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The Bahrain Grand Prix hosts the second round of the 2019 season this weekend and after we hoped to have answers two weeks ago at the season-opener in Australia, that wasn't necessarily the case.
Developments in Melbourne have left us scratching our heads after we digested proceedings at Albert Park. But what will we be looking forward to this weekend in Bahrain?
Can Ferrari bounce back?
Perhaps the biggest shock from the Australian Grand Prix weekend was just how far behind Ferrari was compared to rivals Mercedes.
An abundance of articles and rumours circulated after pre-season testing as many projected the Prancing Horses as the pick of the field. I was determined to stay clear of producing such content because you would be foolish to get sucked into the belief that testing paints the picture for the season.
Nevertheless, the gap was still huge when you take into consideration how close Ferrari and Mercedes were last year.
Ferrari is confident that we will see improvements this weekend, but promises can often be empty, especially in the distressing world of Formula 1.
Many will be hoping that Ferrari's off-the-pace performance was a one-off, as a close title battle is what we need - and following that, one that doesn't dissolve into an anti-climax three or four weekends before the end of the year.
Can Bottas continue his form?
Valtteri Bottas was many people's star of the weekend in Melbourne. Although he lost out to teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, the Finn launched off the start line to take the lead of the Grand Prix before the first corner.
A controlling, dominating race followed and it was exactly what he needed.
Bottas himself labelled his 2018 campaign as the worst season of his career. It was certainly a frustrating one, as any sniff of a win was ripped from him in some way or another.
To come right out in 2019 and do in one race what he failed to do across 21 last year sends a strong statement - especially now as question marks linger over his 2020 whereabouts.
It's a very long season ahead and there are still hundreds of points to be dished out. But by staying with the leading group this weekend, Bottas can start to make himself look like a very attractive 2020 option for Mercedes.
Bottas' Bahrain record in Formula 1
| Year | Team | Qualifying | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Williams | 15th | 14th |
| 2014 | Williams | 4th | 8th |
| 2015 | Williams | 5th | 4th |
| 2016 | Williams | 6th | 9th |
| 2017 | Mercedes | 1st | 3rd |
| 2018 | Mercedes | 3rd | 2nd |
The Bahrain International Circuit is certainly a strong track for Bottas, and he has never once been out-qualified by a teammate there. He will be aiming for the same fortunes again, and set his sights on stretching out his lead in the championship.
How does the midfield stand?
It was expected that the midfield fight would be tight this year, and if Australia told us anything, you would be a brave betting man or woman to predict the 'best of the rest' from track to track.
Renault was expected to be at the head of the midfield pack after it ended the 2018 campaign in fourth place. As it applies more resources to its F1 project, it is looking at chasing down the front runners rather than fighting with the midfield teams.
But in Australia, Renault saw in qualifying two Haas', a McLaren, an Alfa Romeo and a Racing Point car beat both of its entries.
Although in the race it was able to grab some valubale points with Nico Hulkenberg crossing the line in seventh, it sent alarm bells ringing down at the Enstone squad.
Renault isn't alone in its hunt for chasing down the top teams. With Alfa Romeo now involved, it too is spending more and more in a bid for improvements.
Toro Rosso is working closer than ever with Red Bull and Racing Point have a new investor that is willing to put in the money to aid its cause.
If you ask me how I think the midfield will shape up this weekend, I would be foolish to make assumptions.
*BOTR = Best of the rest.
| Year | Qualifying 'BOTR' | Team | Race 'BOTR' | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4th | Williams | 3rd | Force India |
| 2015 | 5th | Williams | 4th | Williams |
| 2016 | 6th | Williams | 5th | Haas |
| 2017 | 7th | Renault | 6th | Williams |
| 2018 | 6th | Toro Rosso | 4th | Toro Rosso |
All we can really hope for is another strong battle - I just hope that the midpack teams don't get too caught up in their respected middle of the field battles and lose sight of chasing down the results that truly write success.
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Grand Prix of Belgium
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Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Looks like you guys have a breach with Anja. Good assessment. One question I have that would nice to see a write up on is about the rookie rivalries, and even some of the rivalries amongst some of the younger drivers, going back to their formula 2 and 3 days. I know some of these guys have been f... [Read more]