Magazine: Bahrain F1 review and XE preview

It appears we finally have a title battle in the turbo-hybrid era as Red Bull outpaced Mercedes at the Sakhir circuit. Lewis Hamilton still managed to take a narrow victory, but it looks as though Max Verstappen has the car to take on the seven-time world champion.

Jonathan Noble explains how Red Bull closed the performance gap to Mercedes over the winter in our Pit + Paddock section, while Alex Kalinauckas reveals the key factors that enabled Hamilton to pip Verstappen to victory. And suggests Verstappen won’t make the same mistake again.

There’s also our traditional GP ratings for each driver and a look at the latest technical developments, plus all the essential data and stats.

As well as coverage of last weekend’s Formula 2 and MotoGP races, we look ahead to the inaugural Extreme E event in Saudi Arabia. Matt Kew is your guide to the philosophy behind the series, the high-profile teams and the male/female driver pairings.

The return of Ferrari to the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours is still one of the best stories of the motorsport year so far. Kevin Turner sticks his neck out and selects the top 10 Ferraris that have graced the famous French enduro since the legendary marque’s first appearance there in 1949.

Continuing the positive theme, the Autosport team also picks out the UK motorsport events we’re most looking forward to this season. It’s been a difficult past year for everyone, so there’s a list of the races, contests and milestones to put in your diary, from the return of the British Hillclimb Championship and Goodwood Revival, to the exciting Porsche Carrera Cup clash between reigning champion Harry King and returning ex-British Touring Car ace Dan Cammish.

On the downside, Stephen Lickorish takes a look at the struggle that those in Welsh motorsport are having thanks to the uncertainty over whether events will be allowed, but James Newbold gives Formula 3000 the well-deserved ‘In defence of’ treatment.

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