Lewis Hamilton kicks off his bid for a record eighth Formula One championship in Bahrain on Sunday but Red Bull rival Max Verstappen can strike an early blow at the floodlit Sakhir circuit.
Verstappen was quickest on two of three days of testing at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit while Mercedes looked strangely off-form. Bahrain will give some early indications of any change in the pecking order, with Mercedes winning five of the last seven races there on the regular grand prix circuit and Hamilton the last two.
Mercedes are one of only three teams with an unchanged line-up - the others are Williams and Alfa Romeo - and Sunday will see a string of firsts. Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel will be racing for Aston Martin, making a return as a constructor for the first time since 1960 as the rebranded Racing Point, after leaving Ferrari.
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