THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 16 Russell puts Merc on top Sebastian Vettel fastest in morning session at the post-Bahrain Grand Prix test

Mick Schumacher sixth• on Alfa Romeo

Dan Ticktum KNOW WHAT debuts• with Red Bull

Autosport | Manama Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel’s eorge Russell improved early-morning late in the day to set the fastest time of Formula time stood as the G benchmark for most 1 testing in Bahrain, driving for Mercedes instead of his 2019 of the day, before race team Williams. Perez improved with Russell drove for Williams less than two hours on Tuesday at the post-Bahrain remaining Grand Prix test before taking Williams’ British driver George Russell steers his car during in-season tests over from Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, which retains close as the benchmark for most of the by persistent rain. a result of Red Bull seeking an- debut in on Tuesday for the Alfa grammes. ties to its former junior driver. day, before Perez improved with Among that septet was Red swers to its set-up problems that Romeo yesterday. Daniil Kvyat jumped to An improvement in the final less than two hours remaining. Bull’s F1 test debutant Dan Tick- have held it back over the first Schumacher only completed fifth while completing Pirel- hour of the test allowed Russell Vettel never improved on his tum, who racked up 134 laps two grands prix of the season. 70 laps, though, on his way to li tyre testing duties, setting a to leapfrog Sergio Perez by less 1m29.319s, and slipped to third - second only to Alex Albon’s Ticktum’s lap count was near- setting the sixth-fastest time - a 1m29.911s on the penultimate than a tenth, so Russell’s best in the final standings. 143-lap tally. ly double that of his 2018 Euro- 1m29.998s. lap of his 111-lap day. effort of 1m29.029s shaded the The German was one of sev- Ticktum wound up ninth fast- pean Formula 3 title rival Mick That was the lowest tally Likewise, fellow tyre test- Racing Point driver’s time by en drivers to clear 100 laps as est, 1.8s off the pace, as he ticked Schumacher. of any driver who completed er Fernando Alonso posted a 0.066s. teams looked to make up for a off a major aim for 2019 by test- The son of seven-time F1 a full day of running. Several 1m31.006s on lap 68 of 69, shar- Ferrari driver Sebastian Vet- disappointing day of testing on ing Red Bull’s RB15. champion Michael swapped the drivers pumped in performance ing McLaren’s Pirelli work with tel’s early-morning time stood Tuesday, which was interrupted His significant mileage will be Ferrari he made his own test runs near the end of their pro- Carlos Sainz Jr. Solskjaer admits United have no Barcelona reliance on Messi underlined in room for error in top four race escape act at Villarreal AFP | Wolverhampton Reuters | Vila-Real tied at 2-2. le Gunnar Solskjaer ad- No sooner had Messi come Omitted Manchester Unit- arcelona’s thrilling 4-4 on and Villarreal took a shock ed have no further margin for Bdraw with Villarreal on lead before making it 4-2. error in their bid to secure a Tuesday has been hailed as the But, not for the first time this top-four finish after a damag- game of the season in Spain but season, Barca’s captain spear- ing 2-1 defeat against Wolves yet again it showed the La Liga headed their comeback. on Tuesday. leaders’ vulnerability whenev- The Argentine smashed a ’s needless er they try to give Lionel Messi freekick in off the post at the dismissal and Chris Smalling’s a breather. start of stoppage time, paving farcical own goal were the With a top-of-the-table the way for Luis Suarez’s last- low points of a disappointing showdown against Atletico gasp equaliser. evening for Solskjaer’s side at Madrid and two Champions “Football is incredible,” Molineux. League quarter-final games hailed the front cover of Span- United had been set a tar- against Manchester United ish newspaper Marca, while get of 15 points from their re- coming up, Barca coach Er- daily Mundo Deportivo said maining seven games by the nesto Valverde understandably Suarez’s late strike was “a goal manager before their visit to opted to rest his talisman. that is worth the league title”. Molineux. Messi sat on the bench But Messi’s role in Barca’s That total is now 15 points alongside Ivan Rakitic and latest escape act, which was from six matches, with games Gerard Pique and although the third time in the league to come against both Man - Barca got off to a flying start this season when he has been chester City and Chelsea at with two early goals they were called upon to get them out of , a target which Manchester United’s Chris Smalling scores an own goal pegged back by struggling Vil- trouble, again raised the ques- Solskjaer admits leaves no room larreal, prompting Valverde tion of whether Barca suffer for mistakes. being a yellow card again,” said brilliant, right-foot finish from to turn to him with the score from ‘Messi-dependence’. “I’m as confident as I was Solskjaer. 25 yards that beat the diving three hours ago,” joked Solsk- “Probably it was a bad deci- Rui Patricio and nestled in the jaer after the defeat. sion by Ashley but in the heat of I said we need 15 far left-hand corner. “I said we need 15 points from the moment he reached for the It might have been an even our last seven games and now ball and was a little bit too high, points from our last healthier position with Romelu we need 15 from our last six. it made it more difficult. seven games and now Lukaku having already headed “It’s difficult but then again, “We didn’t get the pressure we need 15 from our a good chance directly at Patri- we’re a very good team and it’s built that we expected, so we last six. It’s difficult cio and Lingard doing likewise going to be difficult for anybody kept possession well but then but then again, we’re from Lukaku’s chip forward. who plays against us. they scored with the first chance a very good team But, as Wolves finally began to “This was a tough game but they put the ball in the box.” and it’s going to be take control of midfield, United a performance that deserved struggled to cope; first when an a win.” United crash difficult for anybody unfortunate rebound off Diogo Scott McTominay’s first goal United finally caved to who plays against us Dalot allowed Willy Boly to play for United was equalised by Di- Wolves’ numerical superiority OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER through Jimenez who hurried a ogo Jota before the interval, but 20 minutes later, when Raul 24th-minute shot wide. the game’s turning point proved Jimenez rose above Phil Jones Just seconds later, United to be a second yellow card col- and headed a Joao Moutinho were not so lucky after a poor lected by Young with just 57 cross goalwards. clearance from De Gea, and minutes gone. The awkward attempt saw had come after just 13 minutes. even worse control by Fred, saw Young was booked twice in Smalling and goalkeeper Da- A patient left-wing build-up him lose the ball to Moutinho the space of five minutes for vid de Gea become entangled, ended with play- with Jimenez pouncing on it fouls on Jota, the second a par- with the former making the fi- ing the ball centrally to Fred, and playing in Jota. ticularly unpleasant high chal- nal touch as the ball rolled over with the Brazilian quickly mov- The Portuguese forward did lenge. the line. ing it sideways to Scotland in- not need a second invitation to “When you’re on a yellow McTominay’s memorable first ternational McTominay. advance and calmly beat De Gea you’re always in danger of it ever goal in professional football The 22-year-old unleashed a for the equaliser. Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi scores a goal