Lewis Hamilton admitted he was shocked to finish fastest in practice for Saturday’s Formula One curtain raiser in Bahrain.
The seven-time world champion has not won a race for more than two years, but he led a surprise Mercedes one-two under the lights of the Sakhir Circuit on Thursday night.
Hamilton finished two tenths clear of team-mate George Russell, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third.
On yet another explosive off-track day for Red Bull, Max Verstappen bemoaned the handling of his machine. He finished sixth.
The Silver Arrows went under the radar at last week’s test in the Gulf kingdom, but they were quietly optimistic heading into Thursday’s running – and the second session belonged to the team that once dominated the sport.
“This has been a crazy Thursday,” said Hamilton, 39. “I don’t understand it, and it is a shock to see us where we are, but we will take it for now.
“We cannot get ahead of ourselves. We need to keep our head down and keep working on the setup.
“But I am much happier with the car. I have a better feel of it approaching the corners, and there are other areas that have been fixed and improved.
“It feels like a race car and the last two cars didn’t feel like that. It is a really good platform to work from. We have to keep our heads down and keep on chasing.”
Hamilton is gearing up for his final season with Mercedes after he elected to terminate his £100million deal 12 months early to join Ferrari in 2025.
Mercedes have carried Hamilton to six of his record-equalling seven titles. But last year marked a second straight season without a victory for the British driver – a losing streak which now stands at 45 races – and Mercedes’ first winless campaign in a dozen years.
However, Hamilton, in his radically revised car – after the design concept which failed so spectacularly for the past two seasons was abandoned – will take faith from an encouraging day.
But Hamilton expects Verstappen, who has raced to the past three world championships, will still be the one to beat.
“I think we are going to be in the mix,” added Hamilton. “We are there or thereabouts with Ferrari and maybe Aston Martin and McLaren.
“It is going to be close, but if Max is out in front he will drive off as he has done for the past couple of years.”
Verstappen had been regarded as the heavy favourite heading into Saturday’s curtain-raiser in the Gulf kingdom.
But he struggled in the first running and then failed to match the speed of the Mercedes cars later in the day.
“Everything is s***,” yelled Verstappen over the radio. “Like miles off.”
However, the 26-year-old remained confident he would be in a strong position for the 57-lap Grand Prix.
“It is very close and maybe some people around us have turned up the engine in terms of top speed,” he said.
“I’m not too worried about the gap to first, for example. It is going to be close in qualifying. I was happier about the long run for the race.”
Wolff refuses to rule out meeting Verstappen over Mercedes move
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has refused to rule out meeting with Max Verstappen to discuss a potential switch from Red Bull, though he says the Silver Arrows are also looking at other drivers.
Verstappen looks unlikely to be denied a fourth straight world championship after starting 2024 with four wins from six races, though he was beaten by Lando Norris at Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
However, the Dutchman's future has become a subject of discussion amid a difficult period for Red Bull behind the scenes.
Team principal Christian Horner was accused and later cleared of engaging in controlling behaviour towards a female employee earlier this year, while chief technical officer Adrian Newey is stepping back from his role and will be free to join another team in early 2025.
While Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs through 2028, reports have suggested he could follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and exercise a break clause to push through a huge move.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz has also been linked with Mercedes after seeing the Scuderia promise his 2025 seat to Hamilton, and Wolff says the team have plenty of irons in the fire.
Asked if he was keen to meet with Verstappen, Wolff said: "There's always plenty of meetings. I can't really say about the second driver. I think we've talked about the possibilities.
"I want to be fair to these guys and not make it look like we are playing chess with humans, because we are not doing that.
"I think we want to take our time, see where Max's thinking goes, and at the same time monitor the other drivers. Carlos was very strong in Miami again and that's why we are a little bit on observation mode at the moment."
Verstappen has said the strength of teams' cars after regulation changes are implemented in 2026 will inform any decision on his future, and Wolff says the Dutchman is right to bide his time.
"I was him I wouldn't leave, at least for 2025, but he's the leading driver, he's the top guy at the moment and that's why it's for him to take those decisions," Wolff said.
