SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2021 12

Dozens dead as record rains lash Pakistanio TDT | ManamaVerstappenNeymar takes contracts it to the virus max! xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Nz xxxxxxRed Bull xxxxxx Racing xxxxxx star makes strong start to Formula 1 season by topping both Friday Practice sessions in Gulf Air Bahrain Grand xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Prix at Bahrain International Circuit xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx z xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx • | Manama Tx Verstappen sets TDT • X overall best time in XXXXXX XXXXXXX second F1 practice under XXXXXXX XXXXXXX BIC’s bright lights XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX World champions XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX • XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Mercedes, ‘home team’ XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX McLaren also have XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX. impressive first days xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx F1 action heads xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx for• FP3, followed by xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx z Qualifying for season- xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Aston Martin’s exiting his garage opening Grand Prix xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx z TDT | Manama xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx ax xxxxxx Verstappen xxxxxx was the xxxxxx star xxxxxx man yesterday xxxxxx as xxxxxx. the 2021 FIA Formula 1 M ’s in action on track with the iconic BIC Tower providing a stunning backdrop Worldxxxxxx Championship xxxxxx xxxxxxgot under - wayxxxxxx with the xxxxxx first two xxxxxx practice leading pace, while Lando Nor- Sebastian Vettel (Aston Mar- sessionsxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxof the Formula xxxxxx 1 Gulf ris came third for McLaren tin), (Aston Martin), Airxxxxxx Bahrain xxxxxx Grand Prix xxxxxx at Bah - 0.503s behind Verstappen. (AlphaTauri), Es- rainxxxxxx International xxxxxx Circuit xxxxxx (BIC ). I am pretty happy Defending drivers’ world teban Ocon (Alpine), Fernando xxxxxxVerstappen xxxxxx topped xxxxxx both ses - with the start of champion Alonso (Alpine), George Russell sionsxxxxxx as xxxxxxhe put on a fine display the weekend but (+0.527s) was fourth in the oth- (Williams), (Wil- of Red Bull’s strong early pace tomorrow is a er Mercedes and liams), (Haas) in the season-opening meeting. different day and we (+0.599s) fifth for Ferrari, while and (Haas). After setting the pace in the Sergio Perez (+0.677s) in the sec- In practice two, Norris was Williams driver George Russell during the first practice session opening hour-long practice with have to see whether ond Red Bull car made it into this time the runner-up in the a best time of one minute 31.394 we can do it in the top six. session being classified just Bottas (+0.371s) in fifth and Dan- Gasly, Perez, Ocon, Leclerc, Gio- seconds during the daytime, qualifying when it (+0.801s) for 0.095secs behind Verstappen. iel Ricciardo (+0.383s) sixth. vinazzi, Vettel, Alonso, Raikko- the Dutchman then lit up BIC’s counts AlphaTauri and Carlos Sainz Hamilton was third 0.235s from Tsunoda (+0.447s) and Stroll nen, Russell, Schumacher, Latifi 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix track MAX VERSATPPEN (+0.972s) in the other Ferrari first as Mercedes kicked off their (+0.546s) were seventh and and Mazepin. at night with a blistering lap of rounded out the top eight. eighth straight title-defence on eighth, respectively. The F1 action resumes today 1:30.847 under the lights. “I am pretty happy with the Completing the First Prac- the right foot. The rest of the Second Prac- with the Third Practice, starting “It’s been a good day again start of the weekend but tomor- tice classification from ninth Sainz (+0.280s) was tice classification order, from at 3pm. It will also be held over and with the heat and the wind row is a different day and we through 20th, respectively, were fourth-quickest, followed by ninth to 20th, respectively, saw an hour. it is not easy to find a perfect have to see whether we can do (McLaren), An- balance around the whole lap it in qualifying when it counts.” tonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Bahrain GP Practice One Timesheet Bahrain GP Practice Two Timesheet but overall I would say it was a In F1’s First Practice today, Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo), Driver Team Time Driver Team Time positiveDozens day,” said deadVerstappen asVerstappen record picked rains up from lash 1)Dozens Max Verstappen deadRed Bull as1:31.394 record1) Max rainsVerstappen lashRed Bull 1:31.394 after practice two. where he left off in pre-season 2) Mercedes +0.298 2) McLaren +0.095 “There are still things to im- testing, powering straight to the Pakistan BETTER 3)Pakistan Lando Norris McLaren +0.503 3) Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.235 prove and look into for tomor- top of the timesheet. He com- 4) Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.527 4) Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.280 row,TDT | tyreManama wise and a bit of bal- pleted a total of 12 laps in the 5)TDT Charles | Manama Leclerc Ferrari +0.599 5) Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.371 ance tuning, plus I think it will session. KNOW 6) Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.677 6) Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.384 be evenxxxxx more xxxxxx windy which xxxxxx is a Valtteri Bottas for construc- 7) Pierrexxxxx Gasly xxxxxx xxxxxxAlphaTauri +0.801 7) Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.447 xchallengexxxxxx for xxxxxx everyone xxxxxx in these tors’ world champions Mercedes 8)x Carlosxxxxxx Sainz xxxxxx Ferrari xxxxxx +0.972 8) Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.546 cars.xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx was right behind 0.298s off the 9)xxxxxx Daniel xxxxxxRicciardo xxxxxx McLaren xxxxxx +1.040 9) Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +0.636 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Quicker times are 10)xxxxxx Antonio xxxxxx Giovinazzi xxxxxx Alfa xxxxxx Romeo +1.392 10) Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.656 xxxxxxSaturday’s xxxxxx xxxxxx schedule xxxxxx usually set during the 11)xxxxxx Kimi Raikkonen xxxxxx xxxxxx Alfa xxxxxx Romeo +1.740 11) Alpine +0.754 xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx second practice on 12)xxxxxx Sebastian xxxxxxx Vettel xxxxxxAston Martin +1.763 12) Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.765 xxxxxxTime xxxxxxChampionship xxxxxx xxxxxx Session 13)xxxxxx Lance xxxxxxStroll xxxxxxAston xxxxxx Martin +1.839 13) Alfa Romeo +0.893 xxxxxx12.15pm xxxxxxPorsche xxxxxx Sprint Challenge xxxxxx ME Qualifying Fridays at the F1 Bah- 14)xxxxxx Yuki Tsunoda xxxxxx xxxxxxAlphaTauri xxxxxx +1.935 14) Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +0.922 rain Grand Prix due xxxxxx1.25pm xxxxxxFormula xxxxxx. 2 First Race (23 laps or 45 minutes) 15)xxxxxx Esteban xxxxxx Ocon xxxxxx.Alpine +2.134 15) Alpine +0.923 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx to cooler conditions, 16) xxxxxxFernando Alonso xxxxxx Alpine xxxxxx +2.478 16) Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo +1.015 xxxxxx3pm xxxxxxFormula xxxxxx 1 xxxxxx Third Practice following the noticea- 17)xxxxxx George xxxxxx Russell xxxxxx Williams xxxxxx +2.733 17) George Russell Williams +1.484 xxxxxxxxx4.45pm Porsche xxxxxx Sprint Challenge xxxxxx ME First Race (11 laps or 25 minutes) ble temperature drop 18)xxxxxxxxx Nicholas Latifi xxxxxx Williamsxxxxxx +2.946 18) Mick Schumacher Haas +2.450 xxxxxx6pm xxxxxxFormula xxxxxx 1 xxxxxx Qualifying between the day and 19)xxxxxx Mick Schumacher xxxxxx xxxxxx Haas xxxxxx +3.107 19) Nicholas Latifi Williams +2.553 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx 20)xxxxxx Nikita xxxxxx Mazepin xxxxxx Haas xxxxxx +3.581 20) Nikita Mazepin Haas +2.602 7.40pm Formula 2 Second Race (23 laps or 45 minutes) night sessions xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx x x Former champion Fernando Alonso relishing return to competition TDT | Manama sions, Alonso was pleased with his day, “You feel the extra adrenaline with wo-time Formula 1 world cham- which he rounded off with higher fuel the traffic and everything going on Tpion Fernando Alonso said he was runs in Alpine’s A521 contender. around you; it’s very different to testing. delighted to be back in the car yesterday In the first practice, Alonso was 16th It was fantastic to be back It felt good and I felt the racing spirit for the first practices of the F1 Gulf Air overall with a best lap of one minute in a free practice session each lap, which I enjoyed. 2021, kicking off his 33.872 seconds while running for 18 today in Formula 1. You “We got through our programme in comeback season. laps in the daytime. In the second ses- the first session in very hot conditions The Spaniard last raced in motor- sion at night held under BIC’s bright feel the extra adrenaline and then some long runs this evening sport’s top flight in 2018 with former floodlights, he went one better to 15th with the traffic and as the track cooled for FP2. team McLaren, and ever since return- on the classification with a mark of everything going on around “We do still need to fine tune some ing to action in pre-season testing in 1:31.770 while completing 24 laps. you…It felt good and I felt of the car setup and analyse the data a Sakhir earlier this month, has been Alonso commented at the end of the the racing spirit each lap, bit more, but, overall, I’m happy with itching to get back to competing on day’s events: “It was fantastic to be which I enjoyed my day.” track. Despite being classified in the Fernando Alonso speaks to the media after back in a free practice session today in Alonso is racing with Alpine along- bottom five for both of yesterday’s ses- yesterday’s practices Formula 1. FERNANDO ALONSO side French teammate Esteban Ocon.

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