Leclerc puts Ferrari on top in Practice 1 as racing begins in F1 Bahrain GP 2019

 § BIC sells out Formula 1 Paddock Club tickets

§ Pereira tops the Practice timesheet in Porsche GT3 Cup ME

§ Camara sets pace in F2 season-opening Practice in Bahrain

§ Kygo set for spectacular live show Saturday night

Ferrari enjoyed a positive start to the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2019 after setting a blistering pace in Friday’s first Formula 1 Practice session at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. 

Charles Leclerc led teammate Sebastian Vettel to the top of the timesheet as racing action got underway in sunny conditions at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”.

Leclerc posted a best lap time of 1m 30.354s while completing 20 laps in the hour-and-a-half session around BIC’s 5.412-kilometre desert track.

Vettel followed with a fastest time just 0.263s behind. He completed 21 laps.

Ferrari’s closest challengers were nearly a second behind, with Mercedes’ Australian Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas 0.974s adrift in third with 26 laps. Reigning drivers’ World champion Lewis Hamilton had the fourth-best time 1.247s from Leclerc with 23 laps in the other car of the defending constructors’ World champions.

The Red Bull Racing pair of Max Verstappen (+1.319s) and Pierre Gasly (+1.461s) were fifth and sixth, respectively.

Carlos Sainz (+1.598s) was quickest amongst the midfield, putting McLaren in seventh on the session’s classification.

Rounding out the top 10 were Nico Hulkenberg (+1.686s) of Renault, Daniil Kvyat (+1.985s) of Toro Rosso and Kimi Raikkonen (+2.031s) of Alfa Romeo Racing.

In the final minute of the session, Hulkenberg and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi collided with each other in Turn Seven. After the Practice, both drivers were required to report to the race stewards in relation to the incident.

The Formula 1 field returns for Practice Two starting at 6pm this evening.

BIC sells out Formula 1 Paddock Club tickets 

BIC confirmed today that its Formula 1 Paddock Club tickets have completely sold out for this weekend’s events.

This illustrates the massive interest in the Grand Prix from VIPs and corporate guests.

The Paddock Club allows race-goers to enjoy the “Limitless” thrills in an exclusive and first-class setting.

It is also a natural place where they can connect and network in an informal manner with influential regional and international business leaders.

Paddock Club ticket-holders enjoy many more benefits, including luxurious seating, a unique viewing position above the Formula 1 Pit Lane, top-of-the-line TV monitors from which they can watch the racing, gourmet meals and a wide variety of beverages, VIP Pit Lane walks, additional grandstand seating, and much more.

The Paddock Club joins BIC’s Corporate Lounges and 10,500-capacity Main Grandstand as being sold out.

Camara sets pace in F2 season-opening Practice in Bahrain 

Sergio Sette Camara of DAMS set the pace today in the season-opening Practice session of the FIA Formula 2 Championship, taking place as a part of the support programme to the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2019.

Camara posted a best lap time of 1m 43.618s while competing 12 laps of work.

The Brazilian was marginally quicker than Canadian teammate Nicholas Latifi, who was 0.294s back. Latifi put in 14 laps.

Trident’s Swiss driver Ralph Boschung was third in the classification 0.560s behind with 12 laps.

Italian Luca Ghiotto of UNI-Virtuosi Racing finished fourth-fastest and Briton Callum Ilott of Sauber Junior Team by Cahrouz was fifth; while rounding out the top eight were Ghiotto’s Chinese teammate Guanyu Zhou, ART Grand Prix’s Dutch driver Nyck De Vries and Carlin’s Swiss ace Louis Deletraz.

All 20 drivers in Formula 2 took part in the Practice. They return to the track at 4.50pm for Qualifying.

Pereira tops the Practice timesheet in Porsche GT3 Cup ME 

Dylan Pereira topped the Practice timesheet today in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, taking place in support of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2019 at Bahrain International Circuit.

The Dutch pilot had a fastest lap time of 2m 03.116s while putting in 13 laps of work in the 30-minute session.

Pereira barely got the better of Berkay Besler of Turkey, who was second-quickest 0.026s off the pace.

JB Simmenauer from France followed in third on the classification 0.181s behind Pereira.

Tio Ellinas of Cyprus, championship leader Al Faisal Al Zubair of Oman and Leon Koehler of Germany completed the top six amongst the 18 cars that took part in the session.

All the top drivers, except for Koehler, are competing in the Pro class. Koehler is driving in the ProAm and was top in his category.

Michael Knutzon of Sweden was first in the Am class.

Bahrain’s Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa third in the ProAm category with a best lap of 2m 04.294s. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa was fifth in the same class with a lap of 2m 04.629s. Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa was eighth in the ProAm with a best lap of 2m 05.222s.

The Porsche GT3 Cup field returns with Qualifying under BIC’s floodlights at 8pm.

Kygo set for spectacular live show 

World-renowned producer, songwriter, DJ and music marvel Kygo is all set for his live performance Saturday night at the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2019.

The much-awaited concert is scheduled to get underway at around 7.30pm following the completion of all the day’s racing at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”.

Formula 1 fans have long been looking forward to the Norwegian’s Bahrain debut.

Kygo shot to fame in 2015, having been crowned Spotify’s Breakout Artist that year, with global hits including “Firestone (feat. Conrad Sewell)” and “Stole The Show (feat. Parson James)”, which was certified gold or platinum in 16 countries.

His first album, Cloud Nine, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Dance Albums Chart, receiving global acclaim from critics, with Rolling Stone calling it “unfailingly gorgeous”. In 2017, Kygo landed on the cover of Billboard magazine, reflecting his colossal success. His single “It Ain’t Me” with Selena Gomez reached Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has amassed over 608 million Spotify streams to date.

In September of last year, he released his Stargazing EP, which included new tracks “Stargazing”, “This Town”, and a collaboration with U2 entitled “You’re The Best Thing About Me”, rounded out with “It Ain’t Me” and “First Time”.

His latest album, “Kids in Love”, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.