Summary

  • Verstappen beats Hamilton to Bahrain pole, Bottas 3rd

  • Perez out in Q2, Vettel out in Q1, Verstappen fastest in final practice

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Wow! Verstappen with a stunning, stunning lap. It's a 1:30.577 and that is more than seven tenths clear.

    This could well be glory times coming back to Red Bull.

  2. Max Verstappen is now on the softs. Can he regain top spot?

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  4. 'Not a great lap from Perez'

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

    Sergio Perez is a long way away from Lewis Hamilton in the first sector - four tenths down.

    Six tenths off in the middle sector now. Not a cracking lap from Perez.

    He was quick in the last sector but he lost time in the first.

  5. Hamilton sets the sectors purple

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  6. Alfa Romeo beats Red Bull

    Which F1 car looks the best?

    Alfa Romeo advance in our vote and is judged to look better than the Red Bull. Alfa Romeo win it 1,340 to 840.

    Result.

    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. Saturday, 12:45 GMT: Mercedes (1) v Williams

    Semi-finals

    • Saturday, 13:45 GMT: Aston Martin v Alfa Romeo
    • Saturday, 14:45 GMT: McLaren v quarter-final 4

    Final

    • Sunday, 14:45 BST.

  7. Which is the best looking F1 car on the grid in 2021?

    Quarter-final: Mercedes (thumbs up) v Williams (thumbs down)

    Time for our next match-up. It's world champions Mercedes versus Williams, who got the vote over Alpha Tauri in the first round.

    If you think the Mercedes looks better hit 'thumbs up', if the Williams is your favourite then press 'thumbs down'.

    An hour to vote until 13:45 GMT.

    MercedesGetty Images

    Mercedes (thumbs up)...

    WilliamsGetty Images

    ...or Williams (thumbs down)

  8. But Bottas' time at the top lasts only a few seconds as Hamilton storms round in the sand with a 1:31.316. That's five tenths clear of Bottas and nearly eight tenths clear of Sainz in third.

    We may have written off Mercedes a little bit too quickly here.

  9. 'Not getting anything from Alpine'

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

    It's a very jumbled up order. We're still not getting anything from Alpine. They're on the medium tyres now and again, Esteban Ocon is four tenths ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso.

  10. From last to first. That's what Valtteri Bottas has done.

  11. Gas-man

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  12. Cooking on Gas

    Pierre Gasly, a race winner last season for Alpha Tauri, is leading the way, although his time of 1:32.321 is on the softs, while Verstappen's effort, nearly three tenths slower, came on the hards.

  13. Get Involved

    #bbcf1

    David Williams: Nikita Maza-SPIN.

    Cactus Jack: Alpine have acquired the Alonso Curse.

    May well borrow that one in future David.

  14. Team radio - Vettel (Aston Martin)

    "Something from the front left corner came off and hit me in the face."

  15. Here's why Mazepin went for a scenic tour in Bahrain. A spin in the middle sector.

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  16. Get Involved

    #bbcf1

    JJ Jackson: Mercedes car aside, can't help but feel Hamilton head not in right place. Last time he was like that, he lost title to Rosberg... could history repeat itself?

    David Dalton: Is Bottas secretly Alex Albon? Track limits galore.

    May well remind you of that message at about 16:00 GMT JJ!

  17. Can George Russell get himself into Q3 later on in the Williams? He's 12th on track in the third session, five tenths better off than team-mate Nicholas Latifi.

    Mick Schumacher is in 14th, but there's less than a tenth separating him and fellow Haas man Nikita Mazepin in 17th.

    After 35 minutes of action, Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes is the slowest man on the board.

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

    Same spin as yesterday for Nikita Mazepin. Turned into the right-hander at Turn Six and the rear let go. Tricky day for Haas on Friday and it's not started any better today.

  19. Four teams in the top four spots. These are very, very good early signs for a brilliant year.

  20. Hamilton has improved

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

    Lewis Hamilton improved on a second run - on the same set of soft tyres. Yesterday, no one improved on a second lap on the soft tyres but he manged to find one tenth of a second.

    It wasn't a leap forward - but he has managed to dial that car in.