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      Lewis Hamilton and Damon Hill lead tributes as sport mourns ‘voice of Formula 1’ Murray Walker after sad death, aged 97

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and Damon Hill lead tributes as iconic Formula One commentator Murray Walker died aged 97.
      British superstar Lewis Hamilton was among numerous people from motor racing to honour the ‘voice of our sport’.

      Iconic F1 commentator Murray Walker has died aged 97Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      So sad to hear of Murray’s passing. I remember growing up hearing your voice over the races. You made the sport so much more exciting and captivating. The iconic voice of our sport and a great man, thank you for all you did, you will never be forgotten. Rest in peace🙏🏾
      — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) March 13, 2021

      Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton tweeted: “So sad to hear of Murray’s passing. I remember growing up hearing your voice over the races.
      “You made the sport so much more exciting and captivating. The iconic voice of our sport and a great man, thank you for all you did, you will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.”
      Walker, whose broadcasting career spanned more than 50 years, worked for the UK’s biggest channels before he retired from commentating in 2001.
      He was known for his enthusiasm and for being a true gent – and will be fondly remembered for his humorous slip-ups, dubbed ‘Murrayisms’.

      Murray’s most iconic moment came when Damon Hill crossed the line in Japan to win the 1996 F1 championship.
      He was forced to stop speaking because he was so emotional about fellow Brit Hill claiming glory.
      And Hill was one of the first of thousands to express his sadness.
      The 60-year-old took to Twitter to share his thoughts as the news of Walker’s death broke.

      Rest in Peace Murray Walker. Wonderful man in every respect. National treasure, communication genius, Formula One legend.
      — Martin Brundle 💙 (@MBrundleF1) March 13, 2021

      I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Murray Walker.
      — Mika Häkkinen (@F1MikaHakkinen) March 13, 2021

      We are immensely sad to hear that Murray Walker has passed awayHis passion and love of the sport inspired millions of fans around the worldHe will forever be a part of our history, and will be dearly missed pic.twitter.com/cMwLjjqxAj
      — Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2021

      “It is with great sadness that I have to inform Silverstone’s fans that Murray Walker died earlier today. He was to so many of us fans of F1, the voice that epitomised the sport we love. pic.twitter.com/sllG6Hhzx1
      — Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) March 13, 2021

      Much will be written about the impact that Murray had on the sport and we will make a more fulsome tribute in due course, but for the time being rest in peace Murray and thank you.” – Stuart Pringle, Managing Director
      — Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) March 13, 2021

      Rest in Peace Murray Walker. His commentary when Damon Hill won the World Championship in 1996 is still one of Sports most iconic moments for me. #F1 pic.twitter.com/v3kDrFrDUV
      — Curls (@Baramenyn_) March 13, 2021

      Alongside a picture of the two of them together, Hill wrote: “God’s Speed Murray and thanks for so much. The Legend will never die.”
      Another of Walker’s former colleagues, and ex-driver, Martin Brundle also paid tribute, writing: “Rest in Peace Murray Walker.
      “Wonderful man in every respect. National treasure, communication genius, Formula One legend.”
      Two-time world champ Mika Hakkinen wrote: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Murray Walker.”
      Former F1 presenter and current BT Sport frontman Jake Humphrey tweeted: “Just weeks ago I spoke to Murray Walker on the phone. He was in a residential home, hating getting older.
      “However, I could hear the sparkle and pride in his voice when we spoke about Lewis Hamilton’s 7th title. Murray set the standard. I’m honoured to call him a friend. RIP.”
      Sky lead F1 commentator David Croft also described what it was like to work alongside Walker in his own emotional tribute online.
      Croft described him as a ‘gentleman’ and a ‘legend’ and tweeted: “Rest in Peace Murray Walker, a gentleman and a legend in every sense of the word.
      “It was an honour to know you, a delight to spend time in your company and inspiring to listen and learn from you. THE voice of Formula 1 and always will be. Thank you xx.”

