The first free practice session of the day is underway!

Who will come out as the fastest driver this morning?

Let me know using #bbcf1

There are tiny spots of rain falling on the track, but not enough to cause an impact...yet.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

It has been raining in Manama this morning and the forecast is for intermittent showers throughout the day until the evening. A perhaps unexpected start to the three desert races that bring the curtain down on this most unusual of Formula 1 seasons. The two world championships are settled, but there is plenty still to play for - notably fourth place in the drivers’ championship, in which realistically three drivers (although perhaps five in extremis) are vying for the honour of being best of the rest behind Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez leads the way in what could be the final three races of his career, but Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo are three and four points behind. McLaren drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris are a point apart but 25 back from Perez and likely out of contention.

In the constructors’ championship, which means more to the teams because it what defines their incomes, it’s equally close, with Racing Point five points ahead of McLaren, who are 13 ahead of Renault, with Ferrari a further six adrift.

Image source, gett

The Racing Point team are ready.... are you?

The first free practice session will start at 11:00

If I had a klaxon I would be pressing all the buttons!

Loving the photography skills Valtteri!

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

The rain might mess up Pirelli’s plans for the teams to try out the redesigned tyres they have produced for 2021. The new tyres have a stronger construction, and were tried out briefly at the Portuguese Grand Prix last month. This weekend, Pirelli are giving each driver two sets of their C3 compound - the middle durability slick tyre of the range of five. These must be run for a minimum of six timed laps, and at least one of the sets has to be used in second practice even if it has previously been used in the first session.

Reflecting their stronger construction, the minimum mandated tyre pressures - a regular bone of contention for drivers and teams, who privately resent the tyres have to be what they regard as over-inflated to safeguard their structural integrity - have been reduced by 1.5psi at the front and 0.5psi at the rear.

A second test will be run in Abu Dhabi at the season-closing race, where the C4, or second-softest compound, must be run in second practice for a minimum of eight timed laps.

The tyres, particularly their tendency to overheat, which prevents drivers pushing hard for very many laps and requires careful management, have long been unsatisfactory as far as the drivers are concerned, and Lewis Hamilton does not sound over-optimistic about the new designs. “If it is the same tyre we drove in Portimao,” he said, “I am a bit worried, but maybe I am surprised and it’s a good tyre.”

We could get some rain showers today - could make things very interesting...

So Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain GP in 2019 - but can he do it again?

And last year it was Charles Leclerc who was fastest in FP1 and in FP2 it was Sebastian Vettel, will we see another Ferrari one-two today?

Leclerc eventually qualified on pole!

Image source, gett

All the information you need for this weekend's track action.

Well I am glad you asked.

FP1 starts at 11:00 and finishes at 12:30

FP2 starts at 15:00 and ends at 16:30

And I will be here for all of it, so please say hi!

#bbcf1

Hope you are all having a fabulous Friday - and thank you all for joining me, in what we are hoping is going to be an exciting two free practice sessions in Bahrain!!