Formula 1 - Bahrain Qualifying RECAP: Max Verstappen qualifies on pole for season opener as Christian Horner sits at pit wall after crisis talks with FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem

As promised, here's the report from the first qualifying session of the season as Max Verstappen stormed to pole position in Bahrain.

The new Formula One season very much picked where the last left off, with Max Verstappen delivering a dominating performance to take pole position in the season opener in Bharain.

The three-time world champion was 0.228 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second. Mercedes' George Russell was third from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez took fifth place ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris, but Lewis Hamilton could only managed ninth place, 0.225secs behind teammate Russell.

A full report will follow shortly.

Next up is Fernando Alonso, who admits to have been positively surprised by Aston Martin's speed in qualifying.

'I feel great. I didn't expect we would be that competitive to be honest,' the Spaniard says.

'Winter testing was OK but I think we are not in the pace of the leaders. Free practice was competitive but we found also last year that sometimes in free practice we are running in a different engine mode and in qualifying everything is a bit more realistic.'

Asked about his prospects in Saturday's race, the two-time world champion is rather more cautious.

'It's going to be difficult because being so tight everything is going to be a group of cars which obviously will damage the tyres even more when you are in traffic,' he explains.

'So I think it's going to be a question mark for everyone.'

.

There were positive signs for Mercedes in qualifying and George Russell for one seems very pleased with what he has seen so far.

The Silver Arrows were way off the pace last season, but the 2024 campaign has begun on a more optimistic note.

'Everyone at the factory have done an amazing job to give Lewis and I a car we feel much happier with and a base we can build upon,' he says.

'Obviously Max is right out there in front, we've still got some catching up to do but when we look at our qualifying performance over the last two years and our race pace, starting P3 in Bahrain is a great place.'

Verstappen may be the clear favourite tomorrow, but the three-time world champion does not expect to have it all his own way.

'I think the race is going to be close as well, we do look good in the race and that’s the most important, but we will see tomorrow I'm confident we can have a strong race,' he says.

Charles Leclerc finished second in qualifying but the Ferrari driver seems pretty pleased with the result overall.

'I'm a bit disappointed, but we did a good qualifying. It's been a tricky weekend so far, we have tried a few things in [practice],' he says.

'Unfortunately, we put two new sets of softs on, so it compromised a little bit, the Q3. But it is quite a good qualifying, a good start of the year. We are in a better place compared to a year ago. Now we have to see the race pace tomorrow. I found the sweet spot in qualifying, but Q1 was a bit tricky.

'All in all, a positive quali. I'm confident we did a step forward, but we have to wait and see by how much of a step forward tomorrow. If there is an opportunity, as always, I will go for it.'

Max Verstappen admits taking pole position for the opening race of the season 'was a little bit unexpected' for Red Bull.

'It was a lot of fun actually, the track had a lot of grip but with the wind over the last few days, it's been quite tricky to get the whole lap together and it was the same in qualifying,' he says.

'In Q1, Q2 you go a bit faster with the track ramping up but to really get everything out of it in Q3 was a little bit difficult.

'I'm very happy to be on pole, to be honest it was a little bit unexpected but in qualifying I think the car came to us and I felt a bit happier with the whole car.

'I said yesterday we need to fine tune a few things on the car to try and get that perfect balance, but with the wind that was not possible, but luckily we went in the right direction and we could really push a bit more with the car.'

Here he is - your pole-sitter once again for the first race of 2024!

Final standings:

1. Verstappen

2. Leclerc

3. Russell

4. Sainz

5. Perez

6. Alonso

7. Norris

8. Piastri

9. Hamilton

10. Hulkenberg

And Verstappen gets pole! He puts in a 1:29.179, and Leclerc can't beat it, and he stays in second.

But his team-mate can't get close to him, and Perez finishes in fifth.

Russell does fantastically to take third with just over three tenths slower than Verstappen, while Sainz is in fourth.

Hulkenberg has had a brilliant qualifying and he'll start tomorrow's race in P10, as he is unable to better Hamilton's time.

Verstappen is still the man to beat out there - can any of them challenge him?

Hairy moment for Russell at turn 6 earlier on...

As it stands, it's just Alonso out there, with the other nine back in the garage preparing for a final flurry.

The veteran has it all to himself after delaying his own entrance, and he's only 0.019 behind Verstappen after a brilliant middle sector.

Can he challenge Leclerc for second? Not quite!

Alonso goes third, +0.121 behind Verstappen as the rest start to make their way out.

But here come the Ferraris!

Leclerc cross just under sixth hundredths behind Verstappen, and Sainz takes fourth, splitting Russell and Norris on the grid.

Russell goes purple in his first sector, but Verstappen quickly snatches that off him as the Dutchman goes flying round the track with a 28.6 sector 1.