      Rest in Peace Murray Walker, a gentleman and a legend in every sense of the word. It was an honour to know you, a delight to spend time in your company and inspiring to listen and learn from you. THE voice of Formula 1 and always will be. Thankyou xx
      — David Croft (@CroftyF1) March 13, 2021

      It’s with great sadness we share the news of the passing of BRDC Associate Member Murray Walker OBE.A friend, a true motorsport legend, the nations favourite commentator and a contagious smile.We thank Murray for all he has done for our community.RIP our friend. pic.twitter.com/3Of3Ia3nMB
      — BRDC (@BRDCSilverstone) March 13, 2021

      Just weeks ago I spoke to Murray Walker on the phone. He was in a residential home, hating getting older. However, I could hear the sparkle and pride in his voice when we spoke about @LewisHamilton’s 7th title.Murray set the standard. I’m honoured to call him a friend. RIP ❤️ pic.twitter.com/d77kgLcW9Z
      — Jake Humphrey 💙 (@mrjakehumphrey) March 13, 2021

      BBC presenter Gabby Logan had some very touching words about Walker, saying no one on Earth would have anything other than ‘joyous memories’ of meeting the famous commentator.
      She wrote: “There is not a human on this Earth who met Murray Walker who would have anything other than joyous memories and smiles thinking of their time.
      “That voice, that turn of phrase and that enthusiasm for his passions and his life, he was a very special man.”
      Williams Racing described Walker as ‘unforgettable’ and said his passion for F1 was ‘infectious’ as they added to the thousands of people offering tributes.
      The team tweeted: “We are truly saddened to hear of Murray Walker’s passing.
      “Murray was the voice of @F1 for so many, and provided unforgettable commentary on many of this team’s most iconic moments. His passion for the sport was infectious, and never failed to make people smile.”
      As well as being the voice of F1, fans and colleagues alike have been quick to point to Walker’s infectious personality.
      And a clip from an interview with Jeremy Clarkson shows just how popular he was away from the track as he commentated on Ronnie O’Sullivan playing snooker.

      Murray Walker could make ANYTHING exciting with his eccentric commentary style. This is one of my favourites – snooker! “He’s missed it, he’s missed it, FANTASTIC!!” pic.twitter.com/KQcg5iqN2A
      — Paul McGinnes 🏁 (@PaulMcG92) March 13, 2021

      There is not a human on this earth who met Murray Walker who would have anything other than joyous memories and smiles thinking of their time. That voice, that turn of phrase and that enthusiasm for his passions and his life, he was a very special man. #ripmurraywalker
      — Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) March 13, 2021

      He was the voice of @F1 to millions and his love, passion and positivity for our sport were unmatched.You will be truly missed, Murray Walker ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mXVDID6GdS
      — Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 13, 2021

      We are truly saddened to hear of Murray Walker’s passing.Murray was the voice of @F1 for so many, and provided unforgettable commentary on many of this team’s most iconic moments. His passion for the sport was infectious, and never failed to make people smile. pic.twitter.com/YjN8nfSuia
      — Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) March 13, 2021

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      F1 pre-season testing LIVE: Stream and TV channel as Lewis Hamilton SPINS OFF track and Mick Schumacher gets a run out

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      AFTER a short refuelling break over winter the sight of tyres on tarmac is back – and Formula One racing proper is almost upon us.
      A gruelling 2021 season lies ahead – the longest ever in F1 history – with the cars and drivers in Bahrain this week for all-important pre-season testing.
      Testing is taking place over three days, from Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14
      Morning sessions run from 7am GMT until 11am, before afternoon runs between 12pm and 4pm
      You can catch every moment of the weekend’s action live on Sky Sports F1

      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      IT HAS TAKEN TWO DAYS BUT FINALLY MERCEDES SHOW THEIR PACE
      Valtteri Bottas goes into the top four and has now completed 39 laps.After a difficult start where the Finn has a gearbox issue, Mercedes now look like they are back on track.

      RED FLAG – SESSION STOPPED
      The engine cover from Sergio Perez’s Red Bull has come loose and broken on track.The session has been stopped while the marshals recover some of the debris.Red Bull will now need to find out what caused that failure while they fix the new cover in place.

      RELIABILITY IS LOOKING GOOD
      Aside from the gearbox failures on Bottas and Vettel’s cars, there has been a refreshing about of reliability.Yes, much of the aero parts are carried over, but the news power units all look rather strong this year.Remember, teams only allowed to use three engines this season without penalty.

