Bahrain GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BAHRAIN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel won the second race of the 2018 season after an intense fight in the final laps.

    Right off the bat, there was chaos before the race could even start. Sergio Perez passed Brendon Hartley during the formation lap and Hartley failed to regain his position before the safety car line. They were both given 30-Second-Time-Penalties added to their final time following the race. Hartley was given an additional 2 penalty points.

    If that wasn't enough, the two came together in a small collision in the opening lap. Hartley didn't leave enough room and bumped into Perez as they rounded one of the tight corners. Hartley was penalized for this after being found as the one responsible. He endured a 10-Second-Time-Penalty which he served in the pits.

    Magnussen and Hulkenberg also touched wheels but the FIA decided no penalties were needed as it was merely a minor racing incident.

    The same couldn't be said for Max Verstappen, who crashed into Lewis Hamilton after a risky overtaking maneuver. The Dutch driver suffered a puncture and limped his Red Bull to the pits, but soon after retired due to a transmission issue.

    Daniel Ricciardo retired around the same time with electrical problems, making it a double DNF for the Austrian team.

    The only other retirement of the race was Kimi Raikkonen, who suffered the same race-ending-wheel-drama that both Haas drivers experienced in Australia. It was an unsafe release after one of the wheels was not fastened properly and he was forced to stop the car. To make matters worse, Raikkonen accidentally hit one of the pit-crew men as he was skidding away.

    The man suffered a double-fracture to one of his legs and underwent surgery. He is now recovering.

    Pierre Gasly finished the race in 4th, getting his best-ever F1 race result and bringing 12 points to Toro Rosso. Magnussen finished just behind in 5th for Haas, proving it to be a good day for the mid-field teams. 

    Charles Leclerc finished one space ahead of his previous finish in Australia. He was just 2 places away from getting his first championship point.

    However, Sauber didn't come away from the race without any points. Marcus Ericsson managed to stay ahead of Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz in order to finish 9th and grab 2 points. Sauber finished last in the constructors championship in 2017 with just 5 points. But 2 races in and 2 points achieved already, the Swiss team is looking to have a much better year.

    In the closing laps, Valtteri Bottas challenged Sebastian Vettel, who managed to have a pretty smooth race until the very end. Bottas got ever-so-close to the Ferrari a handful of times, eagerly trying to pass him for the lead. However, Vettel managed to hold him off, despite his tires being completely destroyed by the final lap.

    Vettel continues to stand tall and lead the Championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who isn't too far behind. Hamilton finished the race in third, having struggled to catch up after enduring a grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

    McLaren has reason to celebrate as they completed the race with another double points finish from Alonso and Vandoorne. The Spaniard finished in 7th, just ahead of Vandoorne, who grabbed 4 points by finishing in 8th. McLaren continue to keep a steady and strong pace with their new Renault engine partnership.

    Hulkenberg and Ocon also scored points while their team-mates missed out. Hartley, Grosjean and both Williams drivers failed to score points as well.

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RESULTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points

3. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 15 Points

4. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France / + 12 Points

5. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 10 Points

6. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points

7. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / + 6 Points

8. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium / + 4 Points

9. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / + 2 Points

10. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 1 Point

11. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

12. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

13. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

14. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

15. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

16. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico*

17. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand**

RETIRED - Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / Wheel

RETIRED - Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Transmission

RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Electronics

* - (Perez) 30-Second-Time-Penalty added to final race time for overtaking Brendon Hartley during the formation lap

** - (Hartley) 30-Second-Time-Penalty for failing to overtake Perez before the safety car line during the formation lap. 2 Penalty Points also added to license. 