Norris sits top with a 1:29.679, but with Russell and Verstappen next to cross you can't imagine that will stay for long.

Russell indeed takes it with a 1:29.603, but then Verstappen puts in a 1:29.421 to take a provisional pole.

Perez goes fourth, and Hamilton is in fifth.

Right then, out they come for Q3!

Bit of a race to get out the pits with Russell just pipping Verstappen out, as they make their very slow approach to the pit exit, given that cars aren't allowed to stop in there.

It all comes down to this - 11 minutes to go - and who will finish on top?

What about that from Hulkenberg?!

Not many would have predicted tht earlier on.

Meanwhile Tsunoda missed by seven thousandths of a second. Let that sink in.

Which leaves us with...

1. Leclerc 1:29.165

2. Verstappen

3. Sainz

4. Hamilton

5. Alonso

6. Hulkenberg

7. Russell

8. Perez

9. Norris

10. Piastri

At the end of that stunning session then, we've lost:

11. Tsunoda

12 Stroll

13 Albon

14 Ricciardo

15 Magnussen

Now Leclerc goes top with a 1:29.165 to pip Verstappen, who is off to the pits.

A poor middle sector from Russell could leave him in danger, and the McLarens are both into Q3 for the first time in three years at Bahrain!

Right at the end, Hamilton goes fourth fastest and ensures his spot in Q3!

Hulkenberg goes second fastest with a stunning lap with a fastest third sector, while Albon is only good enough for ninth and Ricciardo 10th, but a Sainz flyer sends both those two into the danger zone.

At the moment it's Albon, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Magnussen and Russell in the drop zone.

Looks like Magnussen has had a lap scrubbed off like Gasly earlier on.

He's in P15 at the moment and needs a big lap to make it to Q3...

Now for the final bursts as they all head back out to try and make the cut.

Remember, top 10 drivers make it into Q3, the rest will end their evenings there.

Verstappen, as ever, is the man to beat out there.

And so far he's right!

Well, after all that, Verstappen went and topped them all. Of course he did.

Just the 1:29.374, half a second off his team-mate Perez who comes in at second.

As most of them pop into the garage, and with five minutes to go in the session, let's review the standings.

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Norris

4. Leclerc

5. Alonso.

6. Hamilton

7. Sainz

8. Piastri

9. russell

10. Stroll

AT RISK:

11. Hulkenberg

12. Tsunoda

13. Ricciardo

14. Albon

15. Magnussen

Well, first times coming in and it's Norris who lays down a six-tenths-of-a-second-sized gauntlet on his team-mate to take an early lead.

Leclerc goes second fastest, ahead of Alonso and Sainz, followed by Piastri.

Right we're underway in Q2, although we're still 11 minutes out from the deadline.

They're all out on the track now - those that made it into the session, that is - and Norris has gone fastest in the opening sector.

Looks like Carlos Sainz is carrying some pretty good pace from practice...

The Ferrari man put in a 1:29.909 to take top spot in that session.

A very, very glum Pierre Gasly is on the radio immediately to sum up what he made of his performance. He's about spot on.

Yeah, disaster out lap

Hamilton looks safe now - it was hardly spectacular, but it was enough to get him into Q2.

Who has missed out there?

It ends:

16. Bottas

17. Zhou

18. Sargeant

19. Ocon

20. Gasly

Hamilton is now at risk!

He's on a final lap now with his last chance at safety.... and he goes 10th fastest!

It's looking like an improvement for all these bottom five as they go through their final laps.

Zhou goes 11th, Bottas then pips him and pushes Zhou to 12th, while Magnussen goes 10th.

It's now Stroll, Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Ocon and Gasly at risk after three good laps from the Saubers and the Haas.

Two minutes to go now - time for one last lap for all but Sainz, who reckons he's safe at 1.5 seconds quicker than Ricciardo's 15th place time of 1:31.025.

Can any of the bottom five pip the RB man to reach Q2?

Here's a look at that sparky Mercedes from a minute or two ago...

At the other end, Zhou, Bottas, Magnussen, Ocon and Gasly are currently at risk of the cut off, Ricciardo's 1:31.025 the last 'safe' lap.

Right as we enter the final four minutes, Sainz has gone top with a 1:29.909, leading Verstappen, Norris, Alonso - who is in the pit - and Perez.

Leclerc is in sixth, Russelll in seventh.

Lots of sparks flying off Hamilton's Mercedes as he makes his way down the straight - makes for good pictures but that can't be comfortable in the slightest. That car is now back in the pit getting some attention.

Pole position is changing hands very quickly indeed.

First it's Albon, then Hulkenburg, followed by Norris and now Verstappen, who puts in a 1:30.031.

Russell now goes fourth behind Alonso and Norris, with Verstappen on top.

Hamilton is seven tenths off the pace, and his lap is only good enough for 10th as it stands.

The 10 minute warning has come up and we've sitll only got three times on the board.

Make that four - Albon goes quickest with a 1:30.692, with Ricciardo going second.

Here they come!

There's a heck of a queue at the end of the pit lane as the cars wait for the right time to enter the track.

Gasly has become the first to have a lap time deleted after all four tyres went over the white line at turn 13, although there are only three official times on the board.

Almost got carried away at Sainz having a purple first sector before realising that he's the first driver out. Mind you, would've been impressive if he'd gone yellow.

Leclerc does go slightly quicker in that opening section of the track but comes in behind Sainz's 1:31.208 - the first lap time of the session.

Ocon follows, with Gasly fourth of the four drivers so far to put in a lap.

Everyone else is still in the shed, but there doesn't look to be too much of a rush for the exit just yet.

We are a go - strap yourselves in as we start the hunt for 2024's first pole-sitter - but not before we lose our first five drivers in the next 18 minutes or so.

Only four drivers out there - the Alpines and Ferraris - at the minute as we near 16 minutes left in the session.

Right, here we go!

The track temperature has gone down by some 10 degrees as wereach about 7pm in Bahrain, so it's cooled down more than a touch since P3 - will that come into play?

The countdown to qualifying is almost up, we're just a minute or so away from Q1.

Who's going to be there come the end of Q3 in about an hour's time?

Let's get ready to find out!

And Mail Sport have also put together an ULTIMATE GUIDE on this season for you to get your teeth into.

There's a great graphic in there which takes you through each track and where it is in the world - be sure to check it out at the link below!

Now for those uninitiated - and those who have not watched Drive To Survive - have no fear.

F1 is a daunting sport with all sorts of technical language thrown about - I for one was stunned there was more than one kind of tyres when I first started following it - but thankfully they have put together a little guide to help you out.

If this is your first race weekend, don't you worry, just take a look at this video below.

Red Bull have been dominant - ridiculously so - in the last two seasons, but in practice so far they've looked very confidently happy not to throw everything at the track.

Is it just confidence, or is it a reflection that things are a little tighter this season? It feels like the former, but we have had three different teams finishing top of practice, so that might indicate a slight closer paddock this year.

Sky Sports are going through the garages at the moment, and hilariously refer to the Red Bull as a 'spaceship'. You can't really argue against it to be fair.

We're less than 20 minutes away now from the first qualifying session of 2024 - but who's going to end up on pole?

Furthermore, who's going all the way at the end of the year?!

You can see nobody went against Verstappen, and only one went against Leclerc for second, which tells you a lot.

Here's a few F1 presenters making their predictions for the season...

Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur has been talking to SKy Sports ahead of qualification about all things, well, Ferrari.

First he was asked about Carlos Sainz, and his reaction to the news that he will be without a seat at the end of the season:

The reaction was good. We'll push until the last corner of the last race. We're in the same boat for 2024, so let's push together.

I have huge respect for Carlos and for what he's done for us. He was a huge part of our recovery and we have a good relationship.

Then naturally talk turned to his successor, one Lewis Hamilton:

It's an easy call to take Lewis. What he will bring is that he's the only seven-time champion on the grid. It's important for me to have a mix of cultures, and he brings experience.

And then lastly he was asked what he expects for this season, and the base they will be starting with this season:

We are starting in a better place than 12 months ago. We were struggling with race pace. It's a good base, it's much easier for them to feel the car, and feel the balance, when last year it was a bit unpredictable. We have to put everything together.

Look who it is!

Everyone's favourite former pit boss Guenther Steiner - a favourite for many Drive To Survive fans - is at Sakhir for tonight's quali action.

The Italian-American is not taking up his customary spot on the pit wall for Haas, but will be part of Germany's RTL broadcast of the event.

Mind you, a fair few viewers have already been calling for him to get his own spin-off series, so you never know - we could be seeing a lot more of the much-loved Steiner in the sport.

There's been plenty swirling around in Formula One over the last few weeks, but we're at last back in action this weekend in Bahrain to kick off the season.

Christian Horner has been subject of a number of headlines in recent weeks, first for an investigation in allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour', and latterly as a result of allegedly leaked texts between him and the female employee who made the original allegations.

However, for Formula One's social account, there's only one centre of attention - check out the link below for more on that one!

Atmospheric though it may be - driving quite literally into the sunset - it can throw up a few issues.

Here's Charles Leclerc pointing out that he can't actually see an awful lot when there's an entire sun in his eyes.

Probably not ideal when you're flying round an F1 track at top speed, but there you go.

So as you can see, the sun is already close to set in Bahrain, with the carrs flying round Sakhir in the F2 Sprint Race highlighting just how dark it is getting.

