Formula 1 will officially start a new and long season on Friday with the free practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Max Verstappen drives as world champion with the number 1 on his Red Bull car.
Last year the Limburger conquered pole position on the desert circuit of Sakhir in qualifying, but in the race he had to tolerate Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. The race led to a tense battle between Verstappen and Hamilton that was only settled in the Dutchman’s favor in December in Abu Dhabi.
Also read: Pitlane: ‘Competition also makes it better for Verstappen’
Ferrari and Alpine
It remains to be seen whether the two rivals will compete for the title alone this year. Formula 1 has drastically changed the rules of aerodynamics with the result that the cars are streamlined very differently. In the test races, Ferrari and Alpine also seemed very fast.
Start field change
The starting field has undergone some changes. Guanyu Zhou is the first Chinese to make his premier class debut on behalf of Alfa Romeo, the Thai Alexander Albon returns to Formula 1 with Williams, the Dane Kevin Magnussen replaces the dismissed Russian Nikita Mazepin at Haas and Nico Hulkenberg takes the place of Sebastian Vettel, who tested positive for corona at Aston Martin.
Live
The first free practice starts at 1:00 PM. The Bahrain GP starts on Sunday at 4 p.m. The race can then be followed live via L1 Radio.
pit lane
In the L1 program Pitlane, presenter Sem Caelen and F1 analyst Xavier Maassen look ahead to the new F1 season and the upcoming race in Bahrain. Maassen hopes for a broader battle for the three places on the podium. “It will only get better if, for example, three teams can compete for the victory,” says Maassen.
Watch the entire episode here: