Free practice 1

Good morning and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. Fresh off the back of the Chinese GP Formula One is at Sakhir for what it hopes will be a trouble-free race

The situation appears calmer than in 2012, so with a bit of luck we'll only have to talk about racing on this page and won't see any similar incidents to the one which caused Force India to skip FP2 last year

Fernando Alonso is the man who arrives here on a high after winning in China, but he's not who I've tipped to win the race this weekend. Find out who I've backed in our preview here, where you can even find betting odds for said prediction too

If you want to ask us any questions or send us your comments, the best way to do so is via the link above. You can also get in touch with us on Twitter @ESPNF1

And our first question is from Robert in Darwin who asks: "What is the tyre selection for this weekend race in Bahrain?"

Morning Robert (or afternoon for you!) We've got the medium and hard compound tyres in Bahrain. Originally Pirelli nominated the soft and hard but after the Malaysian Grand Prix decided the medium would be more suited to the heat with temperatures not expected to drop below 30C

Heikki Kovalainen is back with Caterham as a reserve driver and will be taking part in FP1 this morning to help the team evaluate major upgrades.

One different aspect to the paddock this weekend is that the motorhome order has been mixed up so that drivers can't run quickly across from the hospitality buildings to the back of the garages. I believe it was Bernie Ecclestone's idea to ensure drivers have to interact with fans in the paddock more, and it's a good one if you ask me

Madhan emails in to say: "Do you think Ferrari really made a step forward in terms of their single lap pace is concerned or it is just the SOFT tyre doing the trick for them.

For me it looks like F138 is really fast in soft tyres and seems to have big diff between medium and soft compared to other teams. Massa also said that he feels like driving two diff cars. My GUT feeling is that Ferrari seems not understand why soft tyres are giving so much edge. Also on medium I think they should be in only 2nd or 3rd row."

The soft tyre definitely seems to help Ferrari in qualifying trim, but as Lotus has shown over the last 12 months it's better to have a quick car in the race than qualifying, and Ferrari certainly had that in China on a race run predominantly on the mediums

Lots of questions from you right now so I'll try and rattle through a couple more before FP1 starts...

Marco emails in: "Do you think the degradation will be as high here as china what type of surface is the track?"

I think we'll still see a three-stop race due to thermal degradation - the tyres overheating - as the track surface is slightly more abrasive (the kerbs certainly are) and track temperature is going to be very high. I don't think we'll have the same issues as China where the soft tyre lasted for just a handful of laps though

Aravind asks: "The Pirelli race preview listed the life of the tyres as 15-17 laps for Hard and 13-15 laps for Medium. Such a narrow difference? How much difference in lap time can we expect between the two compounds?"

I believe it's because of the heat being a limiting factor, and essentially the hard tyre is last year's medium and the medium tyre is last year's soft. I think we'll see around half a second, maybe slightly more, but that will be something we learn as these practice sessions develop

Now, at this early stage, who agrees with my race prediction in the preview?

There are two driver changes for FP1; as well as Kovalainen taking over Giedo van der Garde's car at Caterham we've got Rodolfo Gonzalez in for Jules Bianchi at Marussia

So far, only Aravind agrees with me...

FP1 begins with Gutierrez heading out on track followed by Chilton

Hard tyres will be the order of this session; don't expect to see the mediums until FP2

Installation laps going on right now. We will have a slow start to the session as the track is very dusty and sandy early in the weekend and this is the first session on it

Riku says: "I would go for Kimi here, looking a year back and seeing Lotus is in a much stronger position this year. But I as Finn I might not be objective."

And Srikannan adds: "I agree with you that Kimi will win the race if the others keep out of his way i.e Sergio Perez in China. He has shown to manage his tyres well and if he qualifies well i don't think Alonso or Vettel has a chance. "

On the topic of Perez, Marco says: "I think it's a bit harsh to criticize Perez when he has been given a truly awful car to start with , and also being up against a teammate with great experience in less than average cars Jenson is always under estimated and probably one of the most intelligent racers out there."

Kovalainen's done his installation lap and is back in the pits. Good to see Heikki back

We're only waiting for the two Mercedes to go out on track as Vettel and Massa complete installation laps

Kovalainen says he won't be doing too many laps but admits he will be chasing lap times

A quiet track now with the Mercs still to go out

Krishna asks: "After Car No 12, comes Car No 14. Is the Number 13 skipped in F1 due to superstition?. If so, what is it and when did the teams start agreeing to this number system?"