It's currently 6pm in Bahrain, in fairness, but just look at the shadows coming off these cars.

Mind you, it certainly looks a gorgeous night out on the Persian Gulf.

We all know Carlos Sainz loves a bit of a sing-song - he's turned his hand to a 1979 glam-rock classic in this clip...

Building up quite the discography now, is Carlos - maybe he could transition into the music industry if he doesn't get a seat next season?

We saw in practice that there were a fair few back ends out on the track wiggling and vibrating as they bumped the curbs on a few of those corners.

Helpfully, the folks over at Sky Sports F1 have put together a little compilation to illustrate the extent of the forces going through these cars.

Take a look here...

We spoke a little earlier on about who could possibly replace Hamilton at Mercedes.

Albon, Sainz, Alonso - all established names that were thrown about.

Today, Andrea Kimi Antonelli made his F2 debut, and has already been tipped as a potential option - talk about pressure!

How many drivers have thrived in their debut seasons in recent years? How many of those after just one year in F2?

Oh - he's only 17, by the way.

Qualifying is closing in and with it, the excitement of predicting who'll come out on top.

Sainz set the pace in the final practice session and that will give him and Ferrari an enormous boost of confidence.

It's wise not to read too much into practice results - Daniel Riciardo topped the table after the first session but only came 11th in the last.

It's certainly not nailed on for Max Verstappen, but he improved immensely in Practice 3 to finish third.

Martin Brundle told Sky Sports that this 'feels like the beginning' of the Christian Horner scandal, not the end.

He described the Horner situation as 'very sad' and urged the sport to reach an 'absolute conclusion' on it.

'It's the audacity of Christian Horner that really takes your breath away. The brass neck and air of absolute invincibility which has allowed him to strut around an F1 paddock in Bahrain, cock of the walk, betraying no sense of personal jeopardy when he would have known about a deluge of WhatsApp messages which surely mean he is finished.'

So writes Ian Herbert in his column for MailPlus. Read more below to get more of Herbert's insight and opinion.

Sky Sports' coverage of practice today briefly acknowledged Christian Horner's text scandal but moved on swiftly.

Horner is facing renewed pressure after what appeared to be intimate WhatsApp exchanges with a female colleague were sent to Formula One's most influential figures on Thursday.

Read below to find out what Sky Sports said.

We've now got the full classification for FP3, which saw Ferrari impress with Carlos Sainz finishing first and Charles Leclerc finishing fourth.

It was a tricky session for Alpine, who saw Pierre Gasly prop up the grid and Esteban Ocon come in 18th.

RB can take some confidence from their run, with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda both knocking on the door of the top half.

And here's confirmation of the top five...

Yesterday's pace-setter Hamilton is nowhere to be seen at the top and is down in 12th.

1. Sainz 1:30.824

2. Alonso +0.141

3. Verstappen +0.238

4. Leclerc +0.270

5. Norris +0.294

So as we come to an end in P3, Red Bull are still not on top.

Verstappen is in third, while Perez is only good enough for eighth.

Is this an indicator of what to expect later on this afternoon? It's unlikely. It had the feel of more of a fact-finding mission, rather than a bid for overall dominance, but I guess we won't find out for a little while longer.

So at the end of the session, it's Sainz who comes in in P1 - the same man who finished fastest in pre-season testing.

Oh and with a little under three minutes to go, Leclerc has pushed Russell out of the top five, sneaking in at P4 after what looked like a very hot lap as he went over a healthy chunk of kerb on his way to the finish line.

Leclerc is 0.270s behind Verstappen as it sounds, the champion on his out lapt with much of the paddock already back in the pits.

So Carlos Sainz has just put in the fastest lap of the day so here is how we stand as we enter the last five minutes...

1. Sainz 1:30.824

2. Alonso +0.141

3. Verstappen +0.238

4. Norris +0.294

5. Russell +0.366

Well as the clock goes red and we enter the final 10 minutes of practice, the news has now broken that Geri Halliwell has landed in a private jet in Bahrain!

Mail Sport understands the former Spice Girl landed on a private jet on Thursday night ahead of Saturday’s opening grand prix in the Gulf kingdom.

However, the 51-year-old popstar left the UK before an incendiary email claimed to expose flirtatious WhatsApps exchanges between Horner, the Red Bull team principal, and a female employee. The email was sent anonymously to 149 members of the F1 community and contained hundreds of messages.

Check out the link below for the latest EXCLUSIVE update on that one!

That being said, the Red Bulls aren't exactly running away with it, with both Astons hot on their tail.

Alonso is only six hundredths behind Verstappen in sector Two before going top with a 1:30.965.

Stop the clocks - Norris goes purple in the middle sector, but still comes over the line one and a half tenths behind Verstappen, Piastri slotting in just behind him in fourth overall.