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Formula 2 - Bahrain - Sprint Race - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - BAHRAIN - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia / + 15 Points

2. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany / + 12 Points

3. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil / + 10 Points

4. Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain / + 8 Points

5. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands / + 6 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

6. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy / + 4 Points

7. Ralph Boschung / MP Motorsport / Switzerland / + 2 Points

8. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan / + 1 Point

9. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System 

10. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada

11. Roberto Merhi / MP Motorsport / Spain

12. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy

13. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand 

14. Arjun Maini / Trident / India

15. Roy Nissany / Campos Vexatec Racing / Israel

16. Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

17. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

18. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

19. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

20. Santino Ferrucci / Trident / USA

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Bahrain GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BAHRAIN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel took Pole Position ahead of the Bahrain GP while Max Verstappen crashed out of Q1. Lewis Hamilton suffered a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty following an unscheduled gearbox change.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

6. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

8. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France

9. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain*

10. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

11. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

12. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

13. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

14. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

15. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

16. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

17. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

18. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

19. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

20. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

* - (Hamilton) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for gearbox change

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Bahrain GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BAHRAIN GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - TIMES

    Kimi Raikkonen led the pack in the final practice session of the weekend. The Ferrari driver stuck a 1:29.868 up on the time-sheets, just ahead of the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

    Raikkonen's team-mate, Vettel, ended down in 5th after a loose piece of bargeboard hampered his running during the session. The German's fastest lap was a 1:30.719.

    Mercedes suffered another slower-than-usual session with Hamilton in 4th and Bottas in 6th. While they were still inside the top 10, it wasn't their usual 1-2 finish. 

    Toro Rosso Rookie, Pierre Gasly, finished 9th with a 1:31.438. Many were worried when the team announced they would be using Honda engines, as McLaren switched to Renault. But Honda is proving to be quite adaptable to the Italian team.

    Sirotkin and Stroll were 19th and 20th for Williams, respectively. The Russian set a 1:32.463 and Stroll a 1:32.865. This makes it their slowest session of the weekend.

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:29.868 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

2. Max Verstappen - 1:30.393 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:30.452 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:30.691 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:30.719 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:30.781 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:31.144 / Renault-Renault / Germany

8. Carlos Sainz - 1:31.200 / Renault-Renault / Spain

9. Pierre Gasly - 1:31.438 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

10. Fernando Alonso - 1:31.445 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

11. Brendon Hartley - 1:31.460 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

12. Romain Grosjean - 1:31.513 / Haas-Ferrari / France

13. Esteban Ocon - 1:31.554 / Force India-Mercedes / France

14. Sergio Perez - 1:31.564 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

15. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.737 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

16. Marcus Ericsson - 1:31.859 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

17. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:31.860 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

18. Charles Leclerc - 1:32.047 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:32.463 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

20. Lance Stroll - 1:32.865 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

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Formula 2 - Bahrain - Feature Race - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - BAHRAIN - FEATURE RACE - RESULTS

1. Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain / + 25 Points + 4 Points (Pole) + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

2. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil / + 18 Points

3. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia / + 15 Points

4. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand / + 12 Points

5. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 10 Points

6. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands / + 8 Points

7. Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia / + 6 Points

8. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany / + 4 Points

9. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 2 Points

10. Ralph Boschung / MP Motorsport / Switzerland / + 1 Point

11. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada

12. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

13. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

14. Santino Ferrucci / Trident / USA

15. Arjun Maini / Trident / India

16. Roy Nissany / Campos Vexatec Racing / Israel

17. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy

18. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan

19. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

DID NOT START - Roberto Merhi / MP Motorsport / Spain / Electronics

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Formula 2 - Bahrain - Qualifying - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - BAHRAIN - QUALIFYING - RESULTS

1. Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain

2. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

3. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand

4. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands

5. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

6. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil

7. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan

8. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

9. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

10. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany

11. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy

12. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

13. Roberto Merhi / MP Motorsport / Spain

14. Arjun Maini / Trident / India

15. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada

16. Ralph Boschung / MP Motorsport / Switzerland

17. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia

18. Santino Ferrucci / Trident / USA

19. Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

20. Roy Nissany / Campos Vexatec Racing / Israel

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Bahrain GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BAHRAIN GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    
    Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari 1-2 in the second free practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

    Raikkonen was just a hundreth of a second faster than team-mate Sebastian Vettel, but missed out on valuable long run simulation after a loose wheel brought an early end to his session.