It is indeed due to superstition, Krishna, but I'll have to see if Laurence can research the last time the number was used!

Sarel asks: "Why do Marrusia take their best driver out of the car for a rookie to test? Does Bianchi bring a lot less sponsorship than his team mate?"

Well firstly, yes he does. But secondly, Bianchi has been very impressive so far this year and comfortably beating his team-mate Chilton. Marussia is in a bit of nomansland between the midfield and Caterham, but the team might think it would be more of a risk for Chilton to lose out on the running in case he fell back in to the clutches of the green cars

Still no installation laps at Mercedes but Perez is heading back out for McLaren - he's got lasers under the car's floor which are working as a sensor

A practice start for Perez at the end of the pit lane and he's off on a fairly quick out lap

Marco emails in about Kovalainen to say: "What a waste of talent , should be in the lotus or Williams full time "

Alonso and Hamilton head out as Perez pits again

Hamilton with a little lock-up on his installation lap

Rosberg joins his team-mate on track, while Hulkenberg is out there too

Hulkenberg is the first man to start a flying lap, while Rosberg continues for a second installation lap

Hulkenberg not using DRS on this lap. There are two zones this weekend - one between turns 9 and 10 and one on the pit straight

The first timed lap is a 1:42.500 from Hulkenberg

Hulkenberg improves to a 1:40.521

Ah, on the subject of there not being a number 13 car in Formula One, Danny has emailed in a link to a full explanation from Mr Joe Saward

Gutierrez and Raikkonen pushing out on track, while Perez joins them

Raikkonen is told to shift his brake balance backwards, and then proceeds to go comfortably quickest with a 1:35.533

Hulkenberg is second with a 1:38.556

Rahulan emails in to ask: "Alonso said Red Bull were the quickest in China and had the fastest car overall. Mind games being played here? I feel he is saying that to take the focus away from Ferrari after its stunning performance at China. Your thoughts on it"

You're right to be sceptical, Rahulan. I think we saw some thinly-veiled PR chat from Alonso yesterday as he said Red Bull was quickest (it wasn't) in China and that Raikkonen is doing a better job than anyone. He's just trying to deflect attention away from his own team.

Perez does a 1:36.651 and then immediately backs off

Raikkonen improves slightly to a 1:35.345

Button with a flying lap and he does a 1:35.745

Raikkonen locks up in to Turn 10 - a very easy place to lock up, with Sam Bird describing it as "one of the easiest corners to lock up on the F1 calendar" in his track guide. "The length of the braking, the undulation and the angle at which you're braking makes it very tricky."

A correction to a point I made earlier: The second DRS zone is between turns 10 and 11, not 9 and 10 - that would be very short!

Perez improves to a 1:35.821 while Button is going quickest with two fastest sectors

Button with a slow final sector but still goes fastest on a 1:35.305

The track is getting busier now as teams are happy that it's cleaning up. Another fastest first sector from Button, who is just 0.335s ahead of team-mate Perez in fourth

Sutil goes quickest with a 1:35.119 while Button is 0.110s slower

Pic and Kovalainen out on track and Pic is 0.6s quicker than his team-mate

Vettel straight on to the pace - he goes quickest with a 1:34.978

Hamilton heads back out for his second lap as Vettel sets a fastest first sector

Sutil pits with a loose headrest. Interest one.

Tony emails in to say: "No way was red bull quickest why do you think Alonso and other top drivers and their fans trying to belittle Sebastian, and concerning the team order business why did they go on about that so much its not that Seb is not the first to disobey team orders and wont be the last and I believe if webber had been the one chasing he would have done the same. So many people seem to have a down on Vettel , must be sour grapes I think "

Vettel runs wide at the final corner having had to skip past a Toro Rosso approaching the braking zone

Interesting question that Vaibhav asks: "Vettel a 3 time world champion while Alonso a two time world champion, still alonso is rated a better driver than vettel. So would you say had vettel been in a mclaren or a ferrari he wouldnt be able to win a championship?"

Vettel improves to a 1:34.790 and Webber makes it a Red Bull one-two at this stage with a 1:35.101. That comes just after Laurence says "The more I think about it, the more I think Red Bull will be really strong this weekend"

Rosberg with the fastest first sector and a strong second one...

