Poland's Robert Kubica claimed his only F1 pole position at the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The BMW Sauber outpaced that year's title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa to top spot but was beaten off the line by the Brazilian Ferrari driver, who went on to win the race. Kubica had to settle for third place.

Kubica's F1 career came to a premature end weeks before the start of the 2011 season when he suffered a partially severed arm in a rallying accident in Italy.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Mercedes' fears about Ferrari centre on two things - Sebastian Vettel's victory in Malaysia three weeks ago; and the highly impressive pace set by the red cars on their race-simulation runs in second practice on Friday.

"Vettel was more than a half a second a lap on average faster than Rosberg on similar tyres. Mercedes think they know why - they had their tyres out of their ideal operating window, with a temperature imbalance between the surface and the core of the rubber.

"'We have corrected quite some things looking at the deficit on Friday but we didn't have the time to test it properly,' team boss Toto Wolff said. 'I think we made the right developments to get the tyre in the right window but the ultimate proof we will have tonight.'"

Lotus on Twitter: Welcome to the world!! #BabyFan

Image source, Lotus

Sensible parenting. Always buy clothes with plenty of growing room.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

"As at most weekends so far this season, Kimi Raikkonen has been right on Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel's pace in Bahrain; in fact ahead as often as not. But also as in most weekends so far, Vettel was ahead when it mattered in qualifying.

"Raikkonen said he felt in hindsight he could have pushed a bit harder than he did but the Finn does at least have the consolation of being fourth on the grid.

"'The aim is to be at the front,' he said, 'so we know we still have work to do. I'll take this rather than fifth or sixth place. I'm kind of happy, there were no big issues, and at least we're further up and can fight.'"

Williams on Twitter: The boys are touring the track on the F1 drivers parade

Image source, Williams

Image source, .

More chin-stroking facts can be found here.

James Allison, Ferrari's technical director, has been chatting to BBC Sport about the team's hopes for the race.

"The plan is to win clearly, we are on top of one another on the grid so it is going to be exciting, I am not sure which way it will go," he said.

"It is a very rough track, the asphalt is rough and warm. The rear tyres will get stressed by a track like this. How they run over the course of a stint is very important.

"Most races are settled before the last stint but there are several scenarios where they are fought down to the wire. Kimi can win, him and Sebastian both had good pace on Friday, it is anybody's race."

You've already been getting in touch with your predictions for this race. Keep them coming using #bbcf1.

Farhaan: Hamilton easy win, Rosberg will come close but will be too much in his head to allow Vettel 2nd.

Tom Morgan: I'm going bold. Vettel/Raikonen/Hamilton in that order. If not I still think that will be the top 3.

Pauline Lowrey: Vet, Ham, Rai. (Sorry Nico!!)

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

"The concern at Mercedes about Ferrari's potential for this race is palpable. Lewis Hamilton might be on pole after another highly impressive qualifying performance, but beside him on the front row is Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel - and Nico Rosberg shares the second row with Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

"'We know they are always stronger in the race,' Rosberg said, 'so for them to be that close in qualifying it is going to be an interesting one.'

"How close it is going to be, team boss Toto Wolff was asked? 'Close,' he replied. 'That is what we must get used to. We are not caught by surprise any more. So it is going to be a tight race.'"

Image source, Getty Images

The sun may be going down in Bahrain but it's very much coming up on Lewis Hamilton's bid for a third world drivers' title.

Two wins from three races at the start of the season and seemingly well on top of his team-mate, it already looks like this championship race is Hamilton's to lose.

He starts today's race from pole, half a second clear of his pursuers, and on the evidence of the season so far it's hard to look too far beyond the Briton for the 25 points today.

Yet for saying all that, those Ferraris do look quick...

Image source, EPA

What a great picture this is. Manor's Roberto Merhi blasting through the multicoloured patchwork backdrop of the Bahrain International Circuit during third practice.

Take a good long look, though, because those sun-enriched reds, blues, yellows and whites won't be displayed in quite the same way when the fourth round of the 2015 season gets under way at 16:00 BST.

Instead, today's action will play out under some 5,000 lights, held aloft by 495 lighting poles and powered by more than 500km of electric cable.

The upshot? One of the most visually arresting races of the season.

Perhaps the light won't be quite as nature intended, but then beauty comes in many forms...