THE SAKHIR GRAND PRIX is taking place TODAY – but there's no Lewis Hamilton.
The reigning champion has tested positive for coronavirus and been replaced by fellow Brit George Russell for Mercedes.
Meanwhile Romain Grosjean will miss the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after his horror crash last weekend.
- Race time: Sunday, 5.15pm
Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 84
Three laps to go and Perez is looking comfortable.
He would move up to fourth in the Drivers' Championship with a win.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 82
Russel four seconds off a first ever World Championship point but it could have been so much more.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 81
Russell with a fastest lap from 14th, 55.4 seconds.
He;s up to 13th now though as he makes a late charge.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 80
Lance Stroll has moved up into the podium places.
Perez leads by eight seconds.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 79
A podium position is surely out of the question now for Russell, so unfortunate.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 78
Albon overtakes Bottas now, as does Kvyat.
Russell goes for a pit after a puncture.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 77
Russell around 2.2 seconds behind Perez.
Bottas' tyres have cost him again as Sainz overtakes into fifth, Ricciardo follows and Bottas is down to seventh.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 76
A 56.3 fastest lap from Russell as he closes the distance on Perez once again.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 75
Russell has closed the gap on Perez to under three seconds.
Albon past Kvyat and Gasly and into eighth.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 74
13 laps to go but Russell has set a fastest lap as he tries to close down Perez.
Sainz is not happy with Bottas in fifth – the issue is Bottas' tyres are so old.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 73
Russell squeezes past Stroll and is back into the top three.
He goes for Ocon on lap 73 and is up to second – this is a hell of a debut.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 71
Magnusson moves up to 14th at the bottom of the pack.
Perez extends his lead over Ocon to 2.5 seconds.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 70
Perez has nine previous podiums but no wins and leads Ocon by 1.5 seconds.
Russell overtakes Bottas brilliantly to move up to fourth.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 68
We are out of the safety car, but Lance Stroll goes right into the back of Ocon as he tries to warm up his tyres.
Sergio Perez leads the way. Albon avoids Gasly and takes ninth after the restart.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 67
Renault's Ocon has never finished in a podium spot but is up in second at the moment.
Russell is sorted now after having a mixed set put on but is back in fifth.
- Daniel Brookes
MERCEDES MAYHEM
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 65
Sergio Perez, who span out in turn one is now leading the race ahead of Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll who complete the top three.
Bottas fourth and Russell fifth now, with the safety car still out.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 65
Safety car is out which means Russell and Bottas have lost some serious time.
Bottas had the same tyres put back on his car in his slow pit stop.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 64
George Russell could face a penalty after a tyre mix up as Bottas' tyres were put on his car.
Mercedes' double-stacked in the pit and this could flip the race on its head.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 63
Slow pit from Bottas and this is a disaster.
The brakes were on fire as he left the pit, he's gone from second to fifth.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 61
Bottas with a fastest lap of 56.5 as he gains on George Russell.
Front wing loss from Jack Aitken, virtual safety car will be out to remove the debris.
- Daniel Brookes
RUSSELL STAT
F1 journalist Ben Hunt reacts to a brilliant George Russell stat from this season.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 58
Sergio Perez breezes past Ocon to take third – what a recovery from his spin in lap one.
Still 25 seconds back from Bottas in second, Russell still out in front.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 57
The Racing Points swap places in fourth as Perez overtakes Stroll.
Albon up to sixth.
- Daniel Brookes
LAP 56
Norris and Vettel use the safety car to pit.
We're up and running again.
Source: Read Full Article