By Joe Murphy
It’s a matter of hours now until qualifying takes place for the first Formula race of 2024. The season has fully arrived following pre-season testing in Bahrain last week, with Ricciardo and Hamilton leading the respective practice sessions yesterday. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen in sixth and Sergio Perez down in 10th for FP2, struggled to replicate the pace they are expected of.
Nevertheless, the proper runs start today. Can Red Bull surge back to the front as expected or can one of Mercedes, Ferrari or even McLaren make a huge statement of intent?
Qualifying in Bahrain starts at 7pm local time, which is 4pm in the UK and can be caught on all the usual service providers. For the first time in months, we get to see the all familiar Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.
Qualifying is or course taking place in a Friday with the race scheduled for Saturday, due to Ramadan ramifications. Ramadan is not this week, but next week’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix could match up the the religious event, meaning this weekend’s Bahrain GP had to be moved forward a day to ensure a minimum one week gap between two Grand Prix. A rule the FIA enforced that must be adhered to.
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