Manama: Charles Leclerc, in just his second Grand Prix weekend, topped the times ahead of his team-mate Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari dominated Friday’s opening free practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
With track temperatures rising to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit), the Ferrari duo comprehensively outpaced Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who were nine-tenths and 1.2 seconds adrift in third and fourth. Max Verstappen was fifth ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz of McLaren, Nico Hulkenberg of Renault, Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Kimi Raikkonen in a Alfa Romeo. Leclerc, 21-year-old from Monaco, was in nerveless form as he outpaced Vettel by two-tenths of a second. (AFP)
