Valtteri Bottas takes the lead in Bahrain

Valtteri Bottas accumulated this Wednesday absolute best time in 1'31″280, thus improving the benchmark set yesterday by his teammate Lewis Hamilton, and record attendance on the track with 143 laps on the clock of the W08 this Thursday in Bahrain. The only small downside to the world champions' standings was Bottas' stoppage at the end of the morning.

Behind the Finn, Sebastian Vettel, winner last Sunday ahead of both Mercedes, had a two-part day with the Team Ferrari. Slowed down by technical problems in the morning, with less than ten laps covered, the quadruple German world champion increased the pace in the afternoon to conclude with 64 laps completed and the second time at 294 thousandths from Valtteri Bottas.

Carlos Sainz place it Toro Rosso STR12 in third position with 68 cumulative laps, after taking over from his teammate Daniil Kvyat, in action in the morning, and credited with the seventh time.

After a first day once again marked by a lack of reliability and a water leak on the ERS of the Honda Power Unit, McLaren raised its head this Thursday with 81 laps completed by the MCL32 of Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, and a fourth time signed in the last minutes of the afternoon session.

La Haas VF17 of Kevin Magnussen follows in fifth position ahead of the Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Force India), which for a time held the lead in the day's standings this morning. Behind Kvyat, Gary Paffett placed eighth at the wheel of the FW40 of the Williams Martini Racing, with the second cumulative lap of the day (126).

Sergey Sirotkin, who made his debut with the RS 17 of the Renault Sport F1 Team, follows in the ranking ahead Pierre Gasly, author of 65 laps with the RB13 of Red Bull Racing. The current Mugen driver in Super Formula, who will begin his season in Japan this weekend, is ahead of Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber) and Sergio Pérez (Force India).

Ranking Day 2 Bahrain:

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes): 1’31″280 (143 laps)
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 1’31″574 (64 laps)
Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso): 1’31″884 (68 laps)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren): 1’32″108 (81 laps)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1’32″120 (88 laps)
Esteban Ocon (Force India): 1’32″142 (60 laps)
Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso): 1’32″213 (61 laps)
Gary Paffett (Williams): 1’32″253 (126 laps)
Sergey Sirotkin (Renault): 1’32″287 (90 laps)
Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1’32″568 (65 laps)
Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber): 1’34″462 (91 laps)
Sergio Pérez (Force India):: 1’35″015 (70 laps)