    The Finn set out on super-soft tyres with a completely clear track to jump to the top of the times with a 1m29.817s.

    With Raikkonen setting the bench mark, the rest of the field quickly switched from softs to super-softs, but the busy track meant a number of drivers caught traffic on their flying lap, including Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo.

    Hamilton caught up with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen in the final sector of his flying lap, but his first and second sector times were already slower than that of the Ferraris.

    He ended the day fourth fastest, a tenth of a second behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

    After topping FP1, Ricciardo could only manage sixth fastest, just 0.01s behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

    Renault were best of the rest, with Nico Hulkenberg ending the day seventh overall, though team-mate Carlos Sainz was only 12th at the end of the qualifying simulations.

    A trouble free session for Toro Rosso’s Pirre Gasly put him eighth fastest, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne.

    Wheel guns were once again a topic of discussion as Raikkonen pulled to the side of the track not long after leaving the pits on a long run. One of the Ferrari’s wheels was loose and, though it didn’t come away from the car, it did bring an end to his session. The incident was investigated after the race, though Raikkonen avoided a grid penalty for the unsafe release.

    With FP2 the most representative session ahead of the Bahrain GP, a number of teams were looking to collect data about turbulent air during their long runs. Temperature management could be crucial on Sunday’s race and some, including Red Bull, used the session to simulate the race scenario.

TIMES: 

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:29.817 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:29.828 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:30.380 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:30.472 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
5. Max Verstappen – 1:30.745 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:30.751 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:31.220 / Renault-Renault / Germany
8. Pierre Gasly - 1:31.232 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
9. Fernando Alonso - 1:31.282 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
10. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:31.422 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
11. Romain Grosjean - 1:31.591 / Haas-Ferrari / France
12. Carlos Sainz - 1:31.601 / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Esteban Ocon – 1:31.809 Force India-Mercedes / France
14. Sergio Perez – 1:31.868 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
15. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.969 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
16. Charles Leclerc - 1:32.372 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
17. Lance Stroll - 1:32.382 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:32.474 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:32.733 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
20. Brendon Hartley - 1:32.908 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

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Bahrain GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BAHRAIN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Daniel Ricciardo topped the times in a mixed free practice session for Red Bull ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

    The Australian’s best lap, set late in the session, was 0.3s faster than the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas. It came just over an hour after team-mate Max Verstappen had fallen to a stop with a lack of power at the very start of free practice.

    Verstappen had managed his first install lap but lost acceleration on his second. He was pushed into the pits where the team diagnosed an electrical failure, and didn’t make it back out for the remainder of the session.

    Things looked to be equally difficult for Ricciardo, who spent most of the session in the pits. But the number 3 RB14 left its garage with 20 minutes on the clock and immediately jumped to the top of the order with a 1m31.060s lap around the Bahrain International Circuit.

    The Mercedes duo of Bottas and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed strong running early in the session, with Hamilton leading Bottas after the first 45 minutes.

    After a short break, both emerged for the second half of practice with fresh soft tyres but a mistake on his first flying lap meant Hamilton failed to improve on his best time.

    He later found two tenths of a second, but it was only enough to put him fifth fastest.

    Bottas claimed second, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

    Romain Grosjean in the Haas claimed best of the rest, followed by Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz, who had told his engineer the car was “an absolute mess” early in the session.

    Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.

    Most drivers managed to stay out of trouble, though Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc both suffered spins at the same corner early in the session. Despite the problem, Leclerc managed to put his Sauber 12th quickest, splitting the two McLarens.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:31.060 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:31.364 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:31.458 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:31.470 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
5. Lewis Hamilton - 1:32.272 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
6. Romain Grosjean - 1:32.516 / Haas-Ferrari / France
7. Pierre Gasly - 1:32.779 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
8. Carlos Sainz - 1:32.885 / Renault-Renault / Spain
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:32.971 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:33.104 / Renault-Renault / Germany
11. Fernando Alonso - 1:33.223 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
12. Charles Leclerc - 1:33.278 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
13. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:33.379 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
14. Lance Stroll - 1:33.379 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
15. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:33.467 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:33.497 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:33.508 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
18. Sergio Perez – 1:33.662 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
19. Esteban Ocon – 1:33.794 Force India-Mercedes / France
20. Max Verstappen – NO TIME SET / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

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Formula 2 - Bahrain - Free Practice - TIMES

FORMULA 2 - BAHRAIN - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Arjun Maini - 1:44.549 / Trident / India

2. Lando Norris - 1:44.600 / Carlin / Great Britain

3. Sergio Sette Camara - 1:44.653 / Carlin / Brazil

4. Alexander Albon - 1:44.769 / DAMS / Thailand

5. George Russell - 1:44.812 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

6. Artem Markelov - 1:44.861 / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia

7. Roberto Merhi - 1:45.005 / MP Motorsport / Spain

8. Maximilian Gunther - 1:45.010 / BWT Arden / Germany

9. Antonio Fuoco - 1:45.080 / Charouz Racing System / Italy

10. Sean Gelael - 1:45.214 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

11. Jack Aitken - 1:45.268 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

12. Nicholas Latifi - 1:45.291 / DAMS / Canada

13. Nyck de Vries - 1:45.329 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands

14. Tadasuke Makino - 1:45.331 / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

15. Luca Ghiotto - 1:45.344 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

16. Santino Ferrucci - 1:45.419 / Trident / USA

17. Ralph Boschung - 1:45.564 / MP Motorsport / Switzerland

18. Nirei Fukuzumi - 1:45.849 / BWT Arden / Japan

19. Louis Deletraz - 1:45.958 / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

20. Roy Nissany - 1:46.407 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Israel

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Bahrain is great. The weather is warm, the paddock is modern, the hotel is amazing and it’s a really nice week that I enjoy after such a busy home race in Australia. It’s actually quite a tricky event as the practice sessions are in the heat of the day but the important sessions, qualifying and the race, are in the evening when the track cools so you have to be very adaptive with the set-up.

    Normally if you’re quick you don’t want to touch the car but in Bahrain you are forced to as the conditions change so much in the evenings. The track is one that I’ve always done well on so let’s hope it continues to be good to me."

Max Verstappen - “I always enjoy going to Bahrain, I have a few friends out there so it’s always nice to catch up with them and enjoy the warmth. 

    The weekend is an interesting one as you only have one session to understand how the car behaves under the night race conditions because the other two sessions are during the day, so it’s a bit hot. The track itself is very technical, you have some slow corners and then you end up in some really fast corners which makes it a fun circuit. Driving under the lights is always nice as we don’t get a lot of opportunity throughout the year.

    The go-kart track there is really good, I had a world championship race there when I was younger. It was very new at the time but I really enjoyed it."

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Sergio Perez - “Racing in Bahrain is good fun. It’s unusual because you’re in the desert and we also race under the lights. It’s actually one of my favourite tracks of the year and I’ve always gone well there. It’s where I had my first podium with Force India (in 2014) so I have those memories every time we go back there.

    The Bahrain track often creates good racing. I still remember the battle I had with my old teammate, Jenson Button, in 2013. The layout really allows you to race wheel-to-wheel at times. If you lose a position in turn one, you can fight back through turns two, three and four.

    It was difficult to overtake in Melbourne, but Bahrain should be a bit easier because it’s a more traditional track. We’ve got to be targeting points this weekend. Melbourne showed just how close all the teams are in the middle of the grid, so it’s especially important to have a clean weekend and maximize every session.