Looks like those McLarens are waking up now...

Well, they'd been pretty quiet so far this session, but both Red Bulls have just come out and put in a one-two.

Verstappen, shockingly, is in P1 with a 1:31.062, and Perez, who has been struggling with upshifting problems is in P2.

That's a statement if ever we saw one.

That comes after Horner had doubled-down on his insistence that he would offer no comment.

I am not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources. We go racing.

Red Bull Racing have now stated that Horner is back on the pit wall, following a meeting with Ben Sulayem.

According to Sky Sports' coverage, Christian Horner has now left the Red Bull pit wall to go for a meeting with Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

His Red Bulls are currently far down the standings with Perez struggling with an 'upshifting problem' and Verstappen seemingly happy to just put the laps on the clock.

Perhaps unsurprisingly - given that he's the fastest on track and all - Alonso has dominated the first two sectors out there so far this afternoon.

Charles Leclerc - currently - third has been the best finisher, along that long old straight.

Hamilton is in the garage, seemingly getting a bit of attention to his front tyres and his brakes.

Norris is currently in ninth, while Piastri is way down in 18th...

Plenty of sparks coming out Albon's Williams as he goes through Turn 9.

He's in seventh in a pretty solid practice session for the Williams, just under a second behind leader Alonso as we stand.

While Perez is complaining of a few shifting problems, Verstappen has been putting in the laps in a surprisingly rickety looking Red Bull that has vibrating a fair amount so far this session.

The Dutchman is only 14th as he returns to the pit, almost 1.5 seconds behind Alonso, but his eyes will both be firmly planted on this afternoon's qualifying session.

Still the upshift is really bad!

Looks like those problems are persisting for Perez even after he headed back into the garage...

Alonso is the latest pace-setter with a 1:31.582, whil Ricciardo is only good enough for 10th as Norris returns to the garage again.

Well as we continue to warm up, Russell puts in a very solid lap and leads by half a second, the first real statement of the session - but there's still so long to go though.

Perez went straight back in after one lap, and there was a bit of a snap on Norris' McLaren which he holds well - he's currently sixth-fastest.

You can take a look at Hamilton's first lap of the day below...

Both Red Bulls are out there now, and both on the hard tyres, while we're still waiting to see six drivers.

Kevin Magnussesn has put in a 1:32.440 and is currently the pace-setter, with all of 40 minutes to go.

Scratch that, Lance Stroll has just bettered that by a little over a tenth.

Well there aren't yet any fireworks in Bahrain, you won't be surprised to hear.

A slight, slight issue for Perez perhaps?

I had a nasty shift. An upshift

As hoped, we're getting a few more teams out on track with the Saubers and Alex Albons' Williams underway for the session.

Still three-quarters of an hour to go in this practice, so plenty of laps to come.

They're still warming up of course, but Sainz goes 0.029 slower than Hamilton in his opening lap, with Leclerc looking even slower.

He was looking a bit behind the other two, but Leclerc has actually gone around six hundredths quicker than Hamilton.

And after that flying lap, he's straight back into the pit and we're back to an empty track once more.

But not for long - Carlos Sainz is on his way out, with Charles Leclerc not far behind, while Yuki Tsunoda is stood on some scales.

Not exactly one for the spectators just yet, but hopefully these two can spark a bit more action in the garages.

Well we've got Hamilton out there as well as.... well, nobody.

He's got the whole lap to himself in Bahrain as the Mercedes star gets his first laps in.

A 1:32.733 to kick start the day for Hamilton.

This shot of Leclerc looks like the cover shot of a BBC thriller, while the less said about the bright green of that Kick Sauber uniform the better in my opinion.

Probably about the only thing bolder than Bottas' mo and bleached mullet combination. The two together? Could be something incredibley powerful indeed.

Well, well, well - it looks like we're getting cars on the track pretty soon.

The P3 clock is already counting down, and there are helmets poking out of the very claustrophobic cockpits with final preparations being done.

Five minutes into the session, there isn't anyone out there, but it looks like we're not long away from the action now!

So, as we've discussed today, Horner was cleared by a KC-led investigation into allegations of 'inappropritate behaviour' before reports yesterday emerged that alleged text messages from the Red Bull boss had been leaked.

Below, we've got a complete timeline of the investigation, leading all the way up to yesterday's seismic reports...

February 5 - Red Bull Racing's parent company GmbH confirms Horner is under investigation following an accusation of 'inappropriate behaviour'. The company says it 'takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible'.

February 9 - Horner is questioned by a lawyer for eight hours at a secret London location. There is no immediate resolution.

February 15 - Horner appears at Red Bull's car launch - his first appearance in public since news of the allegations emerged. He vows to be in his role as Red Bull team principal for the first race of the season, and says: 'For me, it is business as normal.'

