sms. In general, though, I’m happy. After a lacklustre FP3 which saw both drivers down the order, qualifying was a much better show from the Woking-based team. F1 spoiler. Hopefully that won’t happen tomorrow. Sainz suffered engine issues in Q1 but recovered well to follow his team mate into the top 10 shootout, coming home a credible eight in his first qualifying for his new team. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images), It was a mixed bag from Alpine, who still haven’t quite performed as their testing pace suggested. Sunday 28th March 2021. He’s got a huge amount of maturity and experience and he’s adapting well. Hamilton edges Verstappen to win nail-biting Bahrain GP, RESULTS On a positive note, the car felt better in qualifying and all the work we have done since testing is taking us in a good direction, so we have the potential to be faster. (Photo by Mario Renzi - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Nicholas Latifi of Canada driving the (6) Williams Racing FW43B Mercedes on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. FIA Pool Image for Editorial Use Only. I think we can be happy with where we are. But more was to come, with Leclerc nailing his one flying lap in Q3 to steal that coveted ‘best of the rest’ P4 grid slot. The Red Bull driver will start from P1 for the first time in Bahrain. To be honest, after having had a disruptive run, it was kind of okay. My main focus is to learn and to gain experience and build on that for the future.”, “The conditions in qualifying were very tricky, they’d changed a lot from FP3. Only using the medium tyre in Q2 was a huge risk, but we managed to make it work, and hopefully we can use this to our advantage tomorrow in the race. I think as a team we’ve worked well all weekend during the practice sessions and had a good set up on the car for qualifying, so it’s disappointing not to show our potential. Tomorrow, we still target points. BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Mick Schumacher of Germany and Haas during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. They experienced about all the issues you can have in qualifying – not least both of them getting stopped on the weighbridge, that was a new one for us. Starting on old soft tyres though, he’s going to have a tough time of it tomorrow to keep the Red Bull of Perez behind from the off. Qualifying is always amazing to experience in Formula 1 and I have missed that feeling! We knew that the tyres would behave differently in the cooler conditions of the evening and we were also conscious of the big change in wind direction. The track ramped up, the soft-shod runners swept ahead and that left Perez tumbling down the order and out of the top 10 on his qualifying debut for Red Bull. Alpine look to have dropped behind arch-rivals McLaren for the time being, but it is early days in the 2021 season…, “We have to be pleased with our qualifying session today. THE 2021 Formula 1 season is UNDER WAY and Lewis Hamilton has dealt the first blow with victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Bahrain International Circuit is the setting for the Formula 1 season opener in 2021, with qualifying set to get underway on Saturday afternoon. Formula1 Round 1 – Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021 26-28 Mar 2020 Livestream and Full Race Online Free 720p HD online stream and replay 1080p Full HD. "I think it is fair to say the result today is disappointing and not what we wanted. The car was feeling good in Q1 and Q2, we took until the last minute trying to find the right set-up and it felt sweet. We need to keep fine tuning our package to be able to be consistently in the top ten and regularly fight for points, but we have definitely made some big moves in the right direction.”, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland driving the (7) Alfa Romeo Racing C41 Ferrari during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. Our job is to maximise all the opportunities and see what happens.”, “It was a good fight out there today and it is clear that the midfield has become even closer this year because a lost tenth or two will put you in Q2. Green Flag. ", Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 in qualifying parc ferme. We are confident our package is better and we can fight for a good result.”, “We can be really happy with this result as tomorrow we will start just outside the top 10 and with a free choice of tyres. Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the first pole position of the new Formula 1 season, as the Red Bull driver topped 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying by over 0.3s. ", Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, "We are very excited to have a real fight on our hands. Then in qualifying, maybe not everybody saw, but we had both cars stopped on the FIA weighbridge. Verstappen tops Hamilton in F1 Bahrain GP qualifying. The pedal just went long, it’s something we need to look into. "A very positive day for the team. pin. 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix - Post Qualifying Discussion. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Pierre Gasly of France and Scuderia AlphaTauri prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. Now we have to focus on preparing for what will be a long and difficult race, run in conditions that could be very different to those we have seen so far this weekend.”, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF21 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. We were a bit off the pace yesterday, but they could see I was just trying to figure it out. Click to see spoiler. My first lap in Q1 had quite a bit of margin for improvement, but on my second run there were two yellow flags, which made it impossible to progress to Q2. Download or subscribe. It will be a massive challenge for us to beat them but we’re starting from the best possible place.”, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. 