    The development race will be very intense this year, but I know we have good things coming. We need to do what we have done in the last few years by making improvements to the car at each race. We’ve already made a step forward since pre-season testing so we need to keep working in the same direction.”

Esteban Ocon - “When I think about Bahrain I always remember the beautiful paddock, which has so much space and looks amazing at night with all the trees lit up. Every year there’s a barbeque for the paddock and it’s nice that all the teams and media can come together before the racing begins.

    I love racing at night. It almost feels quicker under the lights and it looks better on television. Hopefully the fans like it as much as the drivers. The track is good fun and there are a few good overtaking spots, such as turn one and turn four.

    It’s a track that feels very satisfying when your car is working well. I particularly enjoy turns five, six and seven because they are so quick and then you’re immediately into a big braking zone for turn eight. It’s tricky because you approach at really high speed and it’s easy to make a mistake and run wide.

    It’s a tough weekend physically because of the heat. The daytime practice sessions are the most difficult, but fortunately it gets a bit cooler in the evenings for qualifying and the race. You need to drink lots to be hydrated and make sure you don’t lose concentration.”

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - "The Bahrain International Circuit is a great facility in the middle of the desert. The track itself is quite technical with the natural elements adding a few further challenges, most notably the wind. I really enjoy Bahrain as the heat is guaranteed and the atmosphere is always good to experience. After Australia, we’ve sent out a positive message from Enstone and Viry, but we need to reduce the gap to the front and that’s the challenge."

Carlos Sainz - "The circuit can be tough on the braking system, and some braking points change slightly throughout the weekend due to the timings of the sessions. It’s always cool racing at night and under the lights, which makes this race one of the more unique of the calendar. Scoring points at the first Grand Prix of the year is always important and the pace was there, so I can’t wait to jump into the car in Bahrain."

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “A good result will help us to forget Australia. Let’s get to Bahrain, let’s do our work, like we did in Australia, focus on our jobs and see where we are at the end. Hopefully, we can have another good surprise.

    I love driving in Bahrain. I’ve always had a good feeling there, and I think it’s a really exciting track for racing and overtaking. We’ll see how it goes again. As I said, it’s always given me a good feeling, and I’m hopeful I can keep it going.

    It’s one of those tracks where there are many opportunities to overtake, which is amazing. Obviously there’s turn one, but turn three, turn 11, turn 15 – they all make it probably one of the best circuits for racing.

    It’s certainly easier to find braking points in Bahrain than it is in Monaco or Singapore. You know if you miss it, or overshoot your braking point, you’re just going to go straight and have another go on the next lap. Some street circuits it’s straight into the wall. It’s a bit easier to get used to it and find the limit.”

Kevin Magnussen - “It was good to have a competitive car in Australia. I enjoyed driving the car all weekend, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be that strong in Bahrain, so we have to work hard to try and understand the car and make sure we carry the performance forward into the next race.

    It felt really good being competitive and being able to compete at the right end of the series. I hope we can continue that way. I’m not taking anything for granted. Again, we have a good car, but I’m cautious. We’ll take it one race at a time.

    It would be great to have a good result in Bahrain after such big disappointment in Australia. We’ve got to start building points, as we’ve fallen behind after Australia. We’ve got to catch up.

    Bahrain is a much better circuit for overtaking than Australia. I don’t think we’re going to have as many negative comments about a boring race in Bahrain because the track layout is a lot better for racing and overtaking. I’m sure we’ll see an exciting Grand Prix.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Brendon Hartley -“Bahrain is a track I have some nice memories from, it was where we clinched our first world title back in 2015 with Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard in the Porsche LMP1 team, so I’m really happy to go back there. I wouldn’t say it’s my strongest track on the calendar, but it’s one that I know very well. We didn’t score points in Melbourne, but there were plenty of positives from the weekend and I believe Bahrain should be a better track for us. My goal for this weekend stays the same: to score my first points in Formula 1.” 

Pierre Gasly - “What comes to my mind when I think about Bahrain is pole position in 2015, I was on pole in the GP2 race the second time we went there, it’s a track I quite like and it’s the first time I’m going to race there with a Formula 1 car this year. It’s usually pretty hot there, but Formula 1 races during the night which will be something new to me, so we will see. It’s not my favourite track but it’s quite a cool one!”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "As usual, this will certainly be a hot weekend. I enjoy the track, and it has a good rhythm to it. The conditions during the weekend are always tricky because practice is during the day and then qualifying and the race are at night. This means there is a lot of adapting going on throughout the weekend. However, I think it is going to be a good one and am looking forward to getting back there."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I can’t wait for the weekend to begin. It was a very tough weekend in Melbourne and I really feel like I need another shot to bring us back to where we think we deserve to be, and to start everything from zero, and to try and get some confidence back in all of us. I know the track quite well and I think it suits some strong points of our car. I’m looking forward to it and let’s see 
what we can do."

    Bahrain is a great track with a unique atmosphere under the lights as darkness falls in the desert. It is a tricky race for car setup, as FP1 and FP3 occur in the afternoon with very high track temperatures and do not represent the cooler conditions seen in the twilight sessions for qualifying and the race. Therefore, FP2 is extremely important for our preparation. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 tyres perform in Bahrain and if they throw up more variety in race strategies. It is the first normal race track of the 2018 season with more predictable weather, so we should get a more representative comparison of the underlying performance of each team. After Sergey’s unfortunate DNF in Australia from a freak plastic bag, we hope to get him to complete his first race distance and that Lance can show well at his second year at this circuit."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “Off to the first back-to-back of the year. Bahrain is a track that I know very well. I have been there a lot of times and enjoy driving on it. The track has different challenges to it, one being the sand surrounding it. Depending on the wind and weather conditions, this can become a defining factor. In the middle of the track, there is a very technical left hand corner which is one of the most difficult ones of the season. It also offers some good overtaking opportunities which I look forward to. After seeing our potential in Australia, we are going into round 2 feeling positive.”

Charles Leclerc - “After having participated in my first Formula 1 race in Australia, I look forward to going into my second round, as I will be familiar with all of the activities taking place at the track throughout the race weekend. I’m excited to go to Bahrain. I know the track from last year when I raced there in Formula 2, and have great memories. I had one of my best races there. The track is interesting. The temperatures are very high, which is very aggressive on the tyres. This creates interesting strategies due to the degradation that takes place. Let’s see what the next race will bring.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “After a positive start to the season I’m already really excited to head to Bahrain and get back in the car. Australia gave us a positive feeling and I hope we can continue that momentum as we head into these back-to-back races.

    I know the team are working hard back at the factory to push through the upgrades that are in the pipeline, as these, along with the development work we’re doing on the chassis and with the power unit, are what will be key to unlocking further performance from our car.

    We mustn’t get complacent – these two races in Bahrain and Shanghai are tough on the cars and it’s important that we maintain good reliability if we are to maximize our potential. The competition is very strong and we need to keep pushing forward for more points.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “I’m very happy to be heading to Bahrain on the back of a positive weekend for us in Australia. There’s a good feeling in the team and we’re all working hard to keep that going. We know there’s a lot to do and every race brings a new set of challenges.

    Bahrain is a great venue – it’s where I started my F1 career when I filled in for Fernando as reserve driver in 2016, and it’s an important race for us thanks to our shareholders. The weather is good and the later-than-usual programme for the weekend sets it apart from a lot of other tracks we visit.

    Racing from day to night always feels special and makes this grand prix so unique – it means it’s very different from Australia in terms of set-up so I’m keen to maximize track time to work on preparation with the engineers. Last year I had a lot of bad luck there reliability-wise so I’m hoping we can have better fortunes there this time around.”

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