      SOLID FROM ALPHATAURI AND ALFA ROMEO
      The Red Bull B team finished 2020 so strongly and this year they are boosted by a new Honda engine, which has been rushed through ahead of schedule.They are looking quick and reliable out on track and stepping out from Red Bull’s shadow.Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi is also enjoying himself. Currently fourth quickest on track and having done 93 laps.

      “PROMISING SIGNS” FOR FERRARI
      CHARLES LECLERC is confident Ferrari are showing “promising signs” as they look to bounce back from last season.The Italian team endured their worst finish in forty years as they were sixth in the constructors’ championship.But after a winter of tweaking their car design, Leclerc says they are making improvements.He said: “The impressions were good again. Yesterday we went through all the programme in the morning, but the conditions are very very tricky.”It’s very warm, and very windy, so it’s very difficult to make a comparison with last year for now.”And it’s all relative to the others: how much they improved compared to us.”But yeah, there are some promising signs, but we can’t know until the first qualifying.”The big issue Ferrari faced last year was their under-strength engine, which Leclerc was also an improvement this season.He added: “Everything feels quite good. But again, it’s very difficult to comment now, nobody’s pushing everything to its limit, especially in these conditions.”So for now it’s early days. But everything feels good and, as I said, stacks up with what we expected.”

      NAKITA MAZEPIN HAS A CLOSE SHAVE

      SERGIO PEREZ IS ON TRACK
      There is a big hype around the Mexican driver who has joined Red Bull.He obviously finished the season strongly at Racing Point and looking to get up to speed with his new team.I expect him to use as much time as he can in this session to get to grips with this car.His first practice race start was not good. But he is now away and ready to put in the laps.

      STILL STRUGGLING WITH THIS LIVERY

      FERRARI OUT ON TRACK
      And it is Charles Leclerc who is now out on track. He’s used to this car and will be eyeing up the long runs, as his teammate Carlos Sainz didn’t look comfortable.Sainz, who arrived at Ferrari from McLaren over the winter is slowly getting up to speed with their car.

      DAY TWO, PART TWO OF F1 TESTING
      The clock is ticking down as we pass the halfway stage of F1 testing. Only three days this year – usually it is eight, and more in the past.So not long to iron out any problems, as Mercedes and Aston Martin are finding.

      HALF WAY ON DAY TWO AND McLAREN AGAIN LOOK GOOD
      The Woking-based team top the timesheets thanks to Daniel Ricciardo’s excellent laps.It was very impressive from the team who have a new engine supplier in Mercedes.Speaking of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton spun off and he is clearly struggling with set-up issues.And a big concern for Merc will also be the gearbox failure in Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin.Aston are a customer of Mercedes and the problem limited the German to just nine laps.It comes after Valtteri Bottas suffered a gearbox issue the previous day. So that’s to gearboxes in two days that need stripping apart and investigating.

      VETTEL NOW ON TRACK
      After a gearbox change, he is now back in the car and on track but like Bottas yesterday, he has lost a lot of time.

      MORE WOE FOR LEWIS HAMILTON
      LEWIS HAMILTON’s dreadful start to the season continued when he spun off in Bahrain and was left stuck in the gravel.The world champion cut a dejected figure after losing control of his Mercedes at low speed.Hamilton lost grip at Turn 13 and slid slowly backwards into the gravel at under 80mph.Hamilton tried to drive away but his car was beached on the stone and needed rescuing from a pick-up truck.Former F1 driver Martin Brundle said: “It’s so unusual to see Lewis looking at a stricken car these days.”But he’s not exactly the only driver to be flying off the road today.”Fellow ex-racer Karun Chandhok added: “It’s really rare to see a mistake from Lewis, especially at testing.”I’m trying to think of all the pre-season tests I’ve been to in the last five, six years and I can’t think of one time he has been in the gravel.”You see the odd thing where he goes off in the run-off area or something – but everyone does that. To see him cause a red flag, I can’t think of a moment like that.”In further embarrassment, his Mercedes was lifted high into the air, exposing the car’s floor, which the team had tried to protect from prying eyes.It follows on from Friday’s session where he finished 10th on the timesheets, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas suffered a gearbox problem.It resulted in the team completing fewer miles than any other team when usually they display bullet-proof reliability during testing.Bottas had questioned the team’s decision not to run a shakedown during an official filming day, something every other team took advantage of.And on Friday night Hamilton said: “It wasn’t the cleanest of days that we’ve had but these things are sent to try you.”Everyone has worked extremely hard to get us here. We had that mishap in the morning which was very unfortunate for Valtteri in terms of losing time on track and the team is working hard to try and understand what that was.”The second session wasn’t without its challenges, but we exist to find solutions to the problems we are faced with.”We have no choice but to take the positives. I remember in 2007 during testing I had 10 days in the car and now it’s getting less and less.”We only have a day and a half in the car before the first race, with different tyres and different aero modifications so it’s not easy but it’s the same for everyone.”I’d like to think my nine years’ experience with this team will help me get the best out of it.”  

