Sakhir Grand Prix – The Outlook for the Race

Jump into the unknown when heading for the Sakhir Grand Prix. Let's take a few moments to discuss the hot spots of the upcoming race.

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If one could expect a difficult management of traffic during the qualifications, it was not the case. The teams and drivers perfectly managed the space between the cars on the track. But now another exercise in style awaits them with the management of 87 laps of the same circuit, which resembles more a carousel than a motor racing track.

Will George Russell give it his all?

At Mercedes, Friday night, <a href="/f1/news/24483-russell-vs-bottas-everything-to-lose-or-everything-to-gain-.html" title="Russell vs Bottas: everything to lose or everything to gain?

"The advantage was clearly with the Briton against his teammate as he had led the first two practice sessions. But at the crucial moment, the qualifications, it was the Finn who placed his car in front of panel No. 1. Certainly, the gap between the two men is minimal (26 thousandths) but it doesn't matter."

If the first battle is therefore won by number 77, the race remains. And there we may wonder what attitude the two men and the team will adopt. From a Mercedes perspective, Lewis Hamilton's withdrawal and George Russell's appointment is a superb communication operation, putting the team back at the center of discussions. For them, no pressure, the two titles are already sealed.

But with the pilots, it's a whole different story. It's no secret that George Russell is a declared candidate for Valtteri Bottas's seat in the coming seasons. A direct confrontation is thus the best way to decide between them fairly. Are we heading towards a royal battle in the night of Sakhir between the two now-black Arrows, reminiscent of 2014 when Lewis Hamilton emerged victorious in a magnificent duel that launched his current era of domination? Or will George Russell play the good teammate to allow Valtteri Bottas to consolidate his second place in the championship while taking good notes for the future?

Will Charles Leclerc hold on?

During qualifying, Charles Leclerc once again delivered an extraordinary lap to secure fourth place on the grid. When we see that the other Ferrari is 13th, we can appreciate just how outstanding this performance is. The problem for the young driver is that his Sundays are often more complicated than his Saturdays.

Especially on a circuit where drivers are at full throttle for 85% of the lap, the underpowered Ferrari engine will leave him vulnerable to attacks from the cars positioned behind him in the long pit straight.

In the championship, he is only four points away from fourth place, which is currently held by Daniel Ricciardo, with Sergio Perez in between the two. At the start, the order will be reversed between the three men. One can imagine that the red driver will be determined to resist and score big points to try to salvage a very complicated season.

AlphaTauri as referee?

The battle of the peloton is still as intense as ever. In Bahrain, it could be even more exciting with the arrival of a surprise guest, AlphaTauri. While Pierre Gasly has accustomed us to very fine performances, it’s rarer from Daniil Kvyat. Yet, it was the Russian who managed to reach sixth place while the Frenchman had to settle for ninth place, due to a damaged floor from Q1 after setting the third-fastest time in the final practice session.

With its two drivers in the top 10, the small Scuderia will be able to play the spoiler against Racing Point (5th and 10th), Renault (7th and 11th), and McLaren (8th and 15th). The points collected by the Faenza team could thus be sorely missed by the other teams when making the final tallies.

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