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Two scintillating races into Formula One’s new era of racing, the championship heads under the stars of the desert for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race, starting from 1am AEST.
It’s a race that has seen many great battles between championship rivals in the past, with Mercedes AMG teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg having captivated viewers in 2014.
Can 2017’s title rivals in Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel follow suit? As both drivers enter this event tied on 43-points at the top of the table.
Both combatants also come to the 5.4km Sakhir circuit having been tied on two wins apiece in Bahrain.
Though a Ferrari victory has not come since 2010, when Fernando Alonso won at the one off ‘endurance’ layout of the track.
Ferrari’s race-car has in the first two races been a lot more comfortable than the Mercedes AMG and once again with the elevated temperatures – the red car is favoured to take the honours in the race.
However, the Silver Arrows did claim its third pole position of the season, with Valtteri Bottas recording his career first ahead of teammate Hamilton.
Vettel who was third fastest, was concerningly 0.4 seconds down from the pole sitter, but remains in a strong position to capitalise come the race.
Daniel Ricciardo split the Ferraris on the second row, having qualified fourth and ahead of an aimless Kimi Räikkönen.
The Haas of Romain Grosjean will start inside the top ten, as the Frenchman seeks to repeat the team’s best result from last year’s race of fifth.
They will be battling both the Renaults, who’ve for the first time since returning to the sport as a manufacturer team in 2016 – have qualified in the top ten, led by Nico Hulkenberg in seventh.
The Force Indias of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez in fourteenth and eighteenth will be ones to look out for too during the race. Despite claiming that they’ve got the ‘worst’ car of the midfield, both drivers have scored points at the opening two grand prix.
As with China, there should be overtaking aplenty, though tougher than 2016.
Will Bottas then now be able to convert his first pole position to his first career victory? Or shall the familiar names return to the fore.
A salivating 57-lap contest under the stars of the desert awaits. Join us on The Roar on Monday morning from 1am AEST then for live blog coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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