Rosberg goes fastest with a 1:34.621

Sutil is getting a new floor at Force India so he won't be back out for a little while

Alonso goes quickest with a 1:34.564 on his sixth timed lap

If you're keeping half an eye on the back of the grid, Gonzalez is 0.8s off Chilton so far today

Massa is the last man to head out for his first run. He's just begun his first timed lap

Marco agrees with Vaibhav's opinion, while Tony adds: "No one can say who is the best driver, they are all good, but we have our favourites, and whatever people say about who is the best, at the end f the day it is just an opinion."

Grosjean reports a KERS issue and pits

Massa's first timed lap is well off the pace so he winds it up and goes again

On board with Massa and he goes fifth with a 1:35.039

Fritz emails in to say: "Hi guys, how is the wind and sand effecting tyre degradation and grip?"

It's not really affecting degradation but the grip level is lower than it will be come the race and the wind is just causing a few drivers to struggle in to turn 13 as it's a tailwind and pushing the cars wide

Massa is improving as he sets the fastest middle sector

And Massa goes fastest with a 1:34.487

This statement was published on the FIA website last night. A bit late?!

'The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Management (FOM) wish to jointly confirm their belief that the Bahrain GP should go ahead this weekend, following assurances from the local promoter and the authorities that security, their responsibility, will be guaranteed for all participants.

'The FIA and FOM also strongly believe that sport can often be a force for good and that the staging of the Grand Prix in Bahrain will come some way in helping soothe some of the issues which have been raised in the media.

'The President of the FIA Jean Todt, and Bernie Ecclestone, F1's Commercial Rights Holder, are united in expressing their support for the Bahrain GP and the national organiser, and wish that all concerned respect the desire of the teams, drivers and all those involved in the staging of the event to do the best job possible over the weekend.'

Ian emails in from Melbourne to say: "Well said Marco, my fav is Webber as an Aussie but respect Alonso the most."

Hamilton has completed the fewest laps so far today with five, but that doesn't put off Tamas who has emailed in:

"I think Mercedes will be quick again in the quali,they are my favourites to win it.The track does not suite them that much indeed,but the hard tyres seem to work best on their car. They were a lot quicker in Malaysia and China than anyone else on those mediums.Just my two cents"

Marussia says a gearbox issue is keeping Gonzalez in the garage at present

The track is constantly improving and right now we have the top eight cars covered by 0.6s

Vettel asks what type of run Button was just on, to which he is told "Low fuel, low fuel". Vettel had joined the track just behind the McLaren

Hamilton's back on track and is faster than Massa in sector one

Work going on at the rear of Perez's McLaren as he sits in the garage

Hamilton pits despite that quick start to the lap

16 minutes to go and the most laps we've seen is 15 from Button. Only so much that the teams can learn when the track is still evolving quickly

Track temperature is up at 45C - you can appreciate why testing in Barcelona was so difficult for the teams this year!

Di Resta sliding around in the Force India, while Sutil runs a bit wide out of the final corner too

A new nose for Vettel as he lays some rubber in the Red Bull pit box

Sutil passes Webber down the pit straight and kicks up sand and dust as he does so

Vettel is told his rear brakes are very hot and that he has to do a very slow out lap to cool them

And Vettel is now told that the brakes are OK and to push

Gonzalez's session is over as his car is in a number of pieces in the Marussia garage

Alonso runs wide at turn 13 and then even wider at the final corner. 15 laps appears to be enough for one set of hard tyres in these conditions

Only di Resta and Gonzalez not out on track as we enter the final few minutes of the session

Now, can Kovalainen go quicker than Pic?

Very few green sectors being set to donate drivers improving. In fact, none.

Longer runs appear to be the order now; certainly the case at Red Bull and Mercedes

Grosjean locks up twice approaching turn one and runs wide. Massa then does the same but makes the apex

Bottas and Maldonado running line astern in the two Williams and Bottas has a curved rear wing compared to a more orthodox one on Maldonado's car

Drivers pitting before the end of the session to lay rubber in their pit boxes - they're only allowed to do so if they're rejoining the track now

The session is over and nobody is improving, or has for some time

Webber the latest to lock up in to Turn 10

Alonso finishes his final lap by running down the inside of the track near the pit wall and kicking up lots of sand and dust

Perez runs very wide at the final corner on his last lap

As Kovalainen returns to the pits the track falls silent and FP1 is over. A Ferrari one-two just ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. Realistically, it's tough to read too much in to that session other than the fact that it looks close at the front with eight drivers (and five teams) covered by 0.632s.

Thanks for all your questions and comments, make sure you rejoin us for the second session for all the coverage and plenty more interaction. Bye for now.


ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices