LEWIS HAMILTON is back as he looks to become the first man in history to win eight F1 world championships.
The Brit is taking part in qualifying NOW as all the drivers look for the prime slots on the grid for tomorrow’s Bahrain Grand Prix in the opening round of the F1 season.
Get Lewis Hamilton to make PODIUM at F1 Bahrain GP at 20/1!
HAMILTON FINALLY GETS ON TOP
The world champion tops the timesheets for the first time this weekend.
Have Mercedes made improvements? Were they sandbagging after all?
Verstappen in P2, but has damage to the floor of his car.
Q2 IS GO
Busy track. Valtteri Bottas is first out. The majority of the bigger teams opting for the media tyres, which they will start the race on tomorrow.
But can one of the midfield teams cause and upset using the quicker, soft tyre?
Q1 IS DONE BLOW FOR VETTEL – RUSSELL THROUGH
Those drivers eliminated are: Mick Schumacher, Nicholas Latifi, Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel and Nikita Mazepin.
VERSTAPPEN HAS A WOBBLE
The Red Bull man goes quickest and is looking good at the top of the timesheets.
But he has just gone wide of the track and now broken some of his floor. Will that have an impact on his lap time for qualifying?
SUPER STUFF FROM TSUNODA
The AlphaTauri rookie, Yuki Tsunoda, has a mega lap and sets the second-quickest time after Max Verstappen.
BUSY TRACK
The pitlane comes alive as cars pull out from their garages. Plenty of early action with just 10 minutes remaining of Q1.
SPAIN FOR MAZEPIN
The Russian driver has lost control and spuns his Haas at Turn 13. Not a great start for his F1 career.
He is back into the pits for some new tyres.
RUSSELL IS FIRST OUT
The Williams man is on track. What can he do? Will he make it into the top 15?
HERE WE GO QUALIFYING FOR THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON
Can Red Bull keep up their excellent start with a pole? Or will Mercedes strike back?
Who else will make the top 10? Can Fernando Alonso challenge on his return?
And how will George Russell go in his Williams.
AND THERE WE HAVE IT!
Max Verstappen with Red Bull fastest again with 1m 30.577s in P3.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton second with 1m 31.316s and Pierre Gasly with AlphaTauri third on 1m 31.583s.
Huge advantage for Red Bull going into the first qualifying session of the season later on.
TWO MINUTES TO GO!
Last chance for the drivers to squeeze a lap in before P3 comes to an end.
AS IT STANDS!
This is how the top 15 stands with just five minutes of P3 to go.
VERSTAPPEN GOES QUICKEST!
Max Verstappen and Red Bull take the big advantage ahead of qualifying by clocking a 1m 30.577s on the softs.
Hamilton now 0.739s behind with Gasly in third.
DO IT DAN!
Daniel Ricciardo has been told to brake deeper into turn one.
He is losing time under the brakes which is a surprise but those are his instructions.
JUST 12 MINUTES TO GO!
So Hamilton and Bottas fastest so far with Sergio Perez third as Verstappen pulls out the pit with a shiny new set of soft tires on.
HAMILTON GOES QUICKEST!
The Brit hits 1m 31.316s just moments after Bottas went top.
Bottas’ lap was half a second slower but things starting to come together for Mercedes.
WHAT VETTEL WAS THAT?!
Sebastian Vettel is struck in the face with a piece of equipment that seemed to come loose from the front left corner of his car.
The German got on the radio and let his team know but it remains unclear exactly what it was.
GASLY GOES QUICKEST!
The Frenchman records the fastest P3 time we’ve seen.
A 1m 32:321s for AlphaTauri.
The track temperature is also plummeting to around 44 degrees.
OH NO NORRIS!
McLaren’s Lando Norris also complains about front locking.
It seems to be a recurring problem throughout the teams so far ahead of this season opener in Bahrain.
MAZE-SPIN!
Nikita Mazepin mimicks Leclerc spins out.
Nothing serious, slides onto the gravel but heads straight back to the pit.
FER GOD SAKE!
Fernando Alonso complained to his team that ‘front locking was a problem’ heading into turn one.
The Spaniard was heard reporting back to his team as he clocked more than 2.3 seconds slower than Verstappen’s lead marker.
LAND AHOY!
Lando Norris had time to wave at his pal Carlos Sainz as he whizzed past him on Bahrain practice.
VERSTAPPEN QUICKEST!
It is a 1m 32.933s for Hamilton.
And it stands until Verstappen pips it with a 1m 32.617s.
HARD MAN MAX!
Max Vertsappen is out on the hard tires.
Most drivers have been out on the softs until now but the Red Bull man has a fairly used looking hard set on.
BONJOUR CHARLES!
Charlses Lecler and Lewis Hamilton are out on the track.
The Brit looks extremely comfortable already with much more rear stability.
He’s managed four tenths quicker than his team-mate Bottas already even though the Finn’s time got deleted.
And Leclerc spins out on turn three!!!
He tells his team: “The grip is incredibly low!”
But no damage and he makes his way off the gravel and back onto the tarmac.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
