Ferrari aims to strike back in Bahrain over weekend

Mercedes leads constructor standings after drivers come first and second in season’s first race

By Fatih Erel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The second race of the Grand Prix in the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship will take place in Bahrain over the weekend.

The qualifying round will be held in the Sakhir region on Saturday, and the race will start on Sunday at 1510GMT.

It will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit, a motor racing track of 5,412 kilometers (3,362 miles) in length, comprising 57 laps.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso will drive an F1 car again in post-Bahrain Grand Prix test.

"Just months after leaving F1 as a race driver, Fernando Alonso will find himself back behind the wheel of contemporary machinery when he tests for McLaren during the two-day in-season test in Bahrain," Formula 1 said in a statement on Thursday.

Mercedes led the constructor standings after their two drivers came first and second in the first race of the season.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Australian Grand Prix in the Formula 1 World Championship season opening while the champion of the last season, Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton came second, finishing the race 20.8 seconds behind Bottas. Red Bull-Honda's Dutch driver Max Verstappen finished the Grand Prix in third place.

Ferrari aims to strike back in Bahrain over the weekend.

Last season's runner-up Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel said on Thursday that "things move on. We’re here now in Bahrain on a different track but I think we learned some stuff about the car and ourselves that should help us to be more competitive here."

"The feeling inside Ferrari is that they can prove it this weekend. There is a belief that they know what the problems are, and that countermeasures have been put in place. It’s no wonder they are so keen for Friday to swing round so they can get the car on track and -- they hope -- prove that Australia was just a one-off," he added.

This season's driver and constructor standings are as follows:

- Top 5 drivers

1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda)

4. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

- 2019 Driver Standings:

1. Valtteri Bottas (Finland): 26 points

2. Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain): 18

3. Max Verstappen (Netherlands): 15

4. Sebastian Vettel (Germany): 12