Friday in Bahrain: Hamilton fastest, Albon crashes and a dog on track

The first and second free practice sessions of the Bahrain Grand Prix are now over. Friday was dominated by Mercedes, especially Lewis Hamilton. However, Max Verstappen managed to get a bit closer in the second free practice.

Bahrain is a circuit that suits Mercedes well. They finished the first free practice session first and second with a good lead over Sergio Perez, who set the third fastest time.

In the first session, Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place. He spent the last twenty minutes in the pits because the floor of his car was being tinkered with, probably because of the spin he had.

The second free practice session is generally more representative than the first, as the conditions are similar to those of qualifying and the race.

Alexander Albon had a big crash in the second free practice session. He parked his car in the wall at the final corner, but fortunately remained unharmed. It did mean a lot of extra work for the Red Bull Racing crew. The session restarted but it was soon paused again, after a dog found its way onto the track.

Lewis Hamilton ultimately topped the timesheets for the second session in a row, with Verstappen second and Bottas third.