Ferrari's Leclerc takes maiden F1 pole position
Vettel 2nd in other Ferrari, Hamilton and Bottas 3rd and 4th for Mercedes
Out in Q2: Ricciardo, Albon, Gasly, Perez, Kvyat
Out in Q1: Giovinazzi, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Russell, Kubica
Bottas won opening race of season in Australia
Get involved: #bbcf1
We're asking who will be the best and worst drivers of the year, as well as the surprise and the biggest disappointment?
Jacqui Baker-Stubbs: Kimi to get a podium.
Amit Mandalia: My surprise of the season will be that a Haas will get a podium this year.
Yu Himm Fung: Worst driver - Stroll or Giovinazzi, surprise - definitely going to be Norris. Biggest disappointment - Williams.
Valtteri Bottas sticks on the softs and sprints to the top, with a 1:31.169. Daniil Kvyat will be delighted if he finishes the day as he starts it, in second, four tenths off the lead.
Image source, Getty Images
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Bahrain
Robert Kubica’s return to Formula 1 continues to be struggle. Not just in that the Williams is a slow car, but that the Pole has lagged well behind team-mate George Russell. On Friday, he was a second off, and complaining that his car was behaving differently to the Briton’s.
“It's clear that we are driving two different cars with the same set-up, so that is something we need to understand,” Kubica said. “It's quite obvious on the data. So now we need to try and find the reason. I had some doubt after Australia. Honestly I thought it was caused by floor damage. The floor is in a good state here, and still, though we are using the same baseline set-up as the other car, we have different characteristics. It is quite significant.
"Maybe it is something within the aero which is upsetting a lot the handling of the car and the general grip of the car. It's looking strange, to be honest, and it's putting me in a very difficult position to drive the car. Additionally, if I try to follow it up with some balance shift I have to reduce the grip a lot and the potential of the car. Neither way is good. I make it more drivable, I am slow. I make it, let's say, as it should be and it's undriveable. It's a very, very difficult situation.”
Raikkonen update. He's moaning about some car settings.
Image source, Getty ImagesFive times set, these are them...
A gentle start to FP3.
Image source, ReutersThough, not everyone's impressed...
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Valtteri Bottas, him with a new beard lovingly crafted over the winter, is a different driver than last year.
Sebastian Vettel is trying the same approach with some top-lip fur.
Image source, Getty ImagesFerrari are one and two yet again, but this time by default as they're the only two to have set a time so far. Vettel with a 1:31.617, Leclerc +0.139 behind.
Image source, Getty ImagesWho will be the best and worst drivers the surprise and disappointment of the season?
We're asking who will be the best and worst drivers of the year, as well as the surprise and the biggest disappointment?
Sam Dunstan: Ferrari to build a lead 1st half of season, Mercedes reel them in 2nd half, Red Bull as kingmakers.
JJ Jackson: Best driver of the year BOT(at least most improved). Worst: STR. Surprises: Alonso replaces Sainz in September, and Williams get a podium.
You know what JJ, I would absolutely love to see Williams get a podium. That would be one insane race, Here's hoping.
Antonio Giovinazzi is one of the first on the track and it looks like he's lost a bit of his car straight away as something flies off his Alfa Romeo as he goes round a corner. Not the best start to a day.
Let's go. We have an hour. Third practice is under way.
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We're live with our excellent commentary team of Jack Nicholls and Jolyon Palmer and you can hear them by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Your F1 predictions
Right, we've all had a bit of time to see how the drivers and the cars are looking so let's throw it open to you lot.
For our debate today we want you to predict the future and tells us how this season is going to go.
Who will be the best and worst drivers of the year? Also, who will be the surprise package and who will be the biggest disappointment? As always, give us your full reasons why.
Tweet us using the hashtag #bbcf1 and we will post your messages in this page.
We've already had some action today in Bahrain with the opening race in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
It was a debut for Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael, and Mick finished in the points, coming eighth.
Race winner was Nicholas Latifi, who has been a test driver for Renault and Force India in the past, and is on Williams' books this year - as their test and reserve driver. Who knows, maybe we will see him on the F1 grid this year?
Brits Jack Aitken, Callum Ilott and Jordan King came seventh, 14th and 17th, while Tatiana Calderon, the only female driver in the championship, finished 13th.
Schumacher's eighth-place finish means he will start on pole in Sunday's shorter sprint race.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe world champ means business today.
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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Bahrain
Ferrari dominated Friday practice, finishing one-two in both sessions, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc taking their turn to be fastest. Both times, they were well clear of the Mercedes drivers, and the immediate assumption was that this was Ferrari showing the strong pace they clearly had in pre-season testing. Team boss Mattia Binotto, though, was quick to cool expectations.
He said: “The delta you may see to the others is not too significant, and I think tomorrow it will certainly be a more tough battle. The others will be very strong. It is quite obvious, and you may see the GPS data and from the speed on the straights, we were certainly pushing different engine modes compared to what the others were doing today. So, I am expecting a very tough battle.”
He did admit, however, that Ferrari were in a much better situation than they were in Australia a fortnight ago: “We improved our situation after Australia, this one is quite a different track. Let’s see that we do not have at least today the problems we suffered in Australia, thanks to the track, thanks to the modifications we made.”
Image source, ReutersFerrari appear to be back on form after dominating Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Italian team struggled at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, finishing nearly a minute behind race-winner Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes.
But Sebastian Vettel headed Charles Leclerc to a one-two in Friday second practice, 0.603 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
Leclerc topped the first session from Vettel, nearly a second up on Bottas.
Ferrari set a scintillating pace in first practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, nearly a second quicker than the fastest Mercedes.
New Ferrari recruit Charles Leclerc was quickest,0.263 seconds ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel and 0.974secs quicker than Valtteri Bottas.
World champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth, 1.247secs down on Leclerc.
It was encouraging for Ferrari, who were off the pace at the opening race of the season in Australia.
The Italian team had left pre-season testing with most of the grid feeling they had the fastest car but they finished the race in Melbourne a minute behind winner Bottas.
Hello! Fancy some more Formula 1 action?
Well you're in the right place. Michael Emons here to guide you through third practice and then what promises to be a dramatic afternoon of qualifying later on.
We will also have live BBC Radio 5 Live commentary as well, and the usual debates of course.
First up, let's have a quick look back at what happened yesterday.
The first race of the season was very much Mercedes' day with a one-two in Melbourne.
But Ferrari have fought back nicely by being the fastest and second fastest in both of the two practice sessions on Friday in Bahrain.
What will happen today? Who will get themselves on pole later on?
First up, though, how about another practice session?
Image source, Getty Images