SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2020 12 Hamilton shines under BIC lights Reigning F1 world champion sets the pace in both F1 practice sessions at Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

Today’s schedule Hamilton leads Time Series Session Bottas• for world champions Mercedes 11am Porsche Sprint Challenge ME Qualifying in first practice 11.05am Formula 1 Team Pit Stop Practice 12.10pm Formula 2 First Race (32 laps) Reigning world 1.30pm Formula 2 Press conference champion• then clocks 2pm Formula 1 Third Practice best lap in second 3.50pm Porsche Sprint Challenge ME First Race session at night 4.45pm -Sunset- 5pm Formula 1 Qualifying Albon crashes 7pm Formula 1 Press conference on• last turn in FP2, bringing out the red quicker than Bottas, who fin- flag for a brief period ished with 41 laps. Perez was third in the classification, 0.967s This track works the off the pace with 31 laps. TDT | Manama tyres completely Rounding out the top eight in Lewis Hamilton in action at BIC track during yesterday’s second practice differently compared to the first F1 practice were Sainz, parks were flying last night the last race in Turkey, Gasly, Verstappen, Albon, and as seven-time Formula 1 After action resumed under do a lot of qualifying style laps, Crash it’s a night and day Ocon. world champion Lew - BIC’s bright lights, Hamilton instead it was a lot of discov - A third F1 practice will take S difference is Hamilton put on a show on took the place of Max Verstap- ery on next year’s tyres. This Verstappen was leading when place today over 60 minutes at the first day of the F1 Gulf Air pen at the top of the timesheet, track works the tyres com - the practice was suspended due LEWIS HAMILTON 2pm, to be followed by qualify- Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at clocking a best lap of one minute pletely differently compared to Albon’s crash. Albon lost con- ing at 5pm. Bahrain International Circuit 28.971 seconds. He completed to the last race in Turkey, it’s trol of his car on the last corner, The rest of the drivers were The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand (BIC) in Sakhir. 28 laps. a night and day difference. spun and hit the barrier, causing classified in the following order: Prix marks the 15th of 17 rounds Hamilton was the fastest man Verstappen had to settle for “I wasn’t particularly happy significant damage to the chas- Daniil Kvyat, Albon, Esteban in the 2020 FIA F1 World Cham- in both 90-minute F1 practices the second place with a lap 0.347 with the balance of the car, but sis. He was able to step out of Ocon, , Carlos pionship. It is the first time in yesterday, maintaining his fine seconds slower in his Red Bull everyone is probably in a similar the cockpit without assistance Sainz, , Antonio the history of the event that it is form in an already remarkable with 34 laps, while Valtteri Bot- position as the track was quite and was taken for some medical Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, being held so late in the season, title-winning season that has tas in the other Mercedes car slippery and dusty. We definitely checks by race officials. Kimi Raikkonen, Nicholas Latifi, and it kicks off the first-ever F1 included 10 victories from the 14 was third-fastest 0.365 behind got some work overnight to try Rounding out the top eight in Romain Grosjean and George double-header to be hosted by races prior to coming to Bahrain. his teammate and 30 laps done. and improve ahead of tomor- F1’s practice two were Sergio Russell. the Kingdom. Last night’s second session Hamilton commented: “lt row.” Perez of Racing Point, Daniel In the day’s opening practice, The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand was an eventful one, as it saw a great to get back out on the Ricciardo of Renault, Pierre Hamilton overcame some light Prix will be followed by the F1 crash midway through involving track, I just love driving this car. Gasly of AlphaTauri, Lando sporadic rain to clock a best Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix from ’s Alexander Al- “Today felt a bit more like a test Norris of Mclaren and Perez’s lap of 1:29.033 while putting in December 4 to 6, capping the bon, bringing out the red flag. day though as we didn’t get to teammate Lance Stroll. 40 laps of work. He was 0.449s back-to-back races at BIC.

KNOW WHAT Intruder alert! ust before the resumption of F1’s second prac- Lewis Hamilton’s Jtice session last night following the crash of Alexander Albon, a stray dog was spotted running remarkable 2020 on the track, prompting hilarious reactions from title-winning season a number of F1 drivers that were broadcast on a has included 10 vic- live television feed at BIC. tories from 14 races, The canine quickly retreated to safety and the including the last four action was able to resume. Pictured right, an im- Grands Prix prior to age of the dog running on track as shown on the Bahrain television screens at BIC’s Media Centre. Alexander Albon walks away from his crash

Evans, Wagner top Porsche practice times Ilott captures pole for F2 Feature Race TDT | Manama TDT | Manama

axon Evans and Richard allum Ilott clinched pole JWagner took turns yester- Cposition for today’s Fea- day to lead the field in the two ture Race in the FIA Formula free practices of the Porsche 2 Championship, being held in Sprint Challenge Middle East, support of this weekend’s For- supporting the Formula 1 Gulf mula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Prix at Bahrain International Evans set the pace in FP2 un- Circuit (BIC). der lights, while Wagner was The Uni-Virtuosi driver reg- quickest during the day session. istered a fastest lap of one min- Evans was quickest by the ute 41.479 seconds in a tight narrowest of margins in the qualifying session, in which evening, clocking a best lap of each of the top 12 drivers were two minutes 04.385 seconds in classified within a second of the session, in which he com- one another. pleted 14 laps. He was followed Jaxon Evans steers his car during second practice Ilott was challenged by Felipe by Julian Hanses who was a Bahrainis Shaikh Ali bin Mo- with a best lap that was just Drugovich for pole, but the MP F2 drivers in action mere 0.001secs behind, while hammed Al Khalifa (Pro-Am) 0.053s slower, while Hanses Motorsport man had to settle JB Simmenauer was classified and Shaikh Jaber bin Ali Al was third quickest with a lap for the other front row grid po- row three. at 12.20pm at BIC. third 0.301s adrift. Each of the Khalifa (Am) were ninth and 0.321s off the pace. sition after setting a best lap Leaders of the day’s F2 prac- Earlier in the day yesterday, top three were competing in the 10th, respectively. Action in the Porsche Sprint that was 0.391 seconds slower. tice, Nikita Mazepin of Hitech Mazepin powered to the top of series’ GT3 class Pro category. Earlier in the day yesterday, Challenge Middle East resumes of Dams and Grand Prix and the timesheet in practice with Lucas Groeneveld was fast- Wagner kicked off the Porsche today with qualifying, sched- of ART of Carlin, qualified seventh and a fastest lap of 1:42.660. est among the Pro-Am partic- season after topping the first uled for 11am. That will be fol- Grand Prix will start the Fea- eighth, respectively, in the 22- Daruvala and teammate Yuki ipants while Eddy Waldhier practice times with a best lap lowed by the first 12-lap race of ture from row two, while Ilott’s car field. Tsunoda followed, with Daru- was quickest amongst the Am of 2:05.094. the weekend at 3.50pm. Race teammate and Today’s Feature will consist vala 0.122 seconds behind and runners. Jesse Van Kuijk followed two will be held tomorrow. MP’s Giuliano Alesi will be on of 32 laps. It will get underway Tsunoda 0.258s back.

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