      BIG DEVELOPMENT DOWN AT ASTON MARTIN
      Sebastian Vettel is out of his car, which is sitting in the team’s garage.There is a suspected gearbox failure. And that if that is true, it will be a big worry for Mercedes, who supply the gearbox.Valtteri Bottas lost a chunk of time on Friday due to a gearbox problem. Could this be a similar issue?

      HEAD DOWN, CAR IN THE GRAVEL

      YET MORE BAD NEWS FOR LEWIS HAMILTON
      The Mercedes man spun off track earlier on this morning and his car was stuck in the gravel.It is yet more concerns for both him and his Mercedes team after a difficult start to testing yesterday where they suffered a gearbox problem.Hamilton cut a dejected figure as his car was lifted up out of the stones, displaying the car’s floor they have tried to keep secret.

      VERSTAPPEN TOPS DAY ON OF TESTING
      The Red Bull man topped the timesheets as Verstappen gets the season off to an excellent start.Also a good day for McLaren and Alpine who both set quick times.However, misery for Mercedes, who lost a chunk of time due to a gearbox problem in the morning while Lewis Hamilton was off the pace in the afternoon session.

      IN TO THE FINAL 15 MINUTES OF DAY ONE
      Still no good news for Mercedes as Hamilton drops to P10 on the timesheets. It will be interesting to see how the drivers react to this first day of testing.

      INTO THE FINAL HOUR OF DAY ONE OF TESTING
      And Max Verstappen has just gone quickest of the day.

      TESTING CONDITIONS

      THE ‘LON ROAD BACK
      Fernando Alonso believes he is in the form of his life – despite not racing an F1 car in two years.
      The two-time world champion has returned to the sport with the rebranded Renault team, now known as Alpine.
      Alonso, who quit F1 in 2018, spent last year racing in the Dakar series and again missed out on winning the Indy 500.
      But the 39-year-old says he still has unfinished business in the sport and decided to come back to F1.
      He said: “The main thing of why I am here was because I felt that I was at my best in the last couple of years.
      “I felt like I was driving better than evert and I had to make a decision on what was the next challenge after LeMans.
      “And I thought that being at my best now, maybe Formula One was the place to be and I have time in the future to look at the challenges that were not completed.
      “So that was the main thing, I felt that I had something to do here again.”
      Alonso was quizzed if winning the title was within his grasp, as there is renewed hope at the French team.
      He added: “To win races and championships, you need a few more things than just your motivation or beliefs.
      “You need the package, the laps and the momentum and that is something we are looking to build with the new Alpine name.
      “So yeah, I cannot guarantee it, but we will fight for those wins and championships in the future if we do those things but we are not racing alone.”

      PEREZ AND SAINZ TAKE COVID-19 JABS
      SERGIO PEREZ and Carlos Sainz have taken up Bahrain’s offer of COVID-19 vaccinations.The Gulf Kingdom said they were happy to make the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available to all those coming for the F1 test.A second jab should be administered after the race on March 28th and while F1 said they did not want to be seen to jump the queue, some teams and drivers have taken up the offer.Perez, who was struck down with COVID-19 last summer, said: “We got offered, and I took the decision to take it.”For me, back in Mexico, I don’t know when I will be able to get it, so I think it was very nice from Bahrain to offer that to us. And, yeah, I took it myself.”Sainz, who has joined Ferrari from McLaren, added: “Yes, same as Checo, I did take it.”I think it was a great opportunity and obviously thankful for the Bahrain government for offering it to so many people that travel around the world and, yeah, happy with it.”So far, Perez, Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have all tested positive for the virus.

