all the information they receive from a selection of new 2021-spec tyres.
BOTH TITLES ARE DONE…BUT THERE IS STILL LOTS TO PLAY FOR
Ok, so it is a bit difficult to get excited about the runner’s up runner up…but in the constructors’ championship it means millions in prize money.
Racing Point, McLaren and Renault are all vying for that third place behind Red Bull, who occupy second place behind champions Mercedes.
LEW’S PAIN
Lewis Hamilton recalled the racial abuse he suffered as a young driver as he was honoured with the game changer prize at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.
The racing driver, who won a record-equalling seventh Formula One world championship earlier this month, appeared during the online ceremony in a pre-recorded segment.
The Stevenage-born star, 35, described his early years in karting and spoke of how he had been affected by the death of George Floyd in the US.
He said: “At the end of the day, every single one of us, we bleed the same colour blood.
“It started when I was five, my first experience of racism, and it continued through school, walking through parks and being jumped, having things thrown at you, and then later through karting, constantly racial slurs.
“Once I even turned professional, I received racial abuse and no-one said anything. My dad would always just say, ‘Do your talking on the track’.
“For me, it was watching George being held down for those eight minutes and 30 seconds.
“It brought up a lot of emotions that I hadn’t even realised I had suppressed. Enough is enough. Now is not the time to be silent.”
Hamilton, who has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the 2020 F1 season, also looked back at his first race of the calendar where he took the knee.
“I remember feeling heat because I knew it was going to spark some sort of reaction,” he said.
“People still to this day don’t fully understand what that gesture means. This is not a political statement. This is a human rights issue.
“It’s not just about doing the symbolism thing, like taking the knee or changing the car to black,” he added, referring to his F1 team Mercedes’ decision to use a black racing livery this year.
“It’s then what can we do to really make change.”
Star Wars actor John Boyega, actress Michaela Coel and England footballer Marcus Rashford were also among the stars honoured at the awards.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
