Image source, Getty Images

Fernando Alonso says he did not expect there to be so much attention on his age as he makes a Formula 1 return after two years away.

The two-time champion, who is driving for Alpine, the former Renault team, is 39 and will turn 40 in July, while seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton is 36 and Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen 41.

Alonso said: "My age is a big question but I am a little bit surprised by that. I am not that old. The guy who is dominating the sport is 36. I am not 20 years older."

The Spaniard said on Thursday there were "no guarantees" he would return as strong a driver as he was when he left.

"I hope so," he said. "You just have your own confidence, trying to deliver what the team expects from you.

"When I decided to be back, I was trying to focus on the preparation, not only physically but also technically being with the team and trying to be up to speed with the F1 language which, is a little more technical than other categories."

Before qualifying at 15:00 GMT, let's have a quick look at the best stories from the drivers' news conferences on Thursday...

And former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson has a top four of Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas and Gasly.

Think Gasly and Alpha Tauri would be delighted with that if it happens.

Romain Grosjean, who was involved in a horrific crash in Bahrain last year in what proved to be his last race for Haas, has tweeted the following...

We have got one hour to go until qualifying so tell us your predictions.

Can anyone stop Max Verstappen? If so, who and why?

Who is going to be the surprise star of qualifying and the biggest disappointment? As always include your reasoning and tweet us using #bbcf1

Here's a video looking back at the incredible career of legendary Formula One commentator Murray Walker, who has sadly died aged 97.

Speaking of Williams...

There's a lovely tribute from Williams this weekend on their 'halo' to legendary commentator Murray Walker, who sadly died recently at the age of 97.

It includes one of Murray's most famous quotes of "and I've got to stop, because I've got a lump in my throat" which he used as Damon Hill became world champion back in 1996.

Image source, F1

The results are in, in the match-up between Mercedes and Williams.

The world champions are out!

More of you preferred the look of the Williams and they win by 3,835 to 2,598.

Image source, .

Round 1

• Williams (10) beat Alpha Tauri (7) (2,075-1,119)
• Alfa Romeo (8) beat Haas (9) (3,664-417)

Quarter-finals

1. Aston Martin (4) beat Alpine (5) (2,758-2,318)
2. McLaren (3) beat Ferrari (6) (5,005-1,121)
3. Alfa Romeo beat Red Bull (2) (1,340-840)
4. Williams beat Mercedes (1) (3,835-2,598)

Semi-finals

• Saturday, 13:45 GMT: Aston Martin v Alfa Romeo
• Saturday, 14:45 GMT: McLaren v Williams

Final

• Sunday, 14:45 BST.

Ten started, and we're down to the final four in our quest to find out the best looking car on the grid in 2021.

Aston Martin has seen off Alpine in a close one, while Alfa Romeo has taken down Haas and Red Bull.

If Aston Martin is your choice then press' thumbs up' and if you think Alfa Romeo deserve to win then 'thumbs down'.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The first Formula 1 race of the season is tomorrow, but can you name every season-opening race winner since 1980?

Take our quiz here to play along.

These were the times from the third session earlier on. Can Mercedes get to number one when it matters later on?

Image source, F1

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, EPA

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed a clean sweep of practice sessions in impressive style at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was a massive 0.739 seconds quicker than Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in second place.

Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly was third fastest, ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.

The session set up an enticing battle in the first qualifying session of the new season, and poses many questions.

Are Red Bull as superior to Mercedes as they have appeared so far? Are Mercedes struggling that much?

Conditions will be different in qualifying, which starts at 1500 GMT, as the sun sets and the track cools, and the wind potentially picks up.

Up and down the field, the intrigue was just as high.

New Ferrari signing Carlos Sainz was sixth fastest, continuing the trend of being consistently quicker than team-mate Charles Leclerc this weekend. Leclerc was 11th fastest in this session.

The Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen was an impressive seventh, while eighth went to Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who has consistently been about 0.4secs quicker than the returning Fernando Alonso in the other car from the team formerly known as Renault.

Alonso, who has been out of F1 for two seasons, was down in 15th place, one position behind Sebastian Vettel, who has moved to Aston Martin. Team-mate Lance Stroll was ninth quickest.

The McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris were 10th and 16th, George Russell 17th in the Williams and Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael, 18th as he makes his F1 debut for Haas.

Ben: It's easy to improve a Mercedes when rivals are always behind..it's a different story if they're in front and the regulations start next year.

Alaskan Twit: Is it just me, or does the new one-hour practice format give it the feel of the old one-hour quali sessions? Exciting flurry of fastest lap runs at the top of the hour.

• 11. Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.905
• 12. Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) +1.923
• 13. Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +2.132
• 14. Vettel (Aston Martin) +2.178
• 15. Alonso (Alpine) +2.243
• 16. Norris (McLaren) +2.283
• 17. Russell (Williams) +2.746
• 18. Schumacher (Haas) +2.845
• 19. Mazepin (Haas) +3.045
• 20. Latifi (Williams) +3.382

1. Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:30.577
2. Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.739
3. Gasly (Alpha Tauri) +1.006
4. Bottas (Mercedes) +1.278
5. Perez (Red Bull) +1.331
6. Sainz (Ferrari) +1.531
7. Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) +1.647
8. Ocon (Alpine) +1.846
9. Stroll (Aston Martin) +1.854
10. Ricciardo (McLaren) +1.9

It wasn't even close. Max Verstappen seven tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton and more than a full second ahead of everyone else.

The Dutchman won the last race of last season at a canter and has continued that form at the beginning of this. He's the man to beat in qualifying later on.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

I wonder if Red Bull have given Max Verstappen all the bells and whistles for one lap?!

Reece Young: That Red Bull is alarmingly quick this year. So so quick.

Image source, EPA

1. Verstappen 1:30.577
2. Hamilton +0.739
3. Gasly +1.006
4. Bottas +1.278
5. Perez +1.331
6. Sainz +1.531
7. Raikkonen +1.647
8. Ocon +1.846
9. Stroll +1.854
10. Ricciardo +1.9

We had one second separating the top 15 yesterday, now there's only Hamilton within a second of Verstappen.

Some statement today from the Dutchman.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Sector two and three have been where the Red Bulls have had a bit of an advantage. Max Verstappen has so much traction coming out of Turn 10. He's able to squeeze on the throttle, keep it in a straight line without any corrections.

Verstappen is nearly seven tenths up on Lewis Hamilton. He's absolutely blowing the competition away!