Bahrain Grand Prix LIVE: Latest F1 updates as Charles Leclerc loses victory to Lewis Hamilton after late drama
Follow the latest updates live from the Bahrain Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc starts from pole position for the first time in his career.
The Ferrari new boy stunned teammate Sebastian Vettel on Saturday with a new lap record around the Bahrain International Circuit, leading a Ferrari one-two as they locked out the front row. That left Lewis Hamilton to contend with third place at a track that he has not won at for the last three years, and with both he and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas off the pace, it could be a painful day for Mercedes.
Max Verstappen leads the best of the rest in his Red Bull, while McLaren got both their cars into Q3 for the first time since Malaysia 2017 in what could be a successful weekend for Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Follow the live action below.
Lights out is just under an hour away, but stay with us for all the build-up towards the second race of the season.
We've already been treated to a thrilling Saturday qualifying session, where Ferrari newbie Charles Leclerc upset teammate Sebastian Vettel by taking pole position with a new lap record in the process. In taking top spot, Leclerc became the second-youngest pole-sitter in the sport's history, slotting in behind - you guessed it - Vettel himself.
Behind the two Ferraris sit the McLarens, headed by Lewis Hamilton, who had to make do with second best on Saturday, and after winning the opening race of the season as a canter, Valtteri Bottas has work to do to preserve his championship lead as he starts down in fourth.
Behind the two lead teams, the Red Bull of Max Verstappen will look to mix it up at the front once again, but he will have to keep an eye out behind him with Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz for close company, and the rest of the top 10 is completed by Kimi Raikkonen, Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.
Romain Grosjean was due to start in eight, but the Haas driver has been given a three-place grid penalty for blocking during qualifying.
The green light flicks on at the end of pit lane and the paddock springs into life as the drivers head out for a few installation laps before making their way to the grid.
Leclerc will not have experienced anything like this before. The Ferrari driver is the most in-demand driver on the grid right now, with reporters queuing up to get a word in with him as he prepares for the biggest race of his life so far.
It has taken the pressure off of Vettel and Hamilton for once, which I'm sure they're enjoying, while a number of big names have emerged for the grid walk.
Both David Beckham and Frankie Dettori have popped up, while for motor racing fans the sight of five-time MotoGP champion Mick Doohan will bring back some fond memories.
Vettel and Bottas have got their timing horribly wrong as the pair are seen sprinting down pit lane for the national anthem, which gets underway without them. Funnily enough, that might not be the only time the pair are side-by-side this evening, and as the sun descends over the horizon, the track is now illuminated by the thousands and thousands of lights that surround it.
The ceremonial fly-by sees a Gulf Air aeroplane soar over the start line, and we're under 15 minutes from lights out.
With the national anthem over and done with, the drivers are given the all-clear to suit up, put their helmets on and climb into their 200mph+ missiles.
Lap one: Vettel jumps Leclerc straight off the start as he wins the drag race off the line. Leclerc attempts to slot in behind, but through turn four the Mercedes of Bottas comes charging through and takes second. Hamilton tries to follow through, but the struggling Ferrari youngster just gets in front to shut the door and resume in third.
Behind, there's chaos. A damaged front wing for the Haas of Grosjean causes sparks to fly and cars to spread out to avoid what they think is a crash, and he pits at the end of the lap.
Lap two: Here comes Leclerc! Bottas locks up going into turn one and it allows the pole-sitter to slide through and take second. Hamilton is straight onto Bottas' gearbox, and despite fighting for the place the reigning champion has the line and takes third. A huge error for Bottas, as it's not only cost hi two places but has also released the Ferraris out of the Mercedes grasps. At the end of the lap, they're already more than two seconds clear of Hamilton.
Lap four: Disaster for McLaren! Sainz has a run at Verstappen, who is struggling, but the Dutchman fights to hold on for fifth and the two touch. Is there damage? Yes! Sainz is off and has a right-front puncture and front wing damage, and he plummets down the order on his way to the pits. Behind Verstappen, Magnussed, Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Hulkenberg are in an almighty fight, with Perez, Gasly and Norris all in close company.
Lap six: Here comes Leclerc! he radios in that he believes he's faster than Vettel, and with silence on the airwaves he decides he's going for it. Vettel shows him the outside into turn one, and Leclerc duly takes it to sweep around the outside and take the lead! Vettel fights back, but it's no use and the pole-sitter is back into the lead.
Lap seven: So Vettel has already fallen out of DRS range, trailing the leader by more than 1.4s, but the Mercedes of Hamilton is 3.2s off the lead and Bottas is a further 4s behind.
Lap 10: This race is far from over folks. Hamilton is keeping the gap at just three seconds between the top three, and now thoughts of the undercut will come to mind. Perez, Albon, Gasly and Raikkonen all pit, and Mercedes will be looking at this as a chance to take at least Vettel on the undercut.
Lap 11: Norris also pits and finds himself out in front of Magnussen, Albon and Gasly, which is great news for McLaren. Verstapped pits at the end of the lap, and that will be the signal for Mercedes and Ferrari to start thinking about their first stops.