February 18 - F1 makes its first public comment on the matter, calling for Horner's future to be 'clarified at the earliest opportunity'.

February 20 - Despite the ongoing investigation, Horner flies to Bahrain for three days of testing ahead of the new season.

February 21 - Horner takes his position on the Red Bull pit wall for the opening day of the test. Rival Mercedes boss Toto Wolff demands transparency from Red Bull's investigation, and says the controversy is 'an issue for all of Formula One'.

February 22 - Horner appears in a press conference alongside four other F1 team principals. He refuses to comment on the investigation, but says 'everybody would like a conclusion as soon as possible'.

February 23 - Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen says 'it will be nice for everyone' when the investigation into Horner is concluded. Horner heads back to England following the conclusion of the test.

February 28 - Red Bull GmbH announces the 'independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed', clearing Horner to remain in his position.

February 29 - Text messages and photographs allegedly sent by Horner to a female employee are leaked, just hours after the Red Bull boss broke his silence on the investigation.

Slightly different vibe with this one...

Meanwhile over at Ferrari.... the Italian team have absolutely lathered on the filters for a shot of their car in the Bahrain sun.

Admittedly, it looks incredible, but could do without the nauseating spirals from the camera operators.

Carlos Sainz, at least, had a good day yesterday, coming in in fourth just under four tenths slower than pace-setter Hamilton.

Charles Leclerc meanwhile had a poor one, his 1:31.113 only good enough for ninth.

Says a lot that even without a race win in over two years, Hamilton is still the centre of attention.

Here's a look at the Mercedes star's entrance in Bahrain earlier on today, featuring some of the best trousers you'll see for a long time.

Some annoying news for you - it's currently a lovely 21 degrees over in Bahrain on this fine March day.

Humidity in the mid-30s but not a drop of rain in the sky, and more of the same expected for qualifying in around four hours.

For comparison, my computer in the London office is saying 'seven degrees celsius - feels colder.'

All right for some, isn't it?

'A man famous for his first-lap raids of the Formule One grid' has got to be one of the great sporting title.

Here's a look at one of the old masters Fernando Alonso practicing his take-off in practice yesterday, ahead of this afternoon's all-important qualifying session.

So let's recap one of the bigger stories of the day...

F1 bosses and owners are considering their next move amid the ongoing Christian Horner situation, following alleged leaks of messages between the Red Bull boss and the female employee who has accused him of 'inappropriate behaviour'.

Horner had been cleared by a KC-led investigation, however despite a lesser-known FIA rule it remains to be seen whether the governing body launch an investigation of their own.

'Hundreds of WhatsApp messages, many of a sexual nature, were sent to 149 of Formula One’s key figures, including all Horner’s fellow team principals, via an anonymous account,' writes JONATHAN McEVOY.

'FIA president Mohammad ben Sulayem, who is due in the paddock today, was also among the recipients and it remains to be seen if the governing body will step into the controversy. They, and owners Formula One Management (FOM), are considering their next steps.

'The storm blew up after Horner had been cleared on Wednesday of ‘coercive behaviour’ by an internal inquiry conducted by Red Bull’s parent company in Salzburg.

'An option open to the FIA is Article 12.2.1.c of the International Sporting Code, which applies to, "Any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally."'

READ MORE at the link below on that one...

So Mercedes dominated yesterday's second practice session, while Verstappen was down in sixth, almost half a second shy of the seven-time winner.

But what was happening at McLaren???

Piastri had a grand old day out, his fastest lap from 27 runs around the course was good enough for fifth place overall at 1:30.784.

But it was a day to forget for his partner Norris, who was propping up the paddock with his best time of 1:32.608.

"It's only FP2" they'll say, but it's hardly something Norris will want to take into qualifying is it?

Fish-eye lens perhaps not the one I would've gone for...

Leclerc looks more in pain than excited, while I'm not entirely sure what emotion Gasly is going through there

Ford were set to take over from Honda as Red Bull's official engine suppliers.

However, the American manufacturers have now gone silent following the allegations levelled at Christian Horner.

Ford had voiced concerns about the allegations and warned that they expected 'very high standards of behaviour and integrity'.

However, when approached for comment by Mail Sport they declined to comment.

Take a look at the link below for more on Ford's silence over the Horner allegations.

'It's the audacity of Christian Horner that really takes your breath away,' writes Mail Sport's IAN HERBERT in his MAIL+ column on the Red Bull boss.

'The brass neck and air of absolute invincibility which has allowed him to strut around an F1 paddock in Bahrain, cock of the walk, betraying no sense of personal jeopardy when he would have known about a deluge of WhatsApp messages which surely mean he is finished,'

If you want to read more of his column, you can check out the link below.

