Deanna Troi: Perez? Oh no!

Cactus Jack: Honda bringing that update a year early is working out well ..

Perez has got back to the pits, so it's a pitlane start for him.

We're going to have a second formation lap as Perez has managed to fire up his car.

Will his car be OK for a pitlane start? Great drama already. Well, not if you're a Perez fan.

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

He's got the ignition on, I don't know if he has got the engine on. Look, he's going again.

Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

Sergio Perez, absolute disaster! That could also bring a delay to the start.

Nick Jenkin: Outside bet, podium for Yuki Tsunoda for Alpha Tauri in his first race.

Pushp: How does Vettel find any motivation anymore? From being a four-time world champion to being last on the grid. And more importantly being constantly outpaced by his teammate. I wouldn't have been able to do it. I would have surely retired.

They all started the formation lap, but Sergio Perez has conked out. He may be out of the race before it starts. On his Red Bull debut, at the circuit where he won the Sakhir GP last year.

Disaster for Perez.

All away for the formation lap. Which is always a good start.

Matthew Murnaghan: This is it! Formula One is back. Let's hope it's not another dominant Mercedes year!

Ben: Max vs Lewis. The battle we all wanted is about to start.

Jeremiah: When Mercedes are not the strongest package, they are the team with best tactics and strategy. Expect them to do team tactics to win this from Red Bull. Welcome to the first race of 2021.

This is it. The start of maybe the longest F1 season in history.

It's the first of a scheduled 23 races. Let's hope we start off with a cracker.

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

Aston Martin have not looked that quick, they look like midfielders. Sebastian Vettel, it is a real shame. He has had a lot of bad luck. He starts last so it has been miserable but long term it could be good.

Press the play button at the top to listen along.

• 1st Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2nd Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 3rd Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• 4th Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 5th Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)
• 6th Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
• 7th Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 8th Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 9th Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
• 10th Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
• 11th Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
• 12th Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
• 13th Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
• 14th Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)
• 15th George Russell (Williams)
• 16th - Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
• 17th - Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
• 18th - Mick Schumacher (Haas)
• 19th - Nikita Mazepin (Haas)
• 20th - Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)

It's a special day for Pirelli at the Bahrain Grand Prix as the Italian firm is marking its 400th Formula 1 race.

Last year saw two races in Bahrain - the Bahrain GP and the Sakhir GP (over a different track configuration).

This is how they got on...

2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

1. Hamilton (Mercedes), 2. Verstappen (Red Bull), 3. Albon (Red Bull), 4. Norris (McLaren), 5. Sainz (McLaren), 6. Gasly (Alpha Tauri), 7. Ricciardo (Renault), 8. Bottas (Mercedes), 9. Ocon (Renault), 10. Leclerc (Ferrari).

2020 Sakhir Grand Prix

1. Perez (Racing Point), 2. Ocon (Renault), 3. Stroll (Racing Point), 4. Sainz (McLaren), 5. Ricciardo (Renault), 6. Albon (Red Bull), 7. Kvyat (Alpha Tauri), 8. Bottas (Mercedes), 9. Russell (Mercedes), 10. Norris (McLaren).

Other Bahrain GP winners

2019 - Hamilton (Mercedes), 2018 and 2017 - Vettel (Ferrari), 2016 - Rosberg (Mercedes), 2015 and 2014 - Hamilton (Mercedes), 2013 and 2012 - Vettel (Red Bull), 2010 - Alonso (Ferrari), 2009 - Button (Brawn), 2008 and 2007 - Massa (Ferrari), 2006 and 2005 - Alonso (Renault), 2004 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari).

It's going to be a crazy few hours if we see another podium of Perez, Ocon and Stroll.

This is today's track. A total of 57 laps for us all to enjoy.

Image source, .

Sara Turle: This opener could really set the season on fire. All to play for. Backing my man Lewis Hamilton.

Roxy: Rushing back from the supermarket for the start of the race and The Chain comes up on shuffle. The F1 gods have aligned. Better be a good race now.

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

Charles Leclerc is becoming a bit of a Bahrain specialist and he did a great job yesterday to start on the second row.

But he starts on the soft tyre, very fragile, he is going to be in for an early stop and maybe a harder race than the top three.

We have 57 laps in Bahrain and Pirelli say it will be a two-stop race. Those on the mediums will be aiming to get to 18 laps, before a 21-lap stint on the hards, followed by a 18-lap blast until the end.

If you're starting on the red softs, then Pirelli say you should ditch them at 14 laps, followed by 24 laps on the hards and then to the mediums for 19 laps until the end.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

The fastest race is predicted to be a two-stop strategy. The under-cut - stopping first against a car you are racing - has a powerful effect and can gain significant time. A pit stop under green flag conditions is about 23 seconds, under safety car about 13.

The conditions have changed since qualifying. The temperature has dropped around 10C, to 22C, and the wind has picked up. It’s now a headwind down the main straight, which means a tailwind into many of the corners, which will make the cars tricky, and could be bad news for Mercedes.

Lots of questions heading into the race. Are Red Bull beatable? They are strong favourites going in based on form over testing and practice and qualifying. Will Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari struggle with high tyre degradation, as it did at a number of races last year, and drop back quickly, or have they made a step forward? How much progress can Sergio Perez, always strong on tyre management, make from 11th on the grid in the Red Bull? And the same goes for impressive rookie Yuki Tsunoda in the Alpha Tauri, who is quicker than his 13th place on the grid.