27.03.2021. The Red Bull driver will start from P1 for the first time in Bahrain. Unfortunately, the yellow flag meant I had to lift off through sector two and I lost quite a lot of lap time as a result. F1 fans in India will get see thrilling action live at Star Sports Network, in Asia, it will be at Fox Sports Asia, Australian fans will get to see the race live at Fox Sports Australia and Network Ten. hide. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images). He has it all to do tomorrow. The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021) was a Formula One race which was held on 28 March 2021, and served as the season opener of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. The race was won by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. It's also no secret that we've been struggling with the car around this circuit; it's nowhere near as easy to work with as the W11 but everyone in Brackley and Brixworth has been working hard since the test and we've learnt a lot about the W12 and found a more predicable balance, even if we're lacking overall pace. The wind switched around 180 degrees and the car handled completely differently, but I still struggled out there. Dropping behind a Ferrari and an AlphaTauri wasn’t part of the plan, but it is a solid enough opening for the team as they seek a good start to their defence of third in the constructors’ championship tomorrow. “Not a bad result for the first qualifying of the year: of course, it could have been a bit better, as I made a couple of small mistakes here and there in my laps, but it could have been a lot worse. Qualifying: 0:00 - 1:00 JST; Race: 20:30 - 22:30 JST; Monday 29th March 2021. "Max did a great lap, nearly 0.4 is a big gap so we have some work to do! (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images), 2021 Bahrain GP Qualifying: Mazepin spins at Turn 13, “Once more there was a big difference between the day and night sessions, which made the strategy and set-up calculations more complicated. I’m really looking forward to the race now.”, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT02 Honda leaves the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. Pierre had two strong runs on the soft tyre in Q3 and is starting in a good place tomorrow to pick up some great points. “I enjoyed the experience a lot. I had to use two sets of tyres in Q1 so I only had one new set for Q3 which put me at a disadvantage. I went wide at Turn 13 and lost a couple of tenths and the field is so tight that it knocked me out of Q3. Close. We’ll need to see how the weather is tomorrow, do our best and see what we can get out of the race. ", "Today was a lot better than testing. I still felt that, if anything, my Saturdays were going to need improving – and I think they still do – but I certainly made a nice step from a couple of weeks ago and I’m happy. (Photo by Mario Renzi - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Lance Stroll of Canada and Aston Martin F1 Team walks in the Paddock before final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. In Q3, our tyre strategy meant Lance was only able to run once, but 10th on the grid leaves him well placed for tomorrow and he will be in the hunt for points. Both drivers looked good in Q1, but found themselves on the cusp of the top 10 in Q2 after opting to boldly run the medium compound tyres. There’s definitely room for improvement on my side, so I’m just looking forward to being able to get into another qualifying soon. (Photo by Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), GIOVINAZZI Antonio (ita), Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C41, action during Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021 from March 26 to 28, 2021 on the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain - Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI, Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C41, pitstop practice during Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021 from March 26 to 28, 2021 on the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain - Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI. We have to finish it off tomorrow but if I can have a good start I’m confident we can do a good job.”, “Congratulations to Max and the Team on pole position as that’s the perfect way to start the season. We wanted to do three runs each with both cars, but the time gets very short to do them – we couldn’t do all that. With Nikita, with rushing, something went wrong with his brake-by-wire setting. Ocon was another driver to be caught out by yellow flags and traffic in Q1, and will be disappointed with P16 on the grid. THE 2021 Formula 1 season is UNDER WAY and Lewis Hamilton has dealt the first blow with victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix. report. Schumacher had a more composed session but couldn’t get on the pace of Williams, but at least had the consolation of winning the intra-team battle. Post Qualifying. Verstappen tops Hamilton in F1 Bahrain GP qualifying. Sunday 28th March 2021. I’m looking forward to my first ever race with the team and we’ll give our best to gain positions and finish as high as possible. Today helps us confirm the positive feeling we had after testing: we have improved compared to last year and we feel we can have a lot more fun this season. RACE CENTRE: Bahrain Grand Prix, qualifying, live timings. There are a number of possible race strategies, depending also on the tyres each driver has available. You never really know where you are at the first race of the year when the fuel comes out and the engine modes are turned up. Nonetheless, there were several teams that felt the medium tyre was the best option to start the race on tomorrow: four of the top 10 will start the race on the yellow medium C3 compound, including the top three, and this will give them more strategic options. The latest Formula 1 news and news from other motorsport series you will find on RacingNews365.com, the world’s leading independent F1 website bringing daily news from the world of F1, as well as the top drivers including world champion Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo or youngsters like Lando Norris and George Russell.. RACE CENTRE: Bahrain Grand