"There may not be any decisions to take, maybe everything continues like it is, but that is then also guidance for us."
Jamaican fans embrace Formula One at Miami Grand Prix viewing event
Jamaican Formula One enthusiasts turned out in force on Sunday at the AC Hotel Conference Room to witness the Miami Grand Prix, with the venue packed to capacity as patrons enjoyed a thrilling race-day experience as Lando Norris took his maiden F1 victory at the Miami International Autodrome, racing from fifth on the grid to finish seven seconds clear of three-time world champion Max Verstappen
The event, organized by Heineken Jamaica, drew a full house of fans who relished drinks and a lavish all-you-can-eat buffet, complemented by exotic Heineken-infused concoctions like "Heineken brewed passion" and "Heineken Brujitos." Prior to the race, attendees engaged in virtual racing on consoles, adding to the excitement and anticipation.
One of the standout attractions was a Ferrari displayed at the venue, owned by Member of Parliament Hugh Graham, which drew admiring looks and photo opportunities from attendees.
Rising young racer Tommi Gore, son of Jamaica's racing icon Doug Gore, was also present, adding a touch of local motorsport flair to the event.
Patrons enjoying the Miami Grand Prix at the AC Hotel Conference Room in Kingston on Sunday.
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown, Brand Manager for Heineken Jamaica, highlighted the motivation behind the activation, emphasizing the aim to bring the electrifying Miami Grand Prix experience directly to Jamaican fans.
"Heineken is a global partner for F1, and this year, we decided to bring the Miami Grand Prix to Jamaicans," explained Phillpotts-Brown. "We wanted to create a high-end, premium event similar to what you'd experience at the race itself. Miami Grand Prix is known for its energy, and we wanted to capture that for our fans here."
Phillpotts-Brown also emphasized the importance of responsible consumption and showcased Heineken's innovative product, Heineken 0.0, catering to those looking for a non-alcoholic option.
Reflecting on the event's success, Phillpotts-Brown noted the overwhelming response from fans: "It's a really good crowd, and we actually had to close out our list due to the high level of interest. Within hours of sending out invitations, we had over 150 sign-ups, highlighting the enthusiasm for Formula One in Jamaica."
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown (left) with Tommi Gore and Hanna Turner Junior Brand Manager at Heineken.
Looking ahead, Phillpotts-Brown expressed intentions to continue fostering interest in Formula One through similar events, with plans to potentially activate around the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in June.
The Miami Grand Prix viewing event exemplified the growing passion and excitement for Formula One racing among Jamaican fans, fueled by immersive experiences crafted by Heineken Jamaica.
Hamilton delighted to see McLaren back on top as Norris claims maiden F1 win
Lewis Hamilton was delighted to see his former team McLaren back on top as Lando Norris claimed his first Formula One victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Norris raced from fifth on the grid to beat Max Verstappen by seven seconds at the Miami International Autodrome, becoming just the second driver – after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz – to overcome the three-time world champion this year.
Norris' victory made him the 21st British driver to win an F1 race but the first since George Russell took the honours at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, while Russell's Mercedes team-mate Hamilton has not recorded a victory since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton won the first of his seven drivers' championships with McLaren in 2008, and he is pleased to see his former team challenging the dominance of Red Bull.
"I'm really happy for Lando," Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race. "I just told him he needs to stay tonight, he's got to change his flight home – he just won a race!
"It's a special moment to win your first Grand Prix. I started at McLaren and I'm really happy to see them back at the top. It's been a long time."
McLaren are third in the constructors' championship standings with 124 points through six races of the season, 63 behind Ferrari in second and 60 clear of fourth-placed Mercedes.
A gap of over 18 seconds separated the two Silver Arrows on Sunday as Russell finished eighth, two places behind Hamilton, and he was at a loss to explain his lack of pace.
"I don't think it caught us off guard. I just had no pace at all. It was just a lot worse than expected," Russell said.
"My race pace has been pretty strong this year but compared to Lewis I was nowhere. We need to check and see what happened and go from there.
"We lost even more points but as I said yesterday, we know where we are as a team. We're a long way from where we want to be."
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