F1 is renowned for the money that surrounds it; both in the sport and for the lavish events that follow it around the world.

As such, drivers are paid by the bucket load to put themselves through the intensity and high-risk sport that so many love, but who is paid most?

Hamilton comes in at No 2 with £40m-a-year - which is more than both Ferrari drivers combined - so what do you think he'll be on over in Maranello?

As we all already know - unless we've been living under a rock for the last month - Hamilton is on his way out of Mercedes - but who could replace him?

A straight swap with Sainz? A move for the veteran Alonso? A chance for Albon?

Who do you think should get the call from Toto Wolff?

Here we go then - it's the 2024 F1 intros review, the one you all came to see.

I'll let you make up your own minds on it, and it proves divisive every year, but here are a few of my personal faves...

In at P1 is Esteban Ocon trying to show Derek Zoolander a thing or two about Blue Steel.

P2 is for Lewis Hamilton looking very much down for business - he hasn't actually won a race since Saudi Arabia in 2021.

P3 Close behind is Lando Norris looking like a teenager whose mum has asked him to try on his new clothes that she's just bought him.

And of course, shout out to Bottas' mullet. It's a bold look, but the moustache completes it fantastically.

See what you think at the link below...

You don't get a lot of flabbergasted these days, but that's what Red Bull's Helmut Marko is right now according to reports.

'I'm flabbergasted and surprised that the documents were leaked. I've never seen them myself.

That was the team advisor's reaction as he broke his silence following allegedly leaked messages from Christian Horner to a female employee who had accused him of 'inapproprate behaviour'.

You can read more about Marko's response at the link below...

This is pretty cool.

As we know, it might be the most glamourous sport in the world, but F1 is also perhaps the most dangerous.

F1 has seen a number of drivers unfortunately either seriously injured or tragically lose their lives as a result of the ultra high-speed, wheel-to-wheel action on track, and as such numerous measures have been put in place to limit the potential for danger.

One of these is the FIA's 'jump test' which Mercedes have very helpfully illustrated with a little video down below...

Reckon you could do it all in under 15 seconds?

After a build-up perhaps quite unlike any other in history, Bahrain is the curtain-raiser for what is set to be a seismic season in F1.

The Drive To Survive-induced beefy feel to Formula One seems at an all-time peak, drivers are already deciding where they'll end up next season, and there has been controversy clouding one team, and by extension, the rest of the sport in the lead up to this weekend.

As such, Mail Sport have put together a guide to match it, which you can find below, with some fantastic graphics, figures and stats to get you right in the mood for the action.

Take a look below - my personal favourite is the interactive track graphic which shows you just where in the world each race is taking...

Spare a thought for Carlos Sainz, who hasn't really done a lot wrong since joining Ferrari from McLaren and now finds himself out of a job at the end of the year.

He may have finished just six points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc last season, but he was the only Ferrari to win a race all year.

But you can fully understand Ferrari's decision - you don't pass up on the opportunity to land a fish as big as Hamilton.

Sainz, though, is not going to rush his decision on his furture, and told Sky Sports just how important he feels it is to get his next team right.

I think there's less urgency than six months ago - six months ago I had a clear intention to get to know my future before the first race, but there was a plot twist!

It's a long process I think, and it's an important contract that I'm going to sign - it's probably going to involve the next two, three, four years of my career.

I'm going to be 30 this year so I think it's important years in my career. I feel in a good moment physically and mentally, so I think it's important to take the time.

Fred Vasseur told reporters yesterday that he was looking forward to welcoming Hamilton to the Ferrari garage next season. Shock.

But after explaining that there was still some way to go for Ferrari to return to the tippy-top and that Hamilton was convinced they could do just that, he seemed to have a little pop at his future driver's age.

Steady on, Fred, he's only 39!

Such is the situation in F1 at the moment that we've somehow - SOMEHOW - not even mentioned the enormous news that broke on transfer deadline day.

Lewis Hamilton, the face of Mercedes - and arguably motorsport in its entirety - will be leaving for Ferrari at the end of the season.

It's a stunning move, but one that seems so right on so many levels.

Ferrari are probably the most iconic brand in sport (enter incoming comments to the contrary) and Hamilton is not just an elite sportsperson in his own right, but one of the most image-attuned figures in the world.

It's an iconic move for an iconic driver to join an iconic team - but can he sign off with a flourish at Mercedes this term?

The investigation into the allegations may be over, but Horner is perhaps still set for further hot water.

The FIA's International Sporting Code contains a sub-section of an article which hints at the moral responsibility competitors have to the organisation - and if this is breached, there could be potential sanctions handed out.

One key detail from the lesser-known clause dictates that punishment can be meted out for breaches 'committed intentionally or through negligence'.