      HULKENBERG TO RETURN TO F1?
      NICO HULKENBERG could be offered another F1 return as a stand-in for Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team.The German was called up as a late replacement for Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll last season when the two Racing Point drivers were struck down with COVID-19.Mercedes themselves were also forced to call in a reserve driver last season when Lewis Hamilton tested positive in Bahrain and George Russell had to fill in.And now Merc boss Toto Wolff says his team could swoop for Hulkenberg, should their reserves, Stoffel Vandoorne or Nyck de Vries, be engaged in their Formula E commitments.Wolf said: “There is a situation that our two reserve drivers, Stoffel and Nyck, are racing in Formula E and there are certain races where there is an overlap.”I think Nico knows the current generation of Formula One cars and the tyres, and it would be good to have him in the line-up as a solution, maybe to be shared with other teams.”He’s a known quantity and well respected, so it would be good, but it’s not yet… we didn’t put pen to paper.”

      CONDITIONS IMPROVING
      Verstappen still looking good in P1. Norris and Ricciardo in P2 and P3 in a good day so far for McLaren.
      That’s a good effort following their power unit change from Renault to Mercedes.
      In terms of concerns, Mercedes WILL be worried. It is a poor start from them after dominating for years.
      A gearbox issue and now, while is has been fixed, there is something not right for Hamilton, who is in 14th place.Bottas in P16, so that will be a concern.

      VERSTAPPEN GOES QUICKEST
      In windy and dusty conditions, the Red Bull man has bettered Daniel Ricciardo’s effort from this morning.It’s Verstappen, Ricciardo, Gasly, Giovinazzi, Sainz, Ocon, Norris, Leclerc, Raikkonen, Vettel as your top 10 so far on Day One of testing.

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      F1 star Charles Leclerc confident Ferrari are showing ‘promising signs’ to bounce back from worst finish in 40 years

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      CHARLES LECLERC is confident Ferrari are showing ‘promising signs’ as they look to bounce back from last season.
      The Italian team endured their worst finish in 40 years as they were sixth in the constructors’ championship.

      Charles Leclerc is feeling confident with how Ferrari are shaping up ahead of the new seasonCredit: Reuters

      But after a winter of tweaking their car design, Leclerc says they are making improvements.
      He said: “The impressions were good again.
      “Yesterday we went through all the programme in the morning, but the conditions are very very tricky.
      “It’s very warm, and very windy, so it’s very difficult to make a comparison with last year for now.

      “And it’s all relative to the others, how much they improved compared to us.
      “But yeah, there are some promising signs, but we can’t know until the first qualifying.”
      The big issue Ferrari faced last year was their under-strength engine, which Leclerc said was also an improvement this new F1 season.
      He added: “Everything feels quite good.

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      “But again, it’s very difficult to comment now, nobody’s pushing everything to its limit, especially in these conditions.
      “So for now it’s early days. But everything feels good and, as I said, stacks up with what we expected.”

      Testing is underway in Bahrain as Ferrari try to bounce back from their nightmare 2020 campaignCredit: Splash News

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      Lewis Hamilton’s dreadful F1 season start continues as he spins off track in Bahrain and gets left stuck in the gravel

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s dreadful start to the season continued when he spun off in Bahrain and was left stuck in the gravel.
      The world champion cut a dejected figure after losing control of his Mercedes at low speed.

      Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare start to the season continuedCredit: Getty

      The dejected champ was left stuck in the gravel in BahrainCredit: Getty

      Mercedes suffered further embarrassment as the car was lifted high into the air to expose the car’s floorCredit: Splash News

      Hamilton lost grip at Turn 13 and slid slowly backwards into the gravel at under 80mph.
      Hamilton tried to drive away but his car was beached on the stone and needed rescuing from a pick-up truck.
      Former F1 driver Martin Brundle said: “It’s so unusual to see Lewis looking at a stricken car these days.
      “But he’s not exactly the only driver to be flying off the road today.”

      Fellow ex-racer Karun Chandhok added: “It’s really rare to see a mistake from Lewis, especially at testing.
      “I’m trying to think of all the pre-season tests I’ve been to in the last five, six years and I can’t think of one time he has been in the gravel.
      “You see the odd thing where he goes off in the run-off area or something – but everyone does that. To see him cause a red flag, I can’t think of a moment like that.”
      In further embarrassment, his Mercedes was lifted high into the air, exposing the car’s floor, which the team had tried to protect from prying eyes.

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      It follows on from Friday’s session where he finished 10th on the timesheets, while his team-mate Valtteri Bottas suffered a gearbox problem.
      It resulted in the team completing fewer miles than any other team when usually they display bullet-proof reliability during testing.
      Bottas had questioned the team’s decision not to run a shakedown during an official filming day, something every other team took advantage of.
      And on Friday night Hamilton said: “It wasn’t the cleanest of days that we’ve had but these things are sent to try you.
      “Everyone has worked extremely hard to get us here. We had that mishap in the morning which was very unfortunate for Valtteri in terms of losing time on track and the team is working hard to try and understand what that was.

      Hamilton lost grip at Turn 13 and slid slowly backwards into the gravel at under 80mphCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “The second session wasn’t without its challenges, but we exist to find solutions to the problems we are faced with.
      “We have no choice but to take the positives. I remember in 2007 during testing I had ten days in the car and now it’s getting less and less.
      “We only have a day and a half in the car before the first race, with different tyres and different aero modifications so it’s not easy but it’s the same for everyone.
      “I’d like to think my nine years’ experience with this team will help me get the best out of it.” 
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      Lewis Hamilton skids off track and finishes 10th in Bahrain testing as F1 title defence gets off to nightmare start

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S F1 title defence got off to a terrible start in Bahrain after his Mercedes team were plagued by problems.
      Hamilton was only 10th quickest on the first day of testing, having only managed 42 laps.

      Lewis Hamilton was just 10th quickest on the first day of testing in BahrainCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Hamilton was skidding off the track during an uncomfortable afternoon sessionCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, was classed as the slowest on track after suffering a gearbox problem that robbed him of a chunk of time.
      It means that Mercedes, who traditionally display such bullet-proof reliability during testing to set down a marker, completed the fewest laps than any other team.
      Bottas admitted that their decision not to do a shakedown during a filming day backfired as the team now play catch up.
      He said: “It’s very easy to say afterwards. Of course now, yes, we would have done it before, but in recent years everything has been pretty bulletproof and certain things have already been run in the dyno.

      “So yeah, we would say now but I’m sure that will be reviewed for next year.”
      Mercedes were the only team who didn’t use their allocated 100km filming day to test their new car.
      And aside from their gearbox failure, Hamilton looked incredibly uncomfortable in the afternoon session where he was skidding off track.
      And it came after Merc boss Toto Wolff said during a lunchtime press briefing that the team would be hamstrung in ironing out any potential problems.

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      He said: “We weren’t very fast this morning because we did one lap with an aero rake.
      “It wasn’t a good start because we had a gearbox issue that came out of nowhere and that we haven’t been ready to identify and understand.
      “So, I hope, if we are able to have a smoother ride from here onwards then I think we can recover.
      “If we have more stumbling blocks then with three days there is not a lot you can do.”
      While the reigning world champions were struggling, there were no issues for Red Bull, as Max Verstappen set the quickest time of a trouble-free day.
      It was also an encouraging eight-hours of running for McLaren, who are using Mercedes engines this season.

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      Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz first F1 stars to take coronavirus vaccine offer by Bahrain GP ahead of season start

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      SERGIO PEREZ and Carlos Sainz have taken up Bahrain’s offer of COVID-19 vaccinations.
      The Gulf Kingdom said they were happy to make the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available to all those coming for the F1 test.

      Sergio Perez (right) has taken up Bahrain’s offer of a Covid-19 vaccinationCredit: Rex Features

      Carlos Sainz (right) has also decided to have the jabCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A second jab should be administered after the race on March 28th.
      And, while F1 said they did not want to be seen to jump the queue, some teams and drivers have taken up the offer.
      Perez, who was struck down with COVID-19 last summer, said: “We got offered, and I took the decision to take it.
      “For me, back in Mexico, I don’t know when I will be able to get it, so I think it was very nice from Bahrain to offer that to us. And, yeah, I took it myself.”

      Sainz, who has joined Ferrari from McLaren, added: “Yes, same as Checo, I did take it.
      “I think it was a great opportunity and obviously thankful for the Bahrain government for offering it to so many people that travel around the world and, yeah, happy with it.”
      So far, Perez, Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have all tested positive for the virus.
      Meanwhile, Silverstone is set to stage a new Formula One sprint race to decide the British Grand Prix starting grid – potentially in front of 100,000 fans.

