Event of the Day: Bahrain Grand Prix
Our event of the day is the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel will look to once again claim victory and improve his standing in the drivers’ championship after a fourth place finish in Australia two weeks ago. Meanwhile Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton of Team Mercedes, who finished first and second in Melbourne, will look to continue their hot starts to the season. With Charles Leclerc in pole, expect an unmissable race today. Two weeks ago, Valtteri Bottas surprised everyone by pulling out only his fourth win of his F1 career. Bottas’ future beyond the 2019 season is murky at best but the win in Australia will certainly give credit to the Finnish driver’s resume. He beat out his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had begun the race in pole position, as well as the two much-vaunted Ferrari drivers, who could only manage fourth and fifth. These results mean that going into the second race of the season, Bottas holds an eight-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship while his team, Mercedes, holds a twenty-two point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is always an interesting race. Its large run-off areas mean that drivers who tend to stray off the track are not as penalized as they are at other Grand Prix races. In addition to that, the track has added an extra drag reduction system zone between turns three and four. Taking the total of DRS zones to three, this addition is expected to increase the number of overtakes, at the cost of the added strategic element of an increased number of pit stops. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel is the best all-time champion at Bahrain with four wins and he comes into today’s race as the two-time defending champion. On Friday, Ferrari was in firm control of the first practices with Charles Leclerc finishing first and Vettel finishing second. When qualifying came around on Saturday, the three rounds of racing were tightly contested but it was young Leclerc who took first, granting him his first F1 pole position. This sets up what will surely be a very exciting race today.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Premier League, where Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. After Manchester City’s victory at Fulham yesterday, Liverpool find themselves in second but only by a single point. They are unbeaten in their last ten matches but need that streak to continue in order to maintain the pressure on Manchester City, who have a game in hand. Spurs, on the other hand, have three defeats in their last five matches and will look to win in order to stay ahead of the other teams vying for third place. Be sure you don’t miss this important Premier League clash. Elsewhere, in MotoGP, the Argentina Grand Prix takes places at the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo in Termas de Río Hondo. In the European Rugby Champions Cup, Racing 92 host Toulouse in the quarter-finals at the Paris La Defense Arena. The men’s final of the Miami Open takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium. The NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament continues with Duke facing Michigan State at Capital One Arena in Washington DC in the men’s tournament and Mississippi State clashing with Oregon at the Moda Center in Portland in the women’s tournament.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Formula 1