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Norris arrives in Bahrain with Verstappen in hot pursuit

football09 April 2025 16:00| © Reuters
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Lando Norris © Getty Images

Formula One leader Lando Norris has Max Verstappen breathing down his neck and only a point separating the pair ahead of a Bahrain Grand Prix that could trigger a change at the top on Sunday.

Verstappen dominated last year's race at Sakhir, the now-four-time world champion leading from pole to flag with fastest lap as Red Bull celebrated a one-two finish for the second season in a row.

A third successive win for Verstappen at the desert circuit, even if a one-two now looks highly unlikely, would be another big statement after a victory in Japan last weekend that ended McLaren's winning start.

"Bahrain (is a) completely different track, very tough on tyres... we still have work to do," said Verstappen after Suzuka, the start of a triple header that ends in Saudi Arabia next week.

"But it (the Japanese GP) does show that if we really nail everything, we can be up there," added the 27-year-old whose new teammate Yuki Tsunoda has yet to score after replacing New Zealander Liam Lawson.

McLaren will be chasing their third successive double podium, and third win in four rounds, at what is a home race for the team's Bahraini owners.

Norris has led since he won last month's opener in Australia, ending a Verstappen run at the top dating back to May 2022, and he and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri remain hot favourites.

Either could become the season's first double winner – they and Verstappen each have a pole and win so far – but round four of 24 could also see Mercedes or Ferrari getting in on the act around a circuit all teams tested at in February.

"It doesn’t take much of a mistake from us – or certainly from myself – to let the others in," said Piastri, who finished ninth in Melbourne after running wide and letting a podium slip through his fingers.

Mercedes' George Russell, who made his Mercedes debut at Sakhir in 2020, was third in Australia and China while 18-year-old rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever race leader and fastest lap setter last weekend.

Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, has won a record five times at Sakhir – all with Mercedes – while teammate Charles Leclerc finished first in 2022.

Ferrari, stunned by a double disqualification in China, have yet to get on the podium this season although Hamilton did win the Shanghai sprint.

"We get the opportunity to see how much progress we have made with the SF-25 in terms of extracting its potential since we were last here for the pre-season test at the very end of February," said team boss Fred Vasseur.

At the back, Renault-owned Alpine can end their scoring blank and there will also be some less familiar names on the timing screens in Friday first practice.

Sweden's Ferrari Academy driver Dino Beganovic makes his F1 race weekend debut in Leclerc's car for the opening session while Briton Luke Browning gets a run in Carlos Sainz's Williams.

Brazilian Felipe Drugovich will be in Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin, Mercedes have Denmark's Frederik Vesti in George Russell's car and Haas's give Japanese Ryo Hirakawa his second Friday outing in two races after he switched from Alpine.

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