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      The famous Northamptonshire circuit will be one of three venues to trial the new 30-minute concept and could host thousands of petrol heads on July 17, if Covid-19 regulations allow.
      The dramatic shake-up of the F1 weekend is set to see qualifying take place on Friday where drivers will fight for spots on the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
      The sprint will then determine where cars line up on the track for Sunday’s showpiece Grand Prix.

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      Nico Hulkenberg could be offered another F1 return as stand-in for Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team

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      NICO HULKENBERG could be offered another F1 return as a stand-in for Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team.
      The German was called up as a late replacement for Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll last season.

      Nico Hulkenberg could be offered another F1 return as a stand-inCredit: Getty

      Mercedes themselves were also forced to call in a reserve driver last season when Lewis Hamilton tested positive in BahrainCredit: Getty

      That came when the two Racing Point drivers were struck down with Covid-19.
      Mercedes themselves were also forced to call in a reserve driver last season.
      That occurred after Lewis Hamilton tested positive in Bahrain.
      George Russell had to fill in for the F1 legend.

      And now Merc boss Toto Wolff says his team could swoop for Hulkenberg.
      That will be if their reserves, Stoffel Vandoorne or Nyck de Vries, are engaged in their Formula E commitments.
      Wolf said: “There is a situation that our two reserve drivers, Stoffel and Nyck, are racing in Formula E and there are certain races where there is an overlap.
      “I think Nico knows the current generation of Formula One cars and the tyres.

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      “And it would be good to have him in the line-up as a solution, maybe to be shared with other teams.
      “He’s a known quantity and well respected, so it would be good.
      “But it’s not yet… we didn’t put pen to paper.”

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      F1 ace Fernando Alonso will race with two titanium plates in his face all season after breaking jaw in horror bike crash

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      FERNANDO ALONSO will race the entire year of his highly-anticipated Formula One return with metal plates in his jaw.
      The Spaniard suffered a fractured jaw in a cycling accident last month but says he is not expecting any problems as he gets back in the cockpit on Saturday.

      Fernando Alonso is back in the saddle after his horror bike crashCredit: Splash News

      He said: “I am fine. I am happy to be here back in the paddock and in the sport.
      “After the accident, three or four weeks ago, I had 10 days relaxing at home and after the surgery I had to relax a bit but after that, I went back to a normal routine and preparation.
      “I don’t expect any pain. I have been training for a few weeks absolutely normally. I have been in the simulator.
      “I missed only a couple of marketing days and films days, which I was happy in a way. I feel fine.

      “On the professional side and the driver side I am 100 percent and on the personal side, I will have to remove two titanium plates on the upper jaw at the end of the season.
      “So there is something going on after the championship finishes but it will not be affecting my professional life.”
      The two-time world champion has returned to the sport with the rebranded Renault team, now known as Alpine.
      Alonso, who quit F1 in 2018, spent last year racing in the Dakar series and again missed out on winning the Indy 500.

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      Keen cyclist Alonso suffered the accident ahead of the new seasonCredit: Instagram @fernandoalo_oficial

      Team-mate Esteban Ocon got Alpine’s testing underway on FridayCredit: AFP or licensors
      But the 39-year-old says he still has unfinished business in the sport and decided to come back to F1.
      He said: “The main thing of why I am here was because I felt that I was at my best in the last couple of years.
      “I felt like I was driving better than ever and I had to make a decision on what was the next challenge after LeMans.
      “And I thought that being at my best now, maybe Formula One was the place to be and I have time in the future to look at the challenges that were not completed.
      “So that was the main thing, I felt that I had something to do here again.”
      Alonso was quizzed if winning the title was within his grasp, as there is renewed hope at the French team.

      I cannot guarantee it, but we will fight for those wins and championships in the future if we do those things.
      Fernando Alonso

      He added: “To win races and championships, you need a few more things than just your motivation or beliefs.
      “You need the package, the laps and the momentum and that is something we are looking to build with the new Alpine name.
      “So yeah, I cannot guarantee it, but we will fight for those wins and championships in the future if we do those things but we are not racing alone.”

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