HomeFormula 12019 Bahrain Grand Prix: Who'll Lead The Desert Storm...

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix: Who’ll Lead The Desert Storm as Ferrari battle Mercedes, Red Bull?

- Advertisement -

Bottas, currently the table-topper, is set to gather his focus again. Hamilton knows what he has to do; being a runner’s up is not really him. Verstappen has already announced his intentions to both Ferrari and Mercedes at Albert Park. Now the question most would be wondering about is- who’ll unleash the desert heat at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix?
With its giant run-off areas, high-speed corners, long straights and, plenty of room for overtaking- the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix is upon us. Amid its quintessential heat, Sakhir, the electrifying venue for Sunday is set to go ablaze by the prospect of unfolding yet another duel that could really throw up anybody as the winner among the famous troika- Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Hamilton and Vettel could be in for a key battle

 
The second race of the season is upon us. Thankfully, from a fan perspective, there are 19 more races to go after this. Sit down on that couch; grab that popcorn or Ceaser’s salad and pop open the beer and Iced tea. Gather your friends, lower the music, cut away from the rest of the world.
2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Who’ll face the Desert Heat and who’ll rule it? (Motorsport.com)

On Sunday, as 20 drivers and therefore, 10 teams prepare to unleash themselves at the 57-lap contest, one wonders what’s in store for the top three teams on the grid.

So what could we expect from Mercedes at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix?

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Lewis will remember his consistent finishes at Sakhir but Bottas can’t be ignored as well (Race Fans)

 
Not always does one find Lewis Hamilton trailing teammate Valtteri Bottas on the tables, right? At the recently-concluded Australian Grand Prix, much of the discussion during the race as also post it shifted to Valtteri Bottas. In 2018, he endured a winless run. In 2019, he began with a bang. Such is Valtteri Bottas- someone who’s yet to win at Bahrain but come the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix and given the newfound confidence the Finn is contending with, he could well make Lewis trail his Mercedes.
But Lewis Hamilton, yet to win at Bahrain since his 2014 and 2015 wins, would want to set the record straight. He’d love to do his bit in helping Mercedes offset Ferrari’s dominance.
Sakhir, lest it is forgotten, has been a kingly dominion of sorts where only the Red Cars have ruled in the past two installments.
Can Hamilton bounce back on top?
For starters, he’d do well to remember that he’s stepped on the podium in the last three installments of the Grand Prix consecutively, which in itself, is an impressive feat.
His doubters who are already hailing Bottas as being sufficiently ahead of Lewis in this year’s race would be advised to know that Hamilton has been at ‘it’ at Sakhir, ever since the 2007 race, his maiden run where he finished second. So his successes at Bahrain, winless that they may have been in past 2 seasons, are pretty much regulation job for the Briton.
Bottas, meanwhile, would be interested to prove that his stellar win at Albert Park was no flash in the pan. Interesting stuff ahead of us at Bahrain then?

- Advertisement -

Will Verstappen stun everyone, seal a spot on the podium at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix?

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Time for Verstappen to bring Max power at Bahrain (Verstappen.nl)

 
Max Verstappen, together with Christian Horner’s astute leadership and the experience of Dr. Helmut Marko constitutes a solid team at Red Bull.
But ever since F1 went the hybrid-engine way, Red Bull have failed to bag a win. Not a pretty statistic for a team that has consistently beaten the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari in challenging circuits such as Mexico, Monaco, and Spielberg (both in 2018).
But all of this could be set for a change given the promise of the RB15, as seen at Melbourne. While Sebastian Vettel would be wary of the menacing pace in which Verstappen blast past his defenses in the dying stages of the contest, it will be fascinating to see if Max can redo that jig and upset the familiar frontrunners at Sakhir.
On the other hand, Pierre Gasly, the former Toro-Rosso driver, would love to get going and finish with a decent accumulation at Sakhir, a track that has traditionally favored the car with better front-line speed. His P11 at Melbourne didn’t really extract anything worthy of being discussed as such.
Should Max and Gasly, with the former in particular get going in putting the pressure right from the start, it could take the power of two bulls (at the same time) for Ferrari and Merc to contend with.
 

Can Vettel bounce back, silence his critics at Sakhir?

2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Vettel is under a bit of a spot- but can he be Sakhir’s headline?

 
In some ways, the man of the moment, if it could be said, is the bloke who could at best salvage a fourth at Melbourne.
Nothing exciting.
Nothing too fancy to ever write about- right, Seb?
But Sebastian Vettel is a very different creature under the bright shiny lights at the electrifying Sakhir, one of the most enduring enigmas of the F1 roster.
Ever since Vettel’s stepped up his game starting 2017, he’s failed everyone on the grid and made the top step of the podium his.
In fact, critics and pundits both have been united in their assessment of the Ferrari as being the car with better straight-line speed here at Sakhir, vis-a-vis that of the Mercedes.
But what will Vettel do at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix? Can he complete a hat-trick of wins (2018, 2017 winner) or will he, salvage some pride and clinch a third at best for his team?
Whatever it is, Ferrari begin with a bit of pressure at Bahrain this weekend. They would be conscious about the fact that given they failed to win at Australia (a track where Vettel has won in last two seasons) they’ve got to fire out here in the parameter of the desert.
To that end, it’s time for the SF-90, currently, a subject of a polarising debate for it not having the best or ‘ideal’ aerodynamic package, to settle the dust.
And if so, maybe Red Bull’s Dr. Helmut Marko will find his answer about the pace the car is bringing to the fore.

- Advertisement -
Dev Tyagi
Dev Tyagi
Dravid believer, admirer of - the square drive, Drew Barrymore, Germany, Finland, Electric Mobility, simplicity and the power of the written word! Absolutely admire contributing to KyroSports

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -