Summary of Friday in Sakhir: Verstappen still on the hunt for proper setup
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The second consecutive race weekend in Bahrain got off to a very interesting start today. The drivers were given the opportunity to get used to the outer ring of the Sakhir circuit during the first two free practice sessions, and, naturally, all eyes were on the three substitute racers who got to make their first impressions today. Catch up on the most important news to emerge from and around the grid today, listed here for your convenience.
Verstappen dissatisfied with car and circuit
Max Verstappen, who had to watch George Russell finish in front of him in both free practice sessions, expressed his frustration in front of the camera after the second session. The optimal set-up of the Red Bull has not yet been found after 3 hours of testing, and the constant traffic on the extremely short track of Sakhir is also a point of annoyance for the Dutchman. Verstappen and his engineers still have the chance to find the optimal settings during tomorrow's third free practice session before qualifying.
Russell makes a convincing start for Mercedes
George Russell kicked off his weekend at Mercedes today in a convincing way. The British Williams driver, who is racing in place of his absent fellow countryman Lewis Hamilton, set a time of 54,546 in the first free practice, making him the fastest in the session. In the second session, Russell was again fastest, although it was partly due to the fact that Bottas' faster time was void for exceeding track limits. In both sessions, Max Verstappen finished second, with lap times between one and two tenths behind Russell.
F2 title Schumacher in danger after bad qualification
Due to a dramatic qualifying session, Mick Schumacher will start in P18 tomorrow as his title aspirations find themselves in sudden jeopardy. In the final corner, Schumacher, who will make his Formula 1 debut with Haas next year, hit Roy Nissani, who lost control and hit the back of Schumacher’s car. Check out the images of Schumacher's trivial mistake, which could cost him the championship here.
More clarity about Formula 1 future Albon
Christian Horner has shed some light today on the future of his driver Alexander Albon with Red Bull Racing. If the Thai-British racer doesn't prove himself convincingly in the last two Grands Prix of the season, the reserve bench awaits him, rather than a demotion to sister team AlphaTauri. If anything, knowing this puts more pressure on the young racer to perform in the last two weekends.