Check out the below link for more on the FIA rule that could land Horner more hot water in the wake of allegedly leaked text messages.

Christian Horner, as we've already mentioned, has continued to deny the allegations made against him since they first emerged.

His rivals, however, have called for the sport's governing body to demand 'more transparency' from Red Bull.

Toto Wolff is among those calling for more information, as well as for a chance to 'look behind the curtain'.

I just read the statement, which was pretty basic. My personal opinion is we can't really look behind the curtain.

There is a lady in an organisation that has spoken to HR and said there was an issue and it was investigated and yesterday the sport has received the message that it's all fine, we've looked at it.

Check out the story below for more details on that one.

So it wasn't the table-topping performance from Max Verstappen yesterday, as he admits he struggled to find the 'sweet spot' out on the track.

He seemed laid back, but insisted that the team needs to 'make sure' they're in fighting shape today.

He's predicting a close qualifying, which would be a welcome start to the season for sure!

Take a look at what the champ had to say below.

And for the best seat in the house for Hamilton's practice performance you can check out the link below.

It really is amazing footage - you can practically feel the G forces as he sends it into the corners.

Hamilton, however, was not getting carried away - seven world titles and 103 race wins will do that to you - and claimed that Mercedes were 'there or thereabouts'.

Ominously, though, he still doesn't see a way past reigning champ Max Verstappen.

I think we’re going to be in the mix. I think it’s a bit too early to say, but I think we’re there or thereabouts with Ferrari and maybe Aston [Martin] and McLaren. I don’t know exactly where we lie with those guys, but we’re around those so it’s going to be close.

A nice battle with us, I think if Max is in the front he will veer off as he has done for the last couple of years.

And here's what Hamilton himself had to say about yesterday's performances...

[In] FP1, [we] were surprised. It was very, very windy this morning, so it was a really difficult session I think for everyone. The track was so different compared to practice [during pre-season testing] last week. Otherwise it was feeling okay, but we didn’t really know where we stood on the C2 tyre, and then in this session, [with] the car, we made some improvements over the session.

Again I don’t understand, it’s a shock to see us where we are. We’ll take it for now but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to keep our heads down, keep working on the set-up. I think our long-run pace is nowhere near the Red Bulls, for example, and I think we were a lot closer so we’ve got some work to do there.

Now back to the actuall racing...

With all the reports emerging in the last few weeks off the track, it has certainly been a relief to actually get some action on it.

And there was perhaps a surprise outcome with a Mercedes one-two finish!

Of course, the regular caveats apply - you know, something along the lines of "it's only practice" or "wait and see what happens in qualifying" and the like, but it's surely some encouraging news for the Silver Arrows!

Throughout the investigation, Horner has attending each event in the run up to the season's first race tomorrow.

From testing to practice, Horner has continued in to take his seat by the track and steer his team through their paces.

He was back in the paddock again on Thursday morning, however he is also thought to be fighting to save his nine-year marriage to former Spice Girl Geri, as JONATHAN McEVOY writes.

You can read more on that one at the story linked right here.

According to Sky Sports, the head of the FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali are set to meet to discuss the alleged leaks.

The outlet is also reporting that some within the sport believe an FIA investigation could be launched.

We'll bring you more on that as it unfolds.

Horner has continued to deny the allegations, and maintained his stance yesterday despite alleged evidence that emerged.

The purported evidence was believed to have been sent out to a number of accredited media figures, journalists, pit bosses and the FIA themselves.

He told the media yesterday that he is focused on the season to come after it emerged that he had been cleared by the investigation, and spoke of how united his team remained.

Here's a look at his interview after the news broke that he had been cleared.

So - to the crux of the matter.

Christian Horner had faced allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' following accusations made by a female colleague, before the Red Bull boss was cleared by an investigation.

However, yesterday saw a tranche of messages between Horner and the female employee allegedly leaked, plunging the 50-year-old's future in the sport into fresh crisis.

As JONATHAN McEVOY writes, The bombshell email contained 79 documents, including hundreds of messages, many of them of a sexual nature.

Read more about that story at the link below.

We will of course be going into more detail shortly, but for those of you looking for an update on all that's been going on in Formula One over the last few days, why not take a look at Jonathan McEvoy's POLE POSITION column?

Come for Hamilton's practice showings, stay for fashion tips from Crown Prince Salman.

You can check out that one at the link below.

Good morning everyone and welcome to Mail Sport's live Formula One blog, where we'll be bringing you all the latest updates from in and around the paddock today ahead of qualifying this evening.

From the ongoing situation around Christian Horner to yesterday's practice sessions - there's plenty to talk about throughout the day ahead of the first quali of the season over in Bahrain.

And that's not even mentioning perhaps the most important update, the official opening titles.

Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you all the latest news about anything and everything F1!