Prix, qualifying, live timings. level 1. At least we are closer to Red Bull than we were in testing. We had mixed fortunes with the yellow flags at the end of Q1 with Nicholas being unable to use DRS on the final straight as a result, but George largely unaffected. We have two cars in the top three so we can definitely still fight for the win. The AMR21 felt good, but we have got plenty of work ahead to keep improving and to try and push back towards the top end of Q3. Today, we saw the first fruits of this work and we hope to see more tomorrow, when the points are given out. 8 comments. Sebastian was unfortunate to come across two yellow flags on his final push lap, which ultimately cost him a place in Q2. It's hard to read where we are on race pace from the Friday long runs as we didn't land the car in the right window but we're fairly confident we've improved the rear grip so it will be less of a handful in the race. tweet. ANALYSIS: What does James Allison stepping back from Technical Director role mean for Mercedes? Yuki and Pierre completed strong laps on the soft tyre, so we decided to optimise the race-start sets, by having both cars on to the medium compound for Q2. best. You can also find broadcast information, with details of how and where you can watch the race on TV, or download the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix schedule to your mobile device. I think we’re still in a reasonable position and have the potential to make our way forward during the race.”, “We were fairly happy with the performance of both car’s this morning – having dealt with the problem on Yuki’s car overnight – and both drivers seemed happy with their cars during FP3. Latifi managed to beat the Haas pair but could have a long afternoon of it towards the back of the field. "George completed an excellent lap and, with some drivers missing out due to the yellows, he set a time quick enough for a place in Q2. 3 days ago. The potential was there for a solid team result. Six different teams in the top 10 today and it's clear that simply being "good" will not be good enough this year. We had that very big shock in Q1, with the car turning off, but thankfully I could start it again and made it to the pits. He’s put in a really good performance already this weekend, so I’m really pleased with that. Verstappen tops Hamilton in F1 Bahrain GP qualifying Formula 1. Sakhir, Bahrain. Formula 1 2021 Qualifying Race Live Telecast Information: F1 Bahrain GP 2021 Qualifying race Live telecast information is here. We need to put everything together – strategy, start, pit stops – and get the maximum out of our cars, but we can definitely aim for the points.”, “Our target was to put both cars in Q2 and we did it. To get the most out of the Q1 session we opted to complete three runs so that each driver could get a feel for the different conditions before they attacked the final run hard and with confidence. Qualifying: 0:00 - 1:00 JST; Race: 20:30 - 22:30 JST; Monday 29th March 2021. The Silver Arrows looked off the pace of Red Bull yesterday, and ultimately wound up four-tenths adrift under the lights in Sakhir. Sadly, the form of their new driver remains just that, Vettel’s flying lap in Q1 ruined by yellow flags. Obviously, the temperature had dropped down and the wind had turned around, and these Formula 1 cars are very wind-affected. Aston Martin hadn’t shown their full hand at all in Sakhir, so qualifying was a step into the unknown. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images). In the UK the live streaming will be available at All 4 & Sky Sports. There was a yellow flag at turn one and one later in the lap too. Stream Every Practice, Qualifier & Race of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship™ Live & … Two cars into the top 10, and it was the new boy Ricciardo who ended up pipping his team mate by just 0.047s to sixth on the grid. It was the 64th pole for the Red Bull Racing team. It’s only the first qualy of the year and it’s run in very strange conditions. Both drivers put in excellent laps to get us into Q3 and then to P6 and P7 on the grid. Tomorrow is going to be very tight and Mercedes have turned it up, everyone wrote them off two weeks ago and they’re right up there as we expected. Anything can happen and we’ll push hard to make up some places and comeback. The car had felt good coming from FP3 and the communication with the team was really good. It's just what the doctor ordered! We saw the expected close battle between ourselves and several other teams – and that makes for an exciting race tomorrow. In qualifying, though, the temperature was a lot cooler and I was able to attack and feel the car a little bit better. Verstappen tops Hamilton in F1 Bahrain GP qualifying Formula 1. share. "I feel confident for tomorrow but it’s going to be difficult as other cars around us seem to be very strong in terms of race pace and are starting on mediums, so it’s going to be tricky to keep them behind. Even though we have made a step closer to the front of the field, the Alfa has made an even greater step, so I wasn’t expecting to get into Q2 today. I was just unlucky with my position on the track. (NON TORRENT) F1 Bahrain Qualifying 2021. Could AlphaTauri be the surprise package of the 2021 Formula 1 season? Our focus is now all on tomorrow: it will be tricky, especially with the wind, but we can bring home a good result. It’s a shame to not be starting the race further up the grid but we know the race pace is there, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. Qualifying takes place during cooler track conditions here in Bahrain, but both cars performed well in Q1. Throughout qualifying I was feeling more and more comfortable. Max Verstappen is the man to beat after the Dutchman topped all three practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, leaving Mercedes with much work to do. Max Verstappen is the man to beat after the Dutchman topped all three practice sessions on Friday and … He’s only had 1.5 days of testing and everything is very new for him in terms of how the car feels, but he will be competitive in the race tomorrow and should not be counted out. You are such a boss! F1 Bahrain GP 2021Qualifying race live stream will be available at F1 TV worldwide, Hotstar in India, In Asia it will be Fox+. FIA Pool Image for Editorial Use Only, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. They are flat out all of the time and like us they just want to win. Pierre made that work – he was one of four drivers to get through to Q3 on the mediums – however, Yuki wasn’t able to extract the best from the tyre in the second session. Honda have also been working very hard this winter, just like every year. Great work from the whole team, along with our colleagues from Mercedes, which allowed us to execute three very good qualifying sessions. I had one little moment with it where I felt I could have done better. Promoted content from around the web | Become a RaceFans Supporter to hide this ad and others However, it was bad luck for Esteban to not make it further than Q1 with a yellow flag hindering his second run. We'd wanted to get both cars onto the medium tyre to start the race which we managed to quite safely. After seeing his first lap time deleted in Q2 for exceeding track limits, the pressure was on and the Mexican opted to remain on the slower medium tyre for his next run. 27 Mar 2021 2021 Bahrain GP Qualifying: Coulthard gets birthday cake in the face from Verstappen. (Photo by Mario Renzi - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Valtteri Bottas of Finland driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. Mr Saturday was at it again, Russell not just out-qualifying his team mate once again but also making it to Q2. It wasn’t something I expected, and I hadn’t had it happen before driving in the test here or in practice. 2 days ago. The whole Team worked tremendously hard over the winter to put us in this position and Honda and ExxonMobil have also done a stellar job for us. An F1 track guide to the Bahrain International circuit at Sakhir, the home of the 2021 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix. The latest Formula 1 news and news from other motorsport series you will find on RacingNews365.com, the world’s leading independent F1 website bringing daily news from the world of F1, as well as the top drivers including world champion Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo or youngsters like Lando Norris and George Russell.. We have a very good opportunity to achieve a good result as we saw how our performance was close to the cars ahead of us. All world timezones. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images), BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Carlos Sainz of Spain driving the (55) Scuderia Ferrari SF21 during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. I am really excited to get going for tomorrow’s race because the first race is always a little bit unpredictable and exciting. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0');}). (Photo by Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images), Fernando Alonso (ESP) Alpine F1 Team A521. Charles, Carlos and the whole team have tackled the start of the season working methodically and with determination, going into the smallest detail to get all the potential out of the package. F1 Replay 1080P FP1 / FP2 / FP3 / Qualifying / PreRace / Race / PostRace. I am really pleased we managed to put a clean lap together, get the most out of it and sneak into Q2. 93% Upvoted. We’ll try to make up some positions from our starting spot but we have to be wary of the cars around us as some of our competitors are starting on the medium tyres so it will be a close race.”, “It was a very disappointing qualifying on our side of the garage. Browse through 2021 Formula 1 Bahrain GP results, statistics, rankings and championship standings. Q1 At least they know how do to that now.”, BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 27: Mick Schumacher of Germany driving the (47) Haas F1 Team VF-21 Ferrari during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 27, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. I went for it, but I’m probably lacking a bit more knowledge on the car and I couldn’t put together a clean lap. ROUND 1: Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit Length: 5.412 km (3.363 mi) Distance: 57 laps, 308.238 km (191.530 mi) Lap … In general, I was happy with my performance today, I’d say I was about 95 percent happy with my lap. Qualifying: 2:00 - 3:00 AEDT; Monday 29th March 2021. Formula 1 returns in 2021 with a zaftig 23 race schedule, starting with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28, and concluding with the costomary Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec. 12. I think we should be satisfied as a team with the step we made since last year, so to be so far forward on the grid feels great. Red Bull seem to have more stability, particularly in the wind. save. share. - www.xpbimages.com, EMail: requests@xpbimages.com © Copyright: A round-up of all of our coverage of the second round of the 2018 Formula One season in Bahrain. However, the qualifying session for me was the best the car has felt so far this weekend. We've worked very hard over the last week to try and understand the package that we have. Post Qualifying. It was not the only standout moment during qualifying as RacingNews365.com gives you the details of what we can take away from Satuday's running in Sakhir. But there were some glimmers of hope in there, with Hamilton actually getting the beating of Verstappen on the medium compound tyre in Q2, and the fact that they have two drivers up at the sharp end ready to pressurise the Dutchman. I have been struggling in FP2 and FP3 as I could not find the feeling with the car but I worked quite a lot on the driving and in qualy I was actually quite confident I would be able to do the lap I wanted. We made some steps forward but we couldn't compete with that last lap Max did. But starting from third at this track isn't bad so I'm looking forward to it. We were absolutely right to use the medium tyres in Q2 but unfortunately it just didn’t pay off and I didn’